THE CULVER’S RESTAURANT OPENS IN PULLMAN

Culver’s Restaurant, located at 111th and Doty Ave., opened on Monday, Nov. 8. Photo provided by Brian Berg
Culver’s Restaurant, located at 111th and Doty Ave., opened on Monday, Nov. 8. Photo provided by Brian Berg

 The Culver’s Restaurant Opens in Pullman

BY TIA CAROL JONES

A Culver’s Restaurant opened at 111th and Doty Ave. on Monday, Nov. 8, with the distinction of being the first new stand-alone sit-down restaurant in the community in more than 30 years. It is just one more part of a renaissance in the 9th ward that began with Walmart opening on 10900 Doty Ave., then Planet Fitness, One Eleven Food
Hall, Method and Amazon. The 4,300 square foot restaurant includes 124 indoor seats, patio seating and a drive-thru. The restaurant brings 70 jobs to the community.

According to Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, development
of the restaurant was financed with a New Market Tax Credit investment from Chase Bank and $250,000 Neighborhood
Opportunity Grant from the City of Chicago, as well as resources from the Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives and the Chicago Community Loan Fund.

The Ninth Ward Alderman Anthony Beale talked about how Culver’s was a great addition to the neighborhood and would give residents a sit-down restaurant, as well as visitors to the Pullman National Monument site. “Having Culver’s here gives the people a chance
to have someplace to eat, next we’re going to work on someplace for them to sleep,” Beale said. “When they come to the 9th Ward we’re going to spend your money, we’re going to make sure we feed you, we’re going make sure you have a nice place to sleep, because
we want to make sure we keep those dollars in our community,”
he said.

Baron Waller is the franchisee of the Culver’s Restaurant in
Pullman, Bronzeville and theone Ravenswood making him the largest African-American franchisee for the restaurant chain. He is the franchisee owner of seven Culver’s.

Waller said without partners like Chase Bank, who helped finance the development, the Chicago Community Loan Fund, the City of Chicago Department of Planning and the Development Commissioner Maurice Cox, it would have been difficult to get the
restaurant built and open. “We want to bring good food and good hospitality to Pullman,” Waller said.

Waller introduced his nephew, Brian Waller, who is the operator of the Culver’s in Pullman. “We look forward to being able to give you quality service, wonderful food, and be here daily to become part of the community. I think it’s really important to bring you all of those things, it’s important for us to have it in our community, that’s why it’s important that we came here,” Brian Waller said.

Rick Silva, the President and CEO of Culver’s Restaurant, said it took a lot of people coming together to make the restaurant happen. “Baron has the vision. As a brand, we get the credit for being here, but we don’t deserve the credit, Baron is the one who not only
operates the restaurant, but he brings the restaurant to the community. Baron is the one who decides this is the community
he wants to be in, he brings the jobs to the community, he did the heavy lifting and we are so proud to be associated with Baron and Brian,” Silva said

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