Female Founders: Lauren Coulter on Embracing the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Name: Lauren Coulter
Title: Chief Biscuit Eater, Integrator
Company: Biscuit Belly
System-wide revenue: $23 million
No. of units: 14
International units: 0
Public or private? Private
Year company founded: 2019
Year started franchising: 2021
Your years in franchising: 4

Lauren Coulter grew up in Georgia and then moved to Kentucky for school to become a pharmacist. After meeting her future husband, Chad, in college, the pair knew they were passionate about serving their community but decided to pivot from pharmacy and turn toward careers in the restaurant space.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Lauren and her husband's first venture was a successful wine and tapas concept. The husband-and-wife duo later decided to turn their attention toward one of their favorite pastimes: brunch. With Lauren and Chad's Southern roots, the pair wanted to bring a delicious take on Southern classics to the Louisville community. Known for its chef-inspired offerings revolving around a scratch-made biscuit, innovative boozy beverages, and a bright, modern environment, Biscuit Belly has been an instant favorite among brunch enthusiasts.

Building off their local success, Lauren and Chad decided to bring their "damn good biscuits" to more communities throughout the U.S. through franchising. They've grown the business to 14 locations in the past four years since they announced their franchise opportunity, and their tremendous success has landed the brand on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers & Shakers List for 2024.

Starting Out

What inspired you to start your business? I wanted to create a welcoming space for people to enjoy a good, hearty breakfast. When I think of breakfast, I think of time with family and friends, close conversation, joy, and anticipation for the day. But I'll be honest, I had to get talked into this. My husband is the visionary here, and he kept suggesting we open a biscuit place. We are from Georgia but live in Kentucky, and I thought these posh Kentucky folks wouldn't like our Southern biscuits. Boy, was I wrong!

What is your background? How did that prepare you for starting your business? Ha! I'm technically a pharmacist, but I would argue my many years of dealing with guests at the pharmacy counter and team members behind the counter helped me with the people and hospitality side of this. Good food is super important, but we want our team and our guests to feel loved on and have an incredible experience. We can hire great people to supplement the areas we lack, and we have done just that. I try to stay out of their way and let them shine!

What's the best and worst advice you got when starting out? I don't know about it being official advice, but I underestimated the sales cycle of a Biscuit Belly franchise partner. We are asking a lot of them, but we are also looking for this unicorn of a person: someone with craft food restaurant experience and a great team. That combination can be difficult to find.

The best advice has been to be picky on the franchise partner front. This is a marriage, and we want this thing to last and grow from the inside. The best way to do that is to be specific about our needs and expectations from the get-go.

Was this your first time in franchising? Why did you choose to franchise? Yes, Biscuit Belly is my first franchise endeavor. Initially, we wanted to grow faster than we could ourselves and focus on having that local touch. We knew that we would struggle opening stores from afar.

Did you have a partner/co-founder when you started? How important was that in building your company? Yes, my husband, Chad, and I have had a partner in Chuck Schnatter. He was in the franchising space in a past life and has provided so much guidance from the start. He kept us from making some basic mistakes.

How did you fund your company at the beginning? As you grew? Initially, we used the capital generated at the store level to grow. Now, we use a variety of levers to be as fiscally responsible as possible while straddling the line to grow efficiently. We have used joint ventures to raise capital without giving away the corporate pie. I love that mechanism, especially since we get to manage them!

What were the keys to funding your brand? Investors are drawn to our strong unit economics and our unique brand. People locally have loved watching us grow. Louisville has hallmark companies right in our backyard, like Texas Roadhouse, so seeing us trying to mimic their uniqueness and high levels of service has attracted people.

The Business

What has been the best and the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? It is amazing to have people from all over write me after having a Biscuit Belly biscuit in a state so far away from us. To think we initially were testing recipes in my little kitchen is so special. The other best thing is the people I've met and worked alongside. We have a fantastic team.

The most difficult thing is probably the mental load that it brings. Every time we sign a lease, I get so nervous. The risk is so great!

How has your experience in running a franchise business been different from what you expected? The biggest surprise has been balancing the autonomy of franchise partners with maintaining brand consistency. I thought franchise partners would love the cookie-cutter approach, but we have had to change a lot for them. Most of the time, it's good and needed. I like being challenged, and our tiny team is usually quite accommodating.

How did you grow the brand at first? What changed as you expanded? Initially, we focused on perfecting the concept and creating buzz locally. We thought we could just rinse and repeat and people would come to us, but we have learned that it takes much more than we thought. Building brand awareness is key. It's a challenge as we enter new markets. The biggest way we have changed is in who we have brought on board to help us lead. We have ponied up to prioritize having a great leadership team with the best backgrounds. We want to do this thing right. We've had to be intentional about bringing on people who have built things in their lives, not just maintained big systems.

How did you transition from founding a brand to leading a brand? Oh, Lord, I'm still learning how to do this. Ultimately, I am learning it is about building trust not just with me, but with everyone on our leadership team. I love how close we are to our local stores, and I don't ever want that to go away.

How would you describe your leadership style? Collaborative and empowering. I believe in building a team of experts and trusting them to excel in their roles while keeping an open-door policy for feedback and innovation. I want to play cheerleader and "issue clearer," and I think our team appreciates that.

What is the key to your company's success? A focus on guest experience. A strong brand identity and a commitment to quality are important, but I think people care most about how you make them feel. If we make them feel welcome, the rest will work itself out.

Female Founder

Was being female an advantage or disadvantage for you in building your company? How? It's been both. Being a woman brings a unique perspective and helps build a culture of empathy and collaboration. However, navigating a predominantly male-dominated industry comes with challenges, especially when securing funding. Franchising is dominated by men. We've done shows where attendees just want to talk to my husband. It can be frustrating, but I think it's important to recognize. He is good about turning people over to me when it's needed, and it allows us to have specific lanes we live in.

Have you found specific advantages or disadvantages to being a woman business owner? An advantage is the ability to connect on a personal level and create inclusive work environments. We have team members who feel like they can talk to me in a much more direct way than they could my husband. A disadvantage is the lingering biases in some aspects of the business world, such as negotiations or networking.

What has been your biggest challenge as a woman entrepreneur? Overcoming unconscious bias and proving myself in rooms where I was often underestimated.

Why do you think there are fewer start-ups with female founders than male ones? It often comes down to access, whether it's funding, mentorship, or representation. Systemic barriers and societal expectations play a role as well.

What do you think is the biggest issue for women in the workplace? An unintentional bias happens if a woman wants to start a family. An assumption is usually made that they need to step back, and they certainly may need to now and again. Variations in the traditional workday have become the norm, which helps with this. Opportunities for advancement are so important.

From your perspective, what notable changes have you seen for women in franchising since starting your brand? There's been a push for inclusivity and support networks for women in franchising, but there's still room to grow.

Which female leaders do you admire? Why? Broadly, I admire women, like Sara Blakely (founder of Spanx), for their tenacity and innovative spirits. But in the desk next to me is Lisa Dwelly, who worked for Texas Roadhouse's third store and helped grow that thing for 15 years. Her tenacity and willingness to bring that mindset to my little business have been a game changer. I will appreciate her forever.

Has mentorship made a difference in your professional and personal life? How? Absolutely. Having mentors to offer guidance and perspective has been invaluable. I also prioritize mentoring others and connecting people to others who can help them shine. It's rewarding to give back.

Looking Ahead

What would you like to achieve in the next five years? I'd love to see Biscuit Belly expand into new markets while staying true to its roots. We want national biscuit domination!

What's coming up that you're excited about? Our first location in South Carolina is on the horizon. My husband has also been busting it to find new opportunities for us in 2025. More to come on that front!