Raving Brands opened its first franchised location of The Flying Biscuit Cafe at the Regency Shopping Center, at 3515 Northside Parkway in Buckhead on May 14.
Local franchisee John Slocum has plans to bring five more Flying Biscuits to the Atlanta area, beginning with another Buckhead location, possibly at Resurgens, and another possibly at the Sembler development in Brookhaven. Slocum said they are looking for a site in the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody area as well.
“The combination of quality food for breakfast, lunch and dinner with such unique character made The Flying Biscuit the only choice for us to franchise,” says Slocum. “As a long-time Buckhead boy myself, I am committed to maintaining the neighborhood feel of the Flying Biscuit with this new location in North Atlanta.”
Sandy Springs resident and Atlanta Q100 “Bert Show” radio personality Jeff Dauler is partnering with Slocum to open the additional Flying Biscuit locations in metro Atlanta.
“My wife and I are long-time fans of the Biscuit and would never hesitate to make the trip to Candler Park,” notes Dauler. “The Flying Biscuit is an institution and I am committed to all five locations John is bringing to the area. I am thrilled about this first new location as it is dangerously close to my Sandy Springs home.”
Since its opening in 1993, the Flying Biscuit has become famous for its non-stop breakfast menu—featuring The High Flyer, the Smoked Salmon Scrambler and Egg-Ceptional Eggs—as well as popular lunch and dinner favorites – Turkey Meatloaf & Pudge, Love Cakes, Vegan Southern Style Burrito and Fried Egg Salad to name a few. All dishes are accompanied by fresh, fluffy biscuits.
Flying Biscuit’s founder and chef Delia Champion will play an integral role in the franchising of the Flying Biscuit Cafe.
Atlanta-based Raving Brands, the multi-concept franchise portfolio company acknowledged for its success as a fast casual restaurant franchisor, acquired The Flying Biscuit Cafe in 2006 and is working with Champion to replicate the Biscuit’s success with franchised locations. Raving Brands has nine food concepts including Moe’s Southwest Grill, Shane’s Rib Shack and Planet Smoothie. Collectively, Raving Brands expects to operate more than 1,000 locations of its concepts nationwide by 2009.
“Dine at The Flying Biscuit Cafe for breakfast, lunch or dinner and you will experience the magic that can only be found at the Biscuit,” explains Stephen M. LaMastra, president and COO of Raving Brands. “Finding the right real estate and the perfect franchisee partners has been critical for us, and I believe we have accomplished both. The care that Delia has baked into this eclectic destination will be reflected in the care we take to franchising it … slow, selective growth across America’s neighborhoods.”
“What I saw in Raving Brands as a partner is an organization that has passionate people who love food, love their brands and by the fact that we are in Atlanta, have become enamored with the Biscuit,” says Champion. “Most important, they have the resources and infrastructure to do things I could never do – better opportunities for employees, better food procurement, deep experience in store and real estate development, all of which will be important to our ability to expand the Biscuit in a way that maintains the integrity of the food and the experience.”
The new Flying Biscuit Café, which is just north of West Paces Ferry on Northside Parkway, is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The store phone number is (404) 816-3152.
— John Schaffner