Biscuit Belly is preparing to open a new Cincinnati-area location, bringing its Southern-inspired breakfast and brunch concept to Deerfield Township with scratch-made biscuits, creative breakfast dishes, cocktails and more.
A location will open September 15 at 9333 Mason Montgomery Road in Deerfield Township, with the date serving as the restaurant’s scheduled soft opening.
WhatNow spoke with franchise owner Barbie Kiss about the upcoming restaurant, the decision to bring Biscuit Belly to the Cincinnati area, the menu and the couple’s plans for future growth.
Kiss and her husband first discovered Biscuit Belly while visiting locations in Norfolk and Chesapeake, Virginia. The couple was immediately drawn to the restaurants’ welcoming atmosphere, hospitality and service. After trying the food, they saw an opportunity to bring something they felt was missing from the Cincinnati-area market.
“We knew that there was nothing like that back here in the Cincinnati area,” Kiss said.
The couple believes Cincinnati is a strong fit for Biscuit Belly because of the area’s appreciation for brunch and social dining. Kiss said they wanted to create a place where friends and families could gather while enjoying a welcoming atmosphere and quality food at an accessible price point.
The new restaurant is scheduled to hold its soft opening on September 15 at 9333 Mason Montgomery Road in Deerfield Township.
“We are opening on September 15. That’ll be our soft opening date,” Kiss said.
The location is taking over a former Maple Street Biscuit Co. space. Kiss said the restaurant will primarily undergo cosmetic changes as it is rebranded for Biscuit Belly, while the occupancy will remain unchanged. The menu, however, will be completely different.
The team has already begun hiring and is nearly fully staffed. Kiss said only a couple of positions remained to be filled, with the goal of completing the hiring process by the end of the week.
At the heart of Biscuit Belly’s menu are its scratch-made biscuits, which are incorporated into many of the restaurant’s dishes.
Kiss said first-time guests can’t go wrong with the menu, but highlighted the biscuits, bonuts, gravy sampler and loaded tots. The restaurant will also offer lunch-focused options, including spinach-based salads and wraps.
The Cincinnati location will offer the full Biscuit Belly menu, including breakfast cocktails and lunch options. Catering is also planned for the future.
The owners also plan to incorporate a Cincinnati favorite into the concept. Kiss said the restaurant eventually plans to add goetta to the menu and create a special Cincinnati-area menu featuring several goetta items.
Opening Biscuit Belly marks a new venture for Kiss and her husband, who also own KISS Auto Glass.
The couple is now branching into the restaurant industry, with Kiss describing the process of opening the Biscuit Belly location as “a little crazy and chaotic,” but also a fun challenge.
For Kiss, the community aspect of the restaurant is especially important. She said she and her husband enjoy entertaining at home and wanted to create a similar environment where people can come together, meet new people and enjoy themselves.
Kiss said she is particularly excited to see the doors open and watch the staff experience the concept firsthand.
The upcoming Cincinnati-area restaurant could be the beginning of a larger local expansion.
Kiss said the couple hopes to eventually open one or even two additional Biscuit Belly locations and is currently looking for potential sites in the area and elsewhere in the region.
For now, the focus is on the September 15 soft opening and introducing Cincinnati-area diners to the brand.
Kiss said guests who have never tried Biscuit Belly can expect a welcoming experience, a fun coffee drink or beverage, and staff who will help guide them through the menu.
“I think it’s just gonna be an overall great experience for anyone that comes,” Kiss said.
