One of America’s fastest-growing restaurant chains is making an especially large bet on Florida.

Culver’s plans to open 59 new restaurants across 20 states in 2026, with Florida receiving more new locations than any other state.

The Wisconsin-based restaurant chain plans to add 14 Florida locations this year, potentially increasing its statewide footprint from 126 restaurants at the end of 2025 to approximately 140 by the end of 2026.

For Florida commercial real estate, Culver’s expansion provides another example of national restaurant operators following the state’s population growth into expanding suburban markets.

Florida Leads Culver’s 2026 Expansion

Of the 59 restaurants Culver’s plans to add nationwide this year, nearly one-quarter are expected to be in Florida.

The planned openings break down as follows:

• Florida: 14
• Ohio: 6
• Alabama: 4
• Indiana: 4
• North Carolina: 4
• Michigan: 3
• Iowa: 3
• Wisconsin: 3
• Arizona: 2
• Georgia: 2
• Kansas: 2
• Minnesota: 2
• Missouri: 2
• Tennessee: 2
• Arkansas: 1
• Illinois: 1
• South Carolina: 1
• South Dakota: 1
• Texas: 1
• Utah: 1

Florida’s 14 planned locations are more than double the six expected in second-place Ohio.

The expansion is particularly notable considering Culver’s already has a substantial presence throughout Florida.

Culver’s Florida Growth Has Accelerated

Culver’s may have been founded in Wisconsin, but Florida has become one of the company’s most important growth markets.

The company opened 11 Florida restaurants in 2023, followed by another 17 in 2024 and seven in 2025.

Another 14 planned restaurants in 2026 would mean Culver’s has added approximately 49 Florida locations in just four years.

That pace illustrates how dramatically the brand has expanded beyond its traditional Midwestern footprint.

Today, Culver’s restaurants can be found throughout Florida, including the Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples and Panhandle markets.

Tampa Bay Has Become a Major Culver’s Market

Tampa Bay provides a good example of the company’s Florida strategy.

Culver’s already operates restaurants throughout the region, including locations in Tampa, Brandon, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills and Brooksville, among other communities.

Additional expansion is continuing.

A new Culver’s is planned in Tarpon Springs, further expanding the chain’s presence within the Tampa Bay market.

The pattern is notable from a commercial real estate perspective.

Rather than concentrating exclusively within Tampa’s urban core, Culver’s has built a network of locations throughout the metropolitan area’s suburban growth corridors.

That strategy puts the company closer to Florida’s expanding residential population while providing access to the larger sites and automobile traffic necessary for its drive-thru-oriented restaurant model.

Why Florida?

Florida’s position at the top of Culver’s expansion list reflects many of the same factors driving investment from other national retailers and restaurant chains.

The state continues to add residents, housing and commercial development, particularly throughout suburban markets surrounding its major metropolitan areas.

Those new rooftops create demand for restaurants and everyday services.

Culver’s is especially well positioned to capitalize on this type of growth because its restaurants generally fit naturally within suburban commercial corridors.

A typical location can benefit from:

High traffic counts. Culver’s restaurants depend heavily on automobile visibility and convenient access.

Growing residential populations. Expanding subdivisions create a larger year-round customer base.

Strong retail co-tenancy. Locations near grocery stores, shopping centers and other restaurants can benefit from established consumer traffic.

Drive-thru accessibility. Suburban sites often provide more flexibility for drive-thru circulation and parking than dense urban locations.

These characteristics closely match many of Florida’s fastest-growing commercial corridors.

Restaurant Growth Creates Opportunities for Commercial Land

The expansion is also significant for commercial landowners and developers.

A new restaurant doesn’t exist in isolation.

When national restaurant brands enter an emerging corridor, they can help validate the area’s demographics and retail potential.

That can attract additional restaurants, banks, automotive users, medical providers and retailers.

Restaurant development can be particularly important for commercial parcels positioned along the frontage of larger residential or mixed-use projects.

A relatively small restaurant site can create visibility and activity along the roadway while larger retail, multifamily or commercial components develop behind it.

In fast-growing Florida markets, those outparcels have become increasingly valuable.

Culver’s Has Surpassed 1,000 Restaurants

Culver’s expansion comes as the company reaches another significant milestone.

The chain now operates more than 1,000 restaurants across 26 states.

That represents substantial growth from its beginnings in Sauk City, Wisconsin, where Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craig’s parents George and Ruth, opened the first Culver’s in 1984.

The company built its reputation around its signature ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard before gradually expanding throughout the Midwest and eventually into faster-growing Sun Belt markets.

Florida is now becoming a major part of that growth story.

The Southeast Is Becoming Increasingly Important

Florida isn’t the only Southeastern state receiving new Culver’s restaurants.

Alabama and North Carolina are each expected to receive four locations in 2026, while Georgia and Tennessee are each slated for two. South Carolina is expected to receive another location as well.

Combined, the Southeast represents a significant portion of the company’s planned expansion.

The shift mirrors broader population and development trends.

As residents and businesses migrate toward growing Sun Belt metropolitan areas, national restaurant and retail chains are following.

Retail Follows Population Growth

Culver’s 2026 expansion demonstrates one of the most consistent relationships in commercial real estate:

Retail follows rooftops.

New homes create new customers.

Those customers create demand for restaurants, grocery stores, medical facilities, banks and services.

As the population reaches certain thresholds, national brands begin entering the market.

Their arrival can then encourage additional commercial development.

Florida continues to repeat this pattern across metropolitan areas including Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sarasota-Bradenton and Southwest Florida.

Florida Is Becoming a Core Culver’s Market

Culver’s remains closely associated with its Wisconsin roots, but the company’s development pipeline demonstrates how important Florida has become to its future.

Fourteen planned restaurants in a single year would give Florida nearly 140 Culver’s locations.

And the expansion is unlikely to be the end of the story.

Culver’s currently operates more than 1,000 restaurants nationwide, while its franchise program continues to identify markets available for additional development.

For Florida commercial real estate professionals, the company’s expansion is another indicator of where national restaurant capital is moving.

Florida isn’t simply gaining more Culver’s restaurants. It is becoming one of the company’s most important growth markets — and another national brand is following the state’s population growth into the commercial corridors being created around it.

ExtendedReach USA covers commercial real estate, development, infrastructure and economic growth throughout Florida and the Southeast.