Culver’s of Lake Orion celebrated their Fifth Anniversary on Monday with the restaurant’s biggest day of the year.
More than 6,000 of the chain’s ButterBurgers were expected to be sold to customers for $1 each in what has become a delicious annual ritual at the store, owned by Joe Zimmer.
The Lake Orion Culvers, at 4963 Interpark Drive, just off M-24 at the southern edge of Orion Township, has become one of the most successful stores in the chain.
It is the leading store in sales in the region and has received the prestigious Ruth Culver Hospitality Award in two of the five years it has been open.
They are one of the top performing stores in the chain of more than 488 locations.
On Monday, during the rush of getting customers? food to them, Zimmer seemed content to watch the workers as they smiled and sought to live up to Culver’s and Zimmer’s mission that ‘Each guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy.?
‘We’ve been extremely busy but we’ve been doing this for five years now and we have it down,? Zimmer said.
‘So much is due to my employees,? Zimmer said. ‘They are hard-working young kids. We’re not making money at $1 a ButterBurger but we are making friends.?
On Tuesdays during the summer months, Culvers has grown into the location of the largest weekly car cruise in Oakland County.
On a nice, sunny Tuesday, the parking lot and overflow parking area is packed with 300 or more cruising cars that owners want to show off a little.
Combine that with a few hundred more people driving through or stopping to see the array of cars and there can be more than 1,000 people enjoying the cars, sunshine and Culvers.
The restaurant also has a Kid’s Day on Wednesdays which attracts families who want to feed their children for a few dollars per child.
On Sundays they also offer a kid’s day for hundreds of children who are at Kensington Church and other area churches.
‘I think we’ve become a gateway into Orion Township,? Zimmer said.
Culver’s is open seven days per week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. They also have a private room for parties and special rates for birthday parties.