Biscuit Belly acquires Maple Street Biscuit Company
Biscuit Belly acquires 34 locations of Maple Street Biscuit Company, enhancing its national footprint.
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Biscuit Belly has acquired Maple Street Biscuit Company, adding 34 locations to its brand, which will be converted over the next 18 to 24 months. This acquisition more than triples Biscuit Belly's footprint as it aims to grow beyond 60 restaurants by 2028. The company finished 2025 with $21.4 million in sales.
Why It Matters
This acquisition significantly increases Biscuit Belly's market presence and may compress available territories in the target regions, potentially changing the competitive landscape for franchisees.
Biscuit Belly, a Louisville, Kentucky-based brunch concept, has recently acquired Maple Street Biscuit Company, a subsidiary of Cracker Barrel, although the financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed. This acquisition adds 34 locations to Biscuit Belly’s portfolio, more than tripling its current unit count of 15, and allows the brand to expand significantly, with a plan to convert all Maple Street locations into Biscuit Belly restaurants over the next 18 to 24 months. The transition will commence in key markets, specifically Cincinnati and Richmond, Virginia.
The acquisition aligns with Biscuit Belly's ambitious growth strategy, aiming to surpass 60 locations by the end of 2028. Chad Coulter, Founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, expressed enthusiasm over the deal, highlighting the challenges of scaling a brand, particularly regarding location development and team acquisition. "Acquiring an iconic brand like Maple Street, one of the original gourmet biscuit sandwich concepts, was not on my 2026 bingo card," he stated, indicating the strategic significance of Maple Street's established brand presence and operational teams.
Maple Street Biscuit Company, known for its scratch-made buttermilk biscuits and Southern comfort food, began in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2012 and was acquired by Cracker Barrel in 2019 for $36 million. Prior to this acquisition, Maple Street had expanded to nearly 60 locations by 2023. However, Cracker Barrel has since shifted toward consolidating its resources by slowing down expansion and closing underperforming locations to enhance profitability.
