December 7, 2023 | QSR Magazine
Biscuitville Fresh Southern is celebrating a successful 2023, marked by regional and national award recognitions, the brand’s expansion into South Carolina, growth in North Carolina and Virginia and a continued commitment to Fresh Southern excellence.
Cementing its status as the breakfast of choice, Biscuitville won top honors in two separate categories of the prestigious USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contests – Best Fast Food and Best Regional Fast Food.
“This year our guests have shown us incredible support. Our culinary team has developed great menu offerings, and we are growing strategically in markets that have welcomed us with open arms throughout the year,” says President and CEO Kathie Niven. “I am so proud of our team members and cannot wait to keep the positive momentum going in 2024.”
Awards and Recognition
The double wins in the 2023 USAToday 10Best Readers Choice contest resulted from the active support of Biscuitville’s passionate guests. The organization also received a wide range of positive recognition from the restaurant industry and from North Carolina’s business community during the year.
For the second year in a row, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association named a Biscuitville employee a “Star of the Industry.” Tiffany Oates, who currently serves as an Assistant Manager at Biscuitville’s 1312 S. Main Street location in Laurinburg and has more than 13 years of experience working at Biscuitville restaurants, was named a “Star” in the Restaurant Employees of the Year category.
Internally, Biscuitville celebrated the winners of its annual 2023 Biscuit Bake-Off Competition. Team Members Anareli Valdez Hernandez and Adela Serrano Morales from the 2619 Alamance Road Biscuitville restaurant in Burlington took home the coveted title this year. Biscuitville’s annual Biscuit Bake-Off features multiple rounds of competition between employee biscuit makers from the more than 70 Biscuitville restaurants in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Biscuitville announced the winners at the company’s annual employee celebration held June 20.
In another annual company celebration – Biscuitville’s Founder’s Day Club, established by Biscuitville Founder Maurice Jennings – the tradition continued of recognizing employees who have been with the company for five years or more. In 2023, Biscuitville added 45 employees to the club, which currently includes 147 members from Biscuitville’s restaurants, 18 from the company’s restaurant support center and 11 from the distribution center. Fourteen of the employees who received recognition during this year’s Founder’s Day celebration have worked 25 years or more with the Greensboro-based restaurant company.
President and CEO Kathie Niven accepts honors, shares insight
In 2023, Biscuitville President and CEO Kathie Niven was named to Elon University’s Distinguished Alumni list, which recognizes four past graduates for their leadership, accomplishments and service, as well as 10 additional alumni who have graduated within the last decade. Furthermore, she was included in the 2023 Business North Carolina Power List, naming her as one of the state’s most influential business leaders. Annually, the magazine selects candidates across various industries based on interviews with business community members and reader suggestions. Business North Carolina compiles the annual list of business leaders with an emphasis on those who have made a particularly noteworthy impact in the past year.
Kathie Niven was also invited to the 2023 Restaurant Leadership Conference to participate in the session entitled CEOs in the Hot Seat- Former CMOs Now CEOs, A Recipe for Success! In the session, Kathie provided insightful business practices, leadership advice and shared about her path to success.
Spotlighting the Hospitality Industry with NCRLA
Biscuitville is proud to partner with the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association through its launch of Serving Careers, a recruitment campaign to help attract and retain hospitality industry employees. Biscuitville is honored to be among the campaign’s participants and to share with the public the many benefits of a career in the hospitality industry.
South Carolina launch and growth in North Carolina and Virginia
In addition to winning awards and gaining recognition as a leader in the industry, the Greenboro-based restaurant organization opened restaurants in multiple markets. During 2023, Biscuitville opened 11 locations in three separate states, including for the first time, South Carolina.
The South Carolina market launch includes opening five new restaurants in three separate regions of the Palmetto State during 2023: Florence, Hartsville, Indian Land, Duncan and Greer.
Biscuitville also opened restaurants in new and existing markets of North Carolina and Virginia, including:
o Virginia (Collinsville, Lynchburg)
o North Carolina (Greenville x2, Hickory and Burlington)
The Burlington grand opening of “Biscuitville Express” celebrated the company’s first location to be custom-designed to serve guests exclusively through its drive-thru.
