_edited.jpg)
Built on Mentorship: New Culver’s Opens in Menomonie on May 18th
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
A second Culver’s is set to open in north Menomonie, with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for May 18th at 9:30 a.m.
The new restaurant is a partnership between Stout Road owners Michael and Cassie Dehne and 27-year-old Wesley Thompson, who is participating in the Culver’s Franchise Mentoring Program. The Dehnes will serve as majority owners, while Thompson joins as a minority owner.
The Culver’s Franchise Mentoring Program gives top-performing general managers the opportunity to take the next step toward becoming owner-operators.
For Thompson, the new restaurant represents a full-circle moment. He began working at the Menomonie Culver’s at age 16 through an internship program at Menomonie High School.
“I started here when I was 16 and never really left,” Thompson said. “After high school, I went to CVTC, but I realized that wasn’t the path for me. I decided to make Culver’s my career.”
Thompson said the company culture is what drew him in — and what has kept him there.
“Culver’s really prides itself on kindness, friendliness, and hospitality,” he said. “The owners are very engaged. They’re in the restaurant all the time, and the community knows who owns it. Training is huge for us. I love the training aspect — making sure our team feels confident and prepared.”
Michael Dehne’s path was similar. He began working at the Culver’s in Oshkosh at age 15 and later joined the Menomonie location while attending UW–Stout. He participated in the same mentoring program under the guidance of the original Menomonie Culver’s owner, Gary Theelke.
“It’s pretty special to mentor someone who started the same way I did,” said Dehne. “Wesley has been an exceptional True Blue team member. He has put in the time, learned every part of the business, and truly cares about both the team and the community. He has a strong work ethic and goes out of his way to help employees who are struggling. Early on, I knew he would make a great owner.”
As Menomonie has grown, Dehne said he saw an opportunity to expand to the north side of town while also bringing Thompson into ownership. The Stout Road restaurant has become extremely busy, and Dehne hopes the new restaurant’s proximity to the interstate will help attract out-of-town customers.
The existing Menomonie Culver’s currently employs about 95 people as the True Blue team prepares for the new location, up from its usual 70 to 80 team members. About 20 of those employees are high school students. The restaurant is still hiring to help staff both locations.
“We pride ourselves on giving people a shot,” Thompson said. “For many young people, this is their first job. We focus on strong training and building confidence that will serve them wherever they go.”
Community involvement is also a priority. Through Culver’s Share Nights, the restaurant partners with schools and local organizations, donating a portion of an evening’s sales back to those groups.
“Being part of the community is a big deal to us,” Thompson said. “We’re not just building another restaurant — we’re building more opportunities for our team and giving back to Menomonie.”
Kieran Hansen will continue serving as general manager at the Stout Road restaurant, while Zachary Geyer will step into the role of general manager at the new north Menomonie location.
For Thompson, becoming a part-owner at 27 is both exciting and humbling.
“It’s something I’ve worked toward for a long time,” he said. “I’m grateful for the mentorship I’ve had and excited to help lead the next generation of True Blue team members.”
