When Biscuit Belly launched in Louisville, Ky., in 2019, it tapped into three restaurant-industry trends right out of the gate: fast casual, the breakfast and brunch dayparts, and fried chicken. With its menu of biscuit sandwiches — including a chicken biscuit option, called The Rockwell — served in a polished, fast-casual setting, Biscuit Belly scratched a particular itch for a wide swath of consumers.
That popularity helped it springboard into franchising, and today, Biscuit Belly has nine locations open in Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Virginia, with expansion into the Carolinas on the horizon.
Still, the concept — founded by husband-and-wife duo Chad and Lauren Coulter — is exploring new ways to build loyalty with existing guests and solicit trial from new ones. One strategy is its catering platform, which it just revamped with a new menu featuring dishes like Frittatas, Brekkie Bowl Bar, sandwiches, and a Biscuit and Gravy Bar. Biscuit Belly is also tapping into both digital and local store marketing strategies to broaden its reach.
Lauren Coulter joined the latest episode of the Take-Away with Sam Oches podcast to talk about the entrepreneurial spirit underlying everything she and Chad do with the business, and how the brand’s catering program in particular is helping Biscuit Belly connect with new consumers.
In this conversation, you’ll learn more about:
- Consistency across your system begins with training
- To give your new concept it’s best chance for success, incorporate more than one trend
- Your franchise partners are great sounding boards
- Your customers’ social media content is a cheap and effective marketing strategy
- Local store marketing is a great compliment to digital efforts in maximizing your reach
- A successful catering program must have a “say yes” mentality
Contact Sam Oches at [email protected].