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Biscuit Belly Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Biscuit Belly is a Southern-inspired café franchise offering biscuit sandwiches, brunch fare, coffee, and comfort dishes, serving brunch lovers and urban diners, and known for handcrafted biscuits, bold flavour profiles, and stylish café environments.

Biscuit Belly is a fast-casual franchise known for its Southern-inspired comfort food, with a strong focus on freshly made biscuits and modern brunch dishes. The brand was created in 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky, by Chad and Lauren Coulter, a husband-and-wife team who set out to bring a creative twist to classic Southern flavors.

The business remains based in Louisville and operates through Biscuit Belly Franchising LLC. The franchise program launched in 2020, giving operators the chance to develop their own locations under the Biscuit Belly name.

Its menu covers breakfast, brunch, and lunch, featuring daily scratch-made biscuits, signature biscuit sandwiches, fried chicken offerings, and rotating seasonal items that reflect the brand’s culinary style.

Biscuit Belly stands out in the crowded breakfast and brunch category by blending three popular trends: the all-day brunch movement, the appeal of Southern comfort dishes, and the efficiency of a fast-casual restaurant format. This combination positions the brand uniquely against traditional morning-meal concepts.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee $40,000
Lease Review $0 – $2,000
Leasehold Improvements $350,000 – $650,000
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment $275,000 – $350,000
Architect and Engineering Fees $10,000 – $20,000
Signage, Interior and Restaurant Graphics $20,000 – $30,000
Three Month’s Rent and Security Deposit $19,000 – $34,000
Utility Deposits and Fees $500 – $3,000
Alcohol Permits $3,500 – $35,000
Opening Inventory and Supplies $12,000 – $15,000
Computer System $5,000 – $7,500
Merchandise $5,000 – $7,000
Smallwares $25,000 – $30,000
Grand Opening Advertising $15,000 – $20,000
Training Expenses $5,000 – $40,000
Miscellaneous Opening Costs $5,000 – $10,000
Professional Fees $2,000 – $5,000
Insurance Premiums – 3 Months $2,000 – $3,000
Additional Funds – 3 Months $30,000 – $40,000
Total Estimated Initial Investment $824,000 – $1,341,500
Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee $40,000
Lease Review $0 – $2,000
Leasehold Improvements $350,000 – $650,000
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment $275,000 – $350,000
Architect and Engineering Fees $10,000 – $20,000
Signage, Interior and Restaurant Graphics $20,000 – $30,000
Three Month’s Rent and Security Deposit $19,000 – $34,000
Utility Deposits and Fees $500 – $3,000
Alcohol Permits $3,500 – $35,000
Opening Inventory and Supplies $12,000 – $15,000
Computer System $5,000 – $7,500
Merchandise $5,000 – $7,000
Smallwares $25,000 – $30,000
Grand Opening Advertising $15,000 – $20,000
Training Expenses $5,000 – $40,000
Miscellaneous Opening Costs $5,000 – $10,000
Professional Fees $2,000 – $5,000
Insurance Premiums – 3 Months $2,000 – $3,000
Additional Funds – 3 Months $30,000 – $40,000
Total Estimated Initial Investment $824,000 – $1,341,500

Biscuit Belly

2025

Franchise Disclosure Document

Number of units

Training

Biscuit Belly Franchising LLC provides comprehensive training and support programs for franchisees as part of their franchise package. The training provided by the franchisor is structured in both pre-opening and operational phases:

1. Initial Training Program:
For each of the first two restaurants owned by you or your affiliates, Biscuit Belly will provide initial training for up to four Designated Managers without charging a fee. This training is conducted at a location designated by the franchisor and covers essential aspects of restaurant operations. For any additional restaurant (i.e., the third and subsequent locations), a training fee of $35,000 is charged unless you meet certification criteria to become a Certified Center and Training Center.

2. Pre-Opening Assistance:
The franchisor will offer pre-opening support for your first two restaurants, which includes consulting on site selection, reviewing leases and space plans, and granting access to their Operations Manual. This manual includes detailed system standards, specifications, and supplier lists.

3. Post-Opening Support:
After opening, the franchisor provides ongoing assistance at the restaurant, shares updated system standards and approved supplier lists, helps with marketing materials, and maintains a promotional website.

Territory Protection

Biscuit Belly Franchising LLC offers territory protection to its franchisees through what it defines as a “Protected Territory.” This designated area is typically based on a population size ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 and is determined using various factors such as market demographics, growth trends, and the presence of similar businesses.

As long as the franchisee remains in compliance with the franchise agreement, this Protected Territory cannot be altered during the term of the agreement.

However, the protection has notable limitations. While the franchisor agrees not to open another Biscuit Belly restaurant within the franchisee’s Protected Territory, it reserves the right to allow other businesses—including third-party delivery services and food aggregators—to operate and deliver within that area

Competitors

Below are some of

Biscuit Belly

key competitors in the

Breakfast

sector.

Franchise
Franchisees
Initial fee
Total investment
Revenue
Sign up
Gross Profit
Sign up
EBITDA
Sign up

6

New
+
200%
200%

$40,000

$824,000

$1,342,000

n.a.

$1,224,000

$xxx,xxx

73.8%

xx%

n.a.

n.a.

xx%

n.a.

Competitors

Famous Toastery

Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurant franchise offering made-from-scratch dishes and specialty beverages, serving families and daytime diners, and known for closing by midafternoon, fresh ingredients, attentive team-service, and a strong focus on the booming brunch segment.

Franchisees

?

16
+
-16%
-16%
Investment

?

$688,000 - $1,206,000

Vicious Biscuit

Vicious Biscuit is a breakfast-and-brunch franchise offering overstuffed biscuit sandwiches, coffee and brunch fare, serving early-day diners, families and brunch crowds, and known for Southern-flavor innovation, fast-casual scalability and strong repeat business.

Franchisees

?

2
+
n.a.
n.a.
Investment

?

$799,000 - $1,317,000

Squeeze In

Squeeze In is a brunch-focused restaurant franchise offering extensive omelette menus, pancakes, and lunch items, serving breakfast and lunch diners, and known for vibrant atmosphere, unique menu, and expansion through franchising.

Franchisees

?

4
+
0%
0%
Investment

?

$202,000 - $522,000

Rachel's Kitchen

Rachel’s Kitchen is a fresh-casual café franchise offering wholesome, made-to-order food from breakfast through dinner, serving singles, families and health-minded consumers, and known for fresh ingredients, broad appeal and growth-oriented franchise model.

Franchisees

?

0
+
n.a.
n.a.
Investment

?

$298,000 - $816,000

Friendly's

Friendly’s is a casual-dining franchise offering ice cream, burgers, breakfasts and family meals, serving families and casual diners, and known for nostalgic American fare, classic ice-cream sundaes and broad national recognition.

Franchisees

?

94
+
96%
96%
Investment

?

$1,111,000 - $2,682,000

Biscuit Belly

Biscuit Belly is a Southern-inspired café franchise offering biscuit sandwiches, brunch fare, coffee, and comfort dishes, serving brunch lovers and urban diners, and known for handcrafted biscuits, bold flavour profiles, and stylish café environments.

Franchisees

?

6
+
200%
200%
Investment

?

$824,000 - $1,342,000

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