Matteson Culver’s Owner-Operator Leads By Example

Dawndria Murray is the owner operator of the Culver’s in Matteson. PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAWNDRIA MURRAY.
Dawndria Murray is the owner operator of the Culver’s in Matteson. PHOTO PROVIDED BY DAWNDRIA MURRAY.

 Matteson Culver’s Owner-Operator Leads By Example

By Tia Carol Jones

Dawndria Murray has been the owner operator of the Culver’s Restaurant, located at 20716 S. Cicero, for three and a half years.

Murray worked at the Culver’s in Tinley Park first then became the general manager at the Matteson location. The opportunity to own the Matteson location was presented to her and she decided to go through the owner-operator process, which includes going up to Prairie du Sac, Wisc., for a 16-week ownership training.

During her training, Murray learned how to run a restaurant, the fundamentals of the restaurant, paperwork, financials and other day-to-day operations training. She also was taught every position within the restaurant from front of the house to back of the house and how to run shifts. The training was a breeze for Murray because she worked within the company. During her training in Wisconsin, four people dropped out of her class because they said it was too hard.

The Culver’s in Matteson opened in 2015. Murray came in and took over operations in 2020. There are seven employees that still work for her from when she first took over the location. She recently received an award for her staffing numbers.

“I run my business how it’s supposed to be run. The people who are here and doing their job and wanted to grow and learn with me, they’re still here,” Murray said.

Murray didn’t get any advise from any other Culver’s franchise owners in the area. She learned pretty quickly what she had to do to make the restaurant successful. Business is at the location is up percent. Murray believes that the reason why her business is doing well  because she leads by example. As a leader and an owner, she does what her employees do. She works on the register, she’s worked in the kitchen, she’s swept and mopped.

“As a leader, as an owner, they see me doing what they do. I come to work every single day, I work six days a week, I work 50 hours a week,” Murray said.

She encourages other Black women who want to own a franchise or own a business to just do it. She added that Culver’s is a family-owned business and is a great business to work for.

According to the Brookins Institute, between 2017 and 2020, the number of employer businesses owned by Black women rose to 52,374 — encompassing 37.2 percent  of all Black-owned businesses and representing an increase of 1.76 percentage points. The research data also showed that Black women business owners tend to be younger. It added that, “Black women are a potent force, helping to shape a more inclusive and innovative economy despite structural barriers.”

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