Nothing shall ever stop frozen treats from entering a neighborhood. After a few setbacks, construction has begun for a new Culver’s location in Manistee at 492 Parkdale Ave. The new store is anticipated to open in the spring of 2024.
Entrepreneur and franchisee Peter Spohn purchased the property back in March 2022 with the intention of turning it into a new Culver’s franchise. However, when construction bids returned much higher than anticipated, the plan had to be put on hold. Spohn is also an experienced Culver’s franchisee and owns a few other Culver’s branches located in Mt. Pleasant, Lansing, Midland, Big Rapids, and elsewhere.
“My wife Katy and I opened our first Culvers in 2006 in Mount Pleasant MI. We were raised in Wisconsin, where Culvers began, and we loved the concept and the food, so we decided [to] join the franchise,” Spohn, the franchisee, told What Now Detroit in an email.
Now, more than a year later, revised plans of a scaled-back version of the original design allowed Spohn to work with his budget. The plans were then approved by the Manistee Township Board in August, followed by site preparations starting with demolishing the existing property. The spring opening is anticipated but not set in stone due to potential weather conditions and other hurdles, according to Spohn.
“Manistee is a great fit for us as it is very similar in demographics to many of our other stores. The community has welcomed us with open arms and we can’t wait to open,” said Spohn.
