Biscuit Belly will expand its Tennessee presence through the rebranding of five existing Maple Street Biscuit Company restaurants, including locations in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Murfreesboro, and Knoxville. According to their website, the Louisville-based breakfast concept acquired 35 Maple Street locations from Cracker Barrel in July and said the restaurants will transition to the Biscuit Belly brand over an 18- to 24-month period.
The Tennessee locations included in the acquisition are City Center at 407 Broad St. in Chattanooga; Gunbarrel at 2114 Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga; Johnson City at 1033 Hamilton Place Dr.; Murfreesboro at 1911 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite A; and Sherrill Hill at 9314 Kingston Pike, Suite 112, in Knoxville, according to Biscuit Belly’s published list of acquired restaurants.
The restaurants are not new construction projects. Instead, Biscuit Belly is taking over the existing Maple Street locations and intends to retain the restaurants while gradually introducing its own branding, menu, interiors, and hospitality experience. The company said on their website the acquired restaurants are not planned to close as a result of the transaction.
For Tennessee specifically, the timing remains open-ended. Biscuit Belly’s conversion timeline currently lists Murfreesboro, City Center, Gunbarrel, Johnson City, and Knoxville as “TBD.” The company has not announced which Tennessee location will be converted first.
Lauren Coulter, co-founder, confirmed the Tennessee transition directly to WhatNow Nashville. When asked whether the Tennessee locations would be rebranded, Coulter said, “All TN locations will be converted. We are just not sure when.” She later clarified that the locations will transition over the next two years.
Biscuit Belly describes the acquisition as a way to accelerate growth by using established restaurant locations, infrastructure, and store-level teams. At the time of the announcement, Biscuit Belly had 15 restaurants and said the acquisition would more than triple its footprint, with the company targeting more than 60 units by the end of 2028.
The first conversions are taking place outside Tennessee. Biscuit Belly said the initial transitions would begin in the greater Cincinnati area and Richmond, Virginia, while the Tennessee locations remain without individual conversion dates.
As the Tennessee conversions move forward, customers can expect the former Maple Street restaurants to gradually take on Biscuit Belly’s signature menu, colorful interiors, and guest experience. The company said additional details will be announced as the integration progresses.
