Construction crews broke ground on a new Culver’s in Ooltewah earlier this month, bringing the Wisconsin-based fast-casual chain’s butterburgers and frozen custard to another corner of the Chattanooga area. The restaurant is expected to open in February 2027, adding a second location to the local market after the chain’s debut in Hixson.
Work on the Ooltewah site began on Friday, Oct. 16, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, which reported that the new location is now under construction. The restaurant will be owned and operated by Ross Thomas, who also runs an existing Culver’s in Elgin, Illinois, and has worked with the company for 22 years.
Thomas emphasized the chain’s approach to its signature burgers in comments to the Times Free Press. “The meat is never frozen, and we do not cook it until it’s ordered,” he said. That cooked-to-order promise applies to Culver’s butterburgers, which are made with fresh, never-frozen beef, while the chain’s custard is churned in small batches throughout the day rather than mass-produced ahead of time.
A Growing Footprint Around Chattanooga
The Ooltewah restaurant will mark Culver’s second location in the Chattanooga market, following the chain’s entry into the area last year with a store in Hixson, per the Times Free Press report. That expansion fits a broader pattern of growth across East Tennessee, where Culver’s has been opening new restaurants in multiple communities over the past couple of years…