City Council Unanimously Approves New Culver's On Randall Road

BATAVIA, IL — Culver's has officially gotten the green light to come to Batavia. Although the mayor has previously announced the fast-food establishment would open in town, the matter was unanimously approved at the City Council meeting March 7.

The drive-through restaurant will open at 470 N. Randall Road, formerly TGI Fridays' parking lot. According to city documents, Culver's owners are confident the drive-through and parking space can accommodate the anticipated demand and allow the restaurant to run efficiently.

"I don't know in my many years here that I've ever had so many people ask me when's this going to be open, especially the senior citizen population, so I hope you've got a lot of salad and soup ready because I think you'll be selling a lot of it in Batavia," Mayor Jeffery Schielke said at the meeting.

Though an exact date has not been released for the restaurant's opening, Schielke said in his weekly video update Friday that he anticipates it to be up and running in about a year.

According to the mayor, the chain is popular among senior citizens, and Batavia residents are particularly excited about the new opening.

"They are trying to be a very strong supporter and friend of the senior living community, and I have heard from a number of seniors in Batavia ... that they were very pleased Culver's was coming to Batavia," he said in the YouTube video.

The Batavia franchise is owned and operated by a mother-daughter duo who also run Culver's restaurants in Downers Grove and Batavia. The third co-owner, Michael Smith, attended the March 7 City Council meeting to share the group's excitement and plans.

With construction set to begin soon, Smith said owners plan to hire 50-70 employees.

"It's an owner-operator model, so we're there in the restaurants almost every single day," he said. "We're just thrilled to be in Batavia and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this community."

One trustee commented during the meeting that he's looking forward to having his first concrete mixer from Culver's, and Schielke said he expects the restaurant to have success in town.

"I think you're going to have a very, very, very good business in this town from the number of people who tell me they're already ready to come and eat right now if you were open," Schielke said at the meeting.