How Culver's Ice Cream Scoop Trick Yielded The Chain's First Smashburgers

Culver's was founded in Wisconsin in 1984, and for more than 40 years, this Midwest chain has been changing how people think of fast food and its possibilities. To wit: Culver's restaurants serve up pot roast in sandwich form (and, less commonly, as part of a dinner platter). It also uses real russets for its mashed potatoes, rather than an instant mix. Despite its surprisingly comforting menu, reminiscent of its native state's supper clubs and dinner fare, Culver's — like every other business in the food industry — must pay special attention to portioning in order to stay profitable. And that was as true at its founding as it is today. However, in order to keep its ButterBurger smashburger patties uniform in the early days, employees reached for an ice cream scoop.

It's true: The grill master at that time, working the burger station when Culver's first opened, would portion fresh beef using an ice cream scoop, which is actually a brilliant way to ensure the patties are all about the same size and weight. They would then plop the spheres of meat onto the grill and press them down to achieve the signature sear on the outside, along with the storied juiciness within. The ice cream scoop method was perfect for a busy restaurant environment, too, because it ensured both speed and accuracy when portioning out the smashburgers.

We don't know when Culver's stopped using an ice cream scoop to create its uniform patties, but it was bound to happen at some point, especially once the chain began growing through franchising in the 1990s. These days, in order to achieve perfect consistency in size, the beef arrives at Culver's restaurants preformed into small square shapes. Each block contains 2.75 ounces of fresh, never-frozen meat, which gets slapped onto the flat-top grill and pressed down, just as it always has been. Because the patties are hand-flattened on the grill, some may end up a little thinner and some a little thicker, but it will always be the same amount of beef getting seared.

And what beef it is. Culver's has built its reputation on the quality of its food, and beef is a prime (pun intended) example. Sourced from family-run cattle farms in the Midwest, the chain's iconic ButterBurgers are made from a blend of chuck, sirloin, and plate cuts, with no fillers, additives, or extras to get in the way of their big, meaty flavor. To achieve the delightful sear that is unique to the burger chain, Culver's trains and appoints grill masters whose job is to ensure perfectly uniform patties.