Owners of juice bars across the nation hope market growth for blended fruit drinks will match specialty coffee's. San Francisco-based Jamba Juice, with 45 stores, intends to be in 1,000 more locations within five years. By the end of 1997, Smoothie King projects 450 units sold and more than 160 in operation. The first Culver's Frozen Custard restaurant was started by George and Ruth Culver and their son Craig and his wife in 1984 in Sauk City. First franchise opened in Baraboo, Wis. in 1988.
Frozen custard is a Milwaukee legend, with several families emerging as major factors in the trade.
Each has their own rigorously guarded secret formula. Frozen custard is often confused with ice cream, especially soft-serve, but frozen custard is richer. When the Culver family started their quick-service restaurant in 1984, they intended to expand to Madison, Wis., with their menu of Butterburgers, sandwiches, chicken and fish baskets and variety of frozen desserts. By 1996, it had 47 locations, including Iowa. Twenty new outlets within the Midwest and Texas are planned for next year.