INDIANAPOLIS — A local Culver franchisee is opening his next restaurant in downtown Glendale, northeast Indianapolis.
The fast-food restaurant known for its Wisconsin cheese curds and frozen ice cream is set to open in late September on the site of a former O’Charley’s restaurant, located at 6111 N. Keystone Ave.
O’Charley’s permanently closed this location in the summer of 2019.
Photo provided: Culver’s
Culver’s addition to the bustling corner of Keystone Avenue and 62nd Street is exciting for owner Jeff Meyer, who has loved nearby Broad Ripple since moving to Indianapolis in 1998.
“We’re incredibly excited. I’m super excited — more than you can imagine — to be going to open on Keystone,” Meyer told WRTV. “We are thrilled to be here and to be part of the community and to do our best to make a positive impact.”
Meyer’s enthusiasm for this particular Culver restaurant speaks volumes, considering the Keystone location will be his 19th. Meyer, which has been a Culver franchisee since 2004, has locations in Indiana, Ohio and Georgia.
The opening of this location is even more exciting for Meyer as he has owned the property since 2018.
“I learned that the old O’Charley’s was going to be for sale. And I jumped on it right away. And then the owners in California interviewed me,” Meyer recalled. “And even though our offer wasn’t the highest, they took our offer. It was kind of a cool situation.”
Photo provided: Culver’s/Brian Wetzstein
Meyer says that as a Christian born and raised on a farm in central Indiana, he believes his calling is to help positively change people’s lives.
“Those young minds that come out there and work for you, you can have such an impact on them and their outlook on life. That’s what encourages me to do what I do,” Meyer said.
The established franchise owner could have chosen any other fast food chain in the early 2000s to become his boss, but he settled on Culver’s after a trip to Wisconsin Dells.
“Culver’s is about quality; it’s about being personal with others, it’s about being in a community and having an impact on your community,” Meyer said.
Meyer’s opening of Culver’s restaurants in central Indiana didn’t stop on the northeast side.
In a few weeks, a Culver’s will be opening in Westfield at 146 Street and Gray Road. And Meyer will be opening another Culver’s in Whitestown in about a month.
After Culver’s on Keystone opens in late September, Carmelites can expect another location to pop up on Carmel Drive.
While these locations are not yet open, Culver’s is actively recruiting for the restaurants and placing trainees in other locations in preparation for opening day.
Much like the rest of the food and hospitality industry after the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring has been a challenge, according to Meyer.
“We want people from this community to work in this store, so we’re not trying to bring people from our other stores into the community. We want to hire everyone within this community so they understand what what it’s like to be part of this community all around,” Meyer said.
Those interested in leadership positions to be part of the Culver’s team can visit culvers.com.
Shakkira Harris, WRTV digital reporter, can be reached at [email protected] You can follow her on Twitter, @shakkirasays.