Fast-Growing Gourmet Biscuit Chain Triples Footprint via Cracker Barrel Subsidiary Deal Biscuit Belly has acquired 34 locations from Maple Street Biscuit Company, a subsidiary of Cracker Barrel, marking a significant acceleration of the Louisville-based chain's regional expansion strategy. The conversion will begin immediately in the greater Cincinnati area and Richmond, Virginia, with the full transition expected over 18 to 24 months. The deal will bring Biscuit Belly to over 60 units by the end of 2028. Since opening its first restaurant in 2019, the company has grown organically to 15 locations across the Southeast and has been franchising since 2020.
Culture and Infrastructure as Acquisition Drivers "Acquiring an iconic brand like Maple Street, one of the original gourmet biscuit sandwich concepts, was not on my 2026 bingo card," said Chad Coulter, co-founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly. "Two of the biggest headwinds that growing brands encounter are the time required to find and build locations, and the difficulty of finding great teams. When we looked at Maple Street's geography, footprints, and established teams, a light bulb went off." Lauren Coulter, co-founder and Chief Biscuit Eater, added: "When we opened our first Biscuit Belly location, we didn't have plans for rapid growth. We knew it would be special but did not anticipate the response from our guests. Once we started seeing our growth accelerate, we set a 10-year goal to become the largest gourmet biscuit brand in the US. This acquisition is making that goal a reality, and we're excited to invite all the team members from Maple Street to join us for this next chapter."
Integration Plans and Brand Rollout During the transition, Biscuit Belly plans to retain the community connections that have made the Maple Street locations popular while introducing its signature menu, modern interiors, and guest experience standards. The company has not announced specific timelines for individual market conversions beyond the initial Cincinnati and Richmond locations.
Why It Matters
For multiunit operators in the competitive gourmet biscuit and fast-casual sandwich segments, this acquisition signals how established infrastructure and proven teams can serve as viable growth accelerators when organic expansion proves slower than market demand. The deal also underscores Cracker Barrel's willingness to divest non-core concepts—a trend worth monitoring for other smaller brands within larger corporate portfolios.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
