Biscuit Belly Franchising

After playing a crucial role in the growth of pizza franchise Papa Johns alongside his brother,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-h-schnatter?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-chuck-schnatter-2731020" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">“Papa John” Schnatter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/leadership/chuck-schnatter/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-chuck-schnatter-2731020" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chuck Schnatter</a>, a long-time member of the brand’s executive team and investor himself, has learned a great deal about what makes a restaurant franchise succeed. A great menu can draw a crowd, but real systems, standardization and strong unit economics are what build a legacy. That’s what he was focused on when he invested in&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-chuck-schnatter-2731020" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Biscuit Belly</a>, the 13-unit Southern-style breakfast and brunch franchise.“You always have to start with the people. You invest in people first and concepts second,” Schnatter said. “In any company, until you have good leadership, you’re not going to have a good concept.”<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-c-4663465b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-chuck-schnatter-2731020" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chad</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-coulter-%F0%9F%8D%B3-70053b2a/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-chuck-schnatter-2731020" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lauren Coulter</a>, co-founders of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly/info">Biscuit Belly</a>, caught Schnatter’s attention before the biscuit concept even launched.<h2>A Chef-Driven Foundation and a Resilient, Scalable Model</h2>Schnatter initially partnered with the Coulters on their wine and southern-tapas concept, LouVino. While the concept was successful, the team quickly realized how demanding a chef-driven concept serving the dinner crowd would be. The menu was also so chef-driven that it was difficult to replicate, so they began to pivot. As they thought up Biscuit Belly, the scalability was immediately apparent.“We felt like Biscuit Belly was a much more repeatable concept than LouVino,” Schnatter said. “Once we had the model, even though it was chef-driven, we could duplicate it … franchise it and grow it ourselves.”Schnatter also recognized the power of Biscuit Belly’s unique menu. While the brand is focused on biscuits and other Southern breakfast-style foods, there’s enough diversity to build resilience.“When you’re in pizza, 40 percent of your cost is cheese. So if cheese goes up, your costs go through the roof,” he said. “If you look at our menu, we've got pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy, and wheat. All of those hold about equal weight, so if one goes up, it doesn’t crush our food cost.”<h2>Capturing the Next Wave</h2>Early on in the concept development process, Schnatter also recognized a massive opportunity in market positioning. Biscuit Belly operates in the breakfast and brunch segment, which is not nearly as saturated as the dinner space. And its colorful, vibrant brand identity appeals to a younger demographic that demands an elevated experience.“This isn’t your grandfather’s bacon and eggs,” Schnatter said. “Biscuit Belly is the next wave in breakfast. It’s where 18 to 45 year olds want to be.”Biscuit Belly’s model caters to the “the camera eats first” mentality, and the Instagrammable nature of the food lends itself to social sharing. This is another key driver of brand awareness, turning everyday guests into promoters of the brand — another differentiator Schantter recognizes and loves.In addition to great food and strong potential in the market, Biscuit Belly’s ability to get into the industry when it did, with a model as strong as it has, has positioned it to capitalize on this “next wave.”<h2>The Quality of Life Benefit</h2>One of the most important advantages Biscuit Belly offers its operators is a more balanced lifestyle. In the traditional restaurant world, much of the demand occurs on nights and weekends, and operators must adjust accordingly. This can be draining for owners, and it can also make staffing difficult.&nbsp;Biscuit Belly, however, flips this dynamic entirely. Closing in the early afternoon all week, owners benefit from more free time and a one-shift model that makes staffing easier and boosts employee retention.“Whether you’re an owner or employee, you’re out of there by 3:30 on a Friday. You can still go to your kid’s basketball game or make it to a concert,” Schnatter said. “You can have a life where you’re getting out of work when everyone else in the restaurant world is just arriving at work.”<h2>A Blueprint for Growth</h2>For Schnatter, the decision to back Biscuit Belly is based on a recognition of infrastructure and the potential for explosive growth. Whether growing from location one to two or 2,000 to 2,001, Schnatter says the growth process requires the same rigorous discipline.By applying the hard-won lessons of the pizza industry to the breakfast and brunch industry, Schnatter is supporting Biscuit Belly in its strategic approach to national growth.“I understand what it takes to run a restaurant company and finance a restaurant company. And I’ve been a franchisee with Papa Johns, so I’ve interacted with systems from both the franchisor and franchisee standpoint,” Schnatter said. “The same concepts apply whether you’re selling coffee, chili, pizza or biscuits. The fundamentals are the fundamentals, and you’ve got to follow them.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly">https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly</a>.&nbsp;

Photo of Chuck Schnatter inside Biscuit Belly location

Why Former Papa Johns Exec Chuck Schnatter Bet on Biscuit Belly

1851 Franchise

After helping to build the pizza empire with thousands of locations, Chuck Schnatter applied his expertise to the Southern-inspired concept in the growing breakfast and brunch space.

This brand page has been paid for by BISCUIT BELLY FRANCHISING. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

Why a Former Papa Johns Executive Invested in Biscuit Belly Franchising

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Cracking the Code on Costs: How Biscuit Belly Found Efficiency in an Era of Inflation

A Biscuit Belly Franchise in Hoover, Alabama, That Let This Working Couple Keep Their Nights

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Seasonal menus are easy to do badly — a new item shows up, gets a quick burst of attention, and quietly vanishes before stores ever know if it was worth the effort.&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/">Biscuit Belly</a> takes a different route, treating limited-time features as a repeatable process built to keep guests interested without drifting from who the brand is.“We try to have fun with it,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-c-4663465b/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=biscuit-belly-20-unit-growth-2026-2731121">Chad Coulter</a>, founder and CEO of the fast-growing breakfast-and-brunch franchise. “We try to do things that are popular, but that may not be overdone.”That line is the North Star. Coulter says the team deliberately avoids flavors that feel saturated, even when they’re the obvious seasonal play. “We try to stay away from pumpkin things because we feel like that’s a little ubiquitous these days,” he said, pointing instead to a fall menu built around sweet potato pancakes paired with “a salted butter and a bourbon maple.”The goal isn’t to zig for the sake of zigging. It’s to stay recognizable. Coulter describes the brand’s seasonal lens as an extension of what&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly/info">Biscuit Belly</a> already is — Southern comfort food with a playful edge — rather than a reason to become something else entirely.“We try not to diverge too much from who we are and what we already have on our menu,” he said. “We try to stay true to our biscuit selves, so to speak.”<h2>Why Execution Matters More Than a Clever Recipe</h2>That boundary matters once you’re operating as a franchise. A seasonal feature can’t be clever only in the test kitchen — it has to land in every unit. If the rollout isn’t simple, it turns into extra labor, extra waste and a hit to profits.For each launch, Coulter says the team builds an execution system that starts well before the first guest sees the menu. “For every item we have a detailed procurement schedule — where to buy them, how to order them, pack size, item number, etc.,” he said. From there, stores receive prep instructions, cooking steps and photos of the finished dish.<h2>Build Cards, Not Guesswork</h2>Then come the “Biscuit Buddies,” a set of build cards designed to make assembly fast and consistent across roles.“It’s a quick little visual — kind of cartoony — of how the build should be,” Coulter said. “So it’s biscuit, and then all the toppings.”The point is speed and consistency: fewer judgment calls in the moment, fewer variations store to store, and less stress on training when something new rolls out.<h2>Testing What Works and Cutting What Doesn’t</h2>Even with the right tools, Biscuit Belly still pressure-tests ideas through a practical filter: Does it sell? Is it easy to execute? Will it create waste?Coulter said they’ve learned to evaluate performance by mix rather than just raw volume. “For a food item, if it’s greater than 5% of our product mix, that’s pretty good,” he said. “And same with drinks — 7% or 8% or more, those would be wins.”Interestingly, he said beverages often outperform food in limited runs. “Our LTO drinks actually typically sell a lot better than the food,” Coulter said. “It’s more approachable and easier.”<h2>Staying Relevant Without Chasing Every Trend</h2>That data helps the brand keep its seasonal lineup current without becoming trend-chasing. Coulter was blunt about some popular lanes that simply don’t fit. “There are some food trends that we just don’t care about,” he said, adding, “I’m not a big matcha fan. Sorry.”Instead, the brand aims for relevance with restraint — seasonal flavors rooted in the South, a cadence that’s long enough to justify training, and marketing that keeps the message simple.<h2>Marketing That Keeps the Message Simple</h2>Seasonal items rotate on in-store digital boards, get highlighted in social content, and are pushed through loyalty channels, including “text messaging, push notifications and emails.”In a crowded brunch category, none of this is meant to be revolutionary. It’s meant to be dependable and repeatable for operators. For Coulter, the point isn’t novelty for novelty’s sake. It’s staying present with guests — and giving franchisees a repeatable playbook they can run without breaking operations.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly">https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly</a>.

Biscuit Belly Franchise - Seasonal Evolving Menu - 1851 Franchise

Biscuit Belly treats LTOs as a system, not a stunt, using tight ops, simple builds and steady testing to keep menus fresh while staying true to the brand.

Biscuit Belly Uses Seasonal Menus to Stay Fresh Without Losing Its Southern Soul

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Houston is becoming an increasingly important city for&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/">Biscuit Belly</a> as the brand pushes into Texas and looks for room to scale its chef-driven brunch concept in high-growth metros. With its size, pace of development and appetite for distinctive dining experiences, the city offers the kind of conditions that can help an emerging restaurant brand gain traction quickly.For&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly/info">Biscuit Belly</a>, that opportunity is already starting to take shape. The growing breakfast-and-brunch franchise signed its first multi-unit agreement in Houston in June 2025 and is now working toward its first opening while looking at where the concept could go next across the metro. The focus for now is on getting those first restaurants open and running well, but the market’s longer-term potential is already coming into view.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-c-4663465b/">Chad Coulter</a>, founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, said the company was persuaded by the operator and by Houston’s growing reputation as a launchpad for emerging restaurant brands.“We honestly didn’t have Houston on our radar at first. We were mainly trying to stay in the Southeast, but a fan of the brand reached out about franchising opportunities and we felt like it was a really good fit,” Coulter said. “We had seen a lot of emerging concepts go to Houston early, especially if they weren’t already from there, and we heard good feedback from those brands about how things were doing. It seems to be one of those cities that’s really at the forefront for emerging restaurant concepts. She was willing to sign on for a couple of units, we were aligned and, if there’s a good match, sometimes you’re willing to work through the other complications and figure it out.”Even before opening, Biscuit Belly has started to see signs that the Houston move is generating attention. Some of that interest has come from potential franchisees. Some of it has come from future guests who simply want to know when the brand will arrive. Either way, the brand is starting to build visibility in Houston, which is often the first meaningful step in a successful launch.<h2>A Different Kind of Brunch Play</h2>Houston is not short on breakfast and brunch options. National names and local favorites already have a foothold there, and Coulter is well aware that Biscuit Belly is entering a competitive space. What gives him confidence is not the absence of demand, but the lack of direct competition around the brand’s specific niche.The company is betting that a biscuit-forward concept can carve out room in a market where plenty of operators serve breakfast, but few have built an established brand around biscuits as the centerpiece.“There have been successes in the breakfast segment down there. You’ve got players like Snooze and local brands that have flourished and have multiple locations there,” Coulter said. “But there’s nothing biscuit-focused, which is what I like. From an established brand standpoint, there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, competition in the biscuit space specifically. You can go anywhere and get bacon and eggs and five different kinds of waffles or pancakes, maybe with some slight variations, but no one, especially in Houston, is doing what we’re doing with biscuits and the different combinations we’re putting together. We don’t want to be just like every other place. We want to be very unique.”That kind of differentiation matters in Houston, where people tend to respond to concepts that bring something new to the table. At the same time, Biscuit Belly sees room to work in flavors that feel right for Texas without making the menu harder to execute. Coulter pointed to a birria limited-time offering as one example of how the menu might nod to flavors that resonate in Texas while still staying true to the brand’s identity.<h2>Building Carefully, Not Recklessly</h2>For all the excitement around Houston, Biscuit Belly is not approaching the market with a land grab mentality. The first location is planned for the Heights, and the franchisee is already looking seriously at Katy for a second site. Memorial and the Woodlands are also on the radar. But Coulter made clear that long-term growth will depend less on drawing circles on a map and more on execution.“We’re in for permits now, so we’re hoping October-ish is when we’ll open, and the franchisee is already looking at their second location in Katy,” Coulter said. “But it all depends on these first two. We’ve got to make sure we operate at a high level and provide support to the franchisees. We don’t get too wrapped up in the five-year plan before we’ve proven ourselves.”That measured approach also shapes the kind of partners Biscuit Belly hopes to add over time. Coulter said alignment matters just as much as capital. The company wants operators who can execute consistently and fit with the culture being established by its first Houston franchisee, because one weak store can do as much damage to a market as one strong store can help it.<h2>A Texas Growth Story in the Making</h2>Houston may not have been part of Biscuit Belly’s original blueprint, but it is quickly becoming a meaningful piece of the brand’s Texas story. The market offers scale, energy and a food scene that rewards bold ideas, all of which make it attractive for a concept trying to establish itself beyond its early geographic comfort zone.For Coulter, the opportunity in Houston comes with plenty of upside, but also a clear need to execute. Biscuit Belly’s job now is to stay focused, play to its strengths and make sure those first openings give the brand something solid to build from.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly">https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly</a>.

Biscuit Belly Targets Expansion in Houston as the Franchise Brunch Brand Seeks Texas Growth

Following its first Houston franchise deal, the chef-driven brunch concept is seeking to build its presence across Texas.

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Biscuit Belly Franchise - End of Year Wrap-Up - 2026 - 1851 Franchise

Biscuit Belly Finishes Year Strong and Looks Ahead to a 20-Unit Footprint in 2026

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. —&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbelly.com/">Biscuit Belly</a> is bringing back its&nbsp;seasonal Heart-Shaped Biscuits to turn up the love this February. Whatever your Valentine’s Day plans, these deliciously unique creations are sure to bring a buttery and flaky Instagrammable moment to any meal.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to CEO and founder Chad Coulter, the seasonal offering has become a fan favorite staple for the brand over the last four years. “We are always thinking about it from the perspective of what our guests are going to like and what is appealing to post online and deemed ‘Insta-worthy,’” Coulter said.&nbsp;As a brand, Biscuit Belly is no stranger to innovative experimentation to build a more joyful dining experience for its guests. Whether it’s the cozy magic of the fall lineup featuring Sweet Potato Pancakes and Apple Butter donuts or the spirit of February, the brand is dedicated to creating memorable moments between friends and family.&nbsp;Available until February 15th at all Biscuit Belly locations, these limited-time offerings will have your feed blowing up with hearts in no time. Visit your local Biscuit Belly to take advantage of the little moments that make saying “I love you” especially delicious.&nbsp; For more details, visit<a href="http://www.biscuitbelly.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=biscuit-belly-is-spreading-the-love-with-heart-shaped-biscuits-this-february-2728441">&nbsp;www.biscuitbelly.com</a> or follow Biscuit Belly on social media @biscuitbellybiscuits to keep up to date with their joyful kitchen innovations.&nbsp;

Biscuit Belly - Heart Shaped Biscuits Press Release - 1851 Franchise

Seasonal Southern-style Heart-Shaped Biscuits return to all Biscuit Belly locations this February, celebrating love, community and Instagram-worthy moments.

Biscuit Belly is Back With Heart-Shaped Biscuits for Valentine’s Season 2026

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Andrew and Rachel Adams took their time before stepping into a restaurant. The idea kept coming up, but the math had to work beyond food costs and rent. It had to work on a calendar.&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbellyfranchise.com/">Biscuit Belly</a> finally gave them a model that fit how they live in Hoover, with daytime hours and a playbook that rewards showing up in the community, getting to know regulars and using catering to reach beyond the four walls.“I had talked about restaurants for years. Rachel had always said no, just because of the time commitment,” Andrew said. “We really love to travel and do different things, so that was always her hiccup in the road, the time commitment. When&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly/info">Biscuit Belly</a> came up, they reached out to our hospitality group that we’re a part of to see if they would be interested in franchising. They brought it to us.”<h2>A Daytime Model That Made Ownership Sustainable</h2>For Andrew and Rachel, Biscuit Belly’s hours solved the one problem that kept pushing restaurant ownership to the back burner. The restaurant runs early, then it clears. That meant they could be hands-on during the rush and still have their evenings. Before they signed, they went to the corporate stores to see it for themselves. They tried the food, watched how the operation ran and made sure the experience felt consistent from location to location.“The hours were a huge plus, 7 to 2 during the week and 7 to 3 on the weekends, and still have nights available and a little bit better hours to travel with,” Andrew said. “That was a huge selling point for us with work-life balance. We checked out all the corporate stores at the time, made sure it was a really consistent product and something that we could get behind, fell in love with it, and decided it was the perfect match.”<h2>Why Brock’s Gap Made Sense</h2>With the brand decision made, the next priority was selecting the right pocket of Hoover, Alabama. The Adamses landed at&nbsp;<a href="https://biscuitbelly.com/hoover/">The Village at Brock’s Gap</a>, a newer shopping center in a fast-growing area where rooftops, schools and daily routines create a strong breakfast and brunch daypart. It also offered a steady stream of community moments, from school drop-offs to local catering needs, where a morning brand can become part of someone’s week.“Hoover is continuing to grow. There are new shopping centers coming up, and this is one of the newer ones,” Rachel said. “People are just learning where we’re at. There are a lot of houses around here, too. It’s been really good to see people come in after they drop their kids off for school. It’s definitely continuing to grow, and we’re excited about what’s to come.”<h2>Building Awareness the Old-Fashioned Way</h2>Newer developments can mean a slower start, especially when a restaurant is tucked back from the road and customers do not immediately realize it is there. Early on, the Adamses leaned into community outreach and treated it as part of the weekly routine, not a one-time opening push.“Just informing people in the community that we’re back here and that this exists behind the shopping center that’s close to the road,” Rachel said. “We spent the first year getting out, taking samples out and catering, talking about catering, just to get awareness out.”That same outreach mindset carried into their catering strategy. Rather than waiting for new guests to discover the restaurant on their own, they used catering to introduce Biscuit Belly to groups across the Birmingham metro area, including customers who might not typically make the drive to Hoover for breakfast.“We continue to want to see the brand grow, and obviously our store as well,” Andrew said. “Catering has really helped us get our name out to parts of Birmingham that don’t necessarily come to Hoover a whole lot, but still, like downtown. We had a couple caterings this morning. There’s 150 people total that had Biscuit Belly this morning that didn’t even come in the restaurant.”<h2>A Menu That Feels Familiar, Then Surprises You</h2>Breakfast is a crowded category, and the Adamses see the menu as one reason Biscuit Belly can stand out. Andrew describes the concept as approachable, but still different enough that customers can find a favorite and keep exploring.“For the brand, it’s a southern menu with a twist,” Andrew said. “People can still get that down-home cooking, biscuits and gravy, but they still get to try something different. Something they would not have thought about, some flavors they probably wouldn’t have put together.”<h2>Support That Shows Up in Real Time</h2>As first-time restaurant owners, the Adamses point to franchisor support as a stabilizer, especially when the learning curve is steep. Rachel said marketing has helped them stay visible and keep customers engaged.“Marketing, for sure, coming up with new ideas and new ways to gain new customers and keep existing customers,” Rachel said. “They run a lot of fun campaigns and things that grab your attention.”Training has also been hands-on, with support before opening and continued updates as new items and limited-time offers roll out.“We went to Kentucky and had manager-owner training there. They came down to our store and helped get us ready, our staff ready,” Rachel said. “There’s a great training program in place that continues to update as new menu items come out, and LTO items, they help support us.”Andrew also pointed to accessibility as a practical advantage. When a question comes up in the middle of a busy week, being able to reach someone quickly matters.“All of the corporate employees have been readily available,” he said. “If we need to pick up the phone, call, text, email, everyone gets back to us really quickly.”<h2>Becoming Part of the Weekly Routine</h2>For the Adamses, the long-term win is not novelty. It is repeat business and word of mouth, built through the kind of consistent experience that turns a first visit into a habit. Rachel said she sees that momentum in the guests who return on the same days each week, then bring someone new.“We get people that come in every single week. We have different groups that come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” she said. “We see a lot of the same faces, and it’s nice to see new people and also see those familiar faces bringing new people.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly">https://1851franchise.com/biscuit-belly</a>.

Biscuit Belly Franchise - Hoover, Alabama - Andrew and Rachel Adams - 1851 Franchise

Andrew and Rachel Adams waited years to make the leap, choosing a daytime concept and a community-first approach that let them build a restaurant without giving up the rest of their life.

Why a Former Papa Johns Executive Invested in Biscuit Belly Franchising

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