Culver's Owners Carve Out Unique Niche in Community

Generosity is an essential part of Clint and Gloria Racine's business model.

The Racines tirelessly host and help promote American Red Cross blood drives in Eagan, sponsor 10 schools and one nonprofit organization and support charity field trips and school activities—all while running the day-to-day operations of the , of which they are the sole owners.

Sound like a lot?

Second District Rep. John Kline (R) thought so too. The Congressman honored the Racines last week with his "Star of the North" award at a special ceremony in Lakeville. The Racines were one of 40 recipients of the award, and serve as "an inspiration to us all", Kline wrote in a press release.

Clint, who worked for 25 years as a regional sales manager for a series of large chocolate manufacturers, decided to seek out a job at Culver's after a chance encounter with a Culver's manager during a lunch break in Wisconsin.

After nearly a year of training, the husband-wife team from St. Paul assumed ownership of the Culver's in Eagan. Culver's encourages owners to get involved in the community, Clint said, but the Racines took that encouragement one step further.

The pair hosts regular blood drives in the Culver's parking lot and provide other incentives for people to give blood, including giving donors a coupon for a free pint of custard when they donate. Gloria, who stamps and signs each coupon by hand, estimates the restaurant distributes between 400-800 each month.

But the Racines' efforts don't end there. The two support 10 local schools by hosting frequent school nights, where 10 percent of all sales taken in that night are donated to a specific school.

"They’ve just been a joy to work with," said American Red Cross Field Supervisor Steven Seering, who partnered for two years with the Racines to coordinate blood drives and other promotions. The Racines' involvement galvanized donors in Eagan, Seering said, drawing more volunteers in and fostering loyalty among current donors.

"We have never really received that kind of ongoing support from anyone, and that’s really significant," Seering said. "They’ve always been very pleasant, very kind and a very generous couple."

All that community involvement has been a boon for the Racines' business at a time when major company closures and downsizing have eaten away at the number of regular customers the Racines see during the workday, Clint said. The fundraisers help draw in new clientele and put the business on the map, he added.

But the community engagement is more than a shrewd business move—it's just part of the territory that comes with being a local business owner, the Racines believe.

"Our day starts at 6 in the morning, and we put in basically a lot of hours,” Clint said. It’s part of us being here."

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