The New Lineup
Culver's is activating a five-item limited-time menu across its 1,050-plus franchise locations this back-to-school season, anchored by the Fried Pickle Pub Burger — available Aug. 3 through Sept. 27 while supplies last. The burger places crispy fried pickles, fresh never-frozen beef, real cheddar cheese and a proprietary Brewpub Sauce on a soft pretzel bun, extending the chain's 2026 Pub Burger platform that has sequentially introduced bold, regionally inflected builds throughout the year. Fried Pickles are also available as a standalone side during the same window.
The launch is a calculated move in the limited-service restaurant calendar, where operators compete aggressively for family dining occasions during the late-summer traffic surge. For Culver's — a Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin-based franchise that operates exclusively in 26 states — the back-to-school window represents one of the highest-volume seasonal opportunities of the year, and the brand is pairing the LTO burger with a broader custard refresh to drive repeat visits.
Custard & Seasonal Treats
The chain is adding two new Flavors of the Day to its Fresh Frozen Custard rotation, which already cycles through more than 30 flavors systemwide. Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie — built on chocolate Fresh Frozen Custard with brownie pieces, REESE'S Peanut Butter ribbons and fudge — arrives Aug. 5. OREO REESE'S Cheesecake, combining crunchy OREO Cookie Pieces, REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups and cheesecake in Vanilla Fresh Frozen Custard, follows Sept. 2. Both flavors were developed through Culver's standard research-driven culinary process.
Pumpkin-flavored offerings, which have become a predictable traffic driver for the brand in prior fall seasons, return Sept. 8. The lineup includes the new Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer alongside the returning Pumpkin Spice Shake and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Concrete Mixer — all made with real pumpkin spice and Fresh Frozen Custard. The pumpkin platform positions Culver's squarely within the broader seasonal flavor trend that has proven durable across foodservice and retail channels.
Culinary & Franchise Context
"A fried pickle on a burger only works if the pickle stays crisp and the brine balances the richness of the beef," said Kasey McDonald, Culver's head of culinary. "We're confident our Fried Pickle Pub Burger will exceed guests' expectations because, like the burgers that came before it in our Pub Burger lineup, it's innovative, crafted and unmistakably Culver's."
The Pub Burger series reflects a wider fast-casual and QSR menu innovation strategy of tiering LTOs within a named platform — giving operators a repeatable framework for novelty while maintaining kitchen consistency. For Culver's franchisees, each Pub Burger iteration provides a discrete promotional moment without requiring new equipment or significant training overhead, a meaningful consideration for family-owned operators across a 1,050-unit system. The back-to-school lineup runs through late September, with pumpkin items extending the seasonal occasion into the early fall daypart.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
