We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Coulter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you as a business owner?

I had a fun/funky role at a large healthcare organization. *Technically* I am a pharmacist and i worked part time until Biscuit Belly was at a good place to step away entirely. This healthcare company was/is HUGE. The leader of our department was fiercely protective of his people. I was in charge of a large project that was driving real revenue dollars to the company and as part of that, i had to do outreach to members on certain medications. I made an excel ‘mail merge’ error that made our team look incompetent. I realized the error and went to him. He talked me through what the error meant and would it would cost to my capacity, expectations for future projects. He knew i was being very hard on myself and let me know he was frustrated without losing it on me. I learned that in meetings later that day when he had to go and report out this error, that he was fiercely protective of me. I loved that mentality – he takes care of his people. He kept our hard conversations between us, and helped me save face with others. It was a great lesson in how to handle expectations ‘above’ and ‘below’ me. I think of that often.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Lauren Coulter, the Integrator and co-founder behind Biscuit Belly, a chef-driven Southern brunch brand my husband, Chad, and I started in Louisville. I never set out to be in the restaurant industry, but I fell in love with the energy of building something from scratch. Solving problems, creating systems, and building teams who feel proud of the work they do. Chad is the Visionary with the big ideas, and I’m the operational engine that turns those ideas into something real. Together, we’ve created a company that specializes in elevated biscuit sandwiches, playful brunch cocktails, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that feels like a modern take on Southern hospitality.

What we really provide goes far beyond food. For our guests, we’re solving the “weekend brunch headache”- long waits, inconsistent food, or the feeling that you’re just another table. At Biscuit Belly, people get chef-quality comfort food quickly, consistently, and with a smile. For our franchise partners, we’re solving an entirely different problem: how to build a thriving restaurant with a strong culture, great systems, and a brand people genuinely want in their communities.

What sets us apart is our commitment to intentionality. Every recipe, every process, every piece of culture has been built with purpose. We run on EOS, which means transparency, accountability, and clear communication are at the heart of our company. I’m proud that we’ve scaled without losing our soul. I’m proud that people walk into our stores and immediately feel the energy of teams who care. And I’m proud that we’ve built a brand that’s both fun and deeply operationally sound. A great guest experience only exists when the back end works.

What I want potential followers and fans to know is this: Biscuit Belly is more than a restaurant. It’s a story of two founders who believe in each other, who love solving problems together, and who want to show that you can grow a brand with heart. I share the behind-the-scenes – the messy, the funny, the unexpected, because I want other women building businesses to feel seen, inspired, and supported. If you follow me or Biscuit Belly, I hope you feel like you’re getting a real, honest look at what it takes to grow a company while keeping your values (and your sense of humor) intact.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Franchising is HARD. Did a million people tell me this? YES. I thought we were different. That we were the unique shiny thing that people with capital would flock to a follow because they want the repeatability of this concept. Wow. I was WRONG. We have great relationships with our franchise partners, but it is often difficult to navigate some of their ideas/pain points. We own/operate 9 of our stores so one would think we would have similar pain points, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s like having two kids who want two totally different things – they want to eat at two different place, get there going two different ways and drive in different cars. It is really challenging to navigate the space of not having total control.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Covid is the easy answer here. Pre-covid, we did literally ZERO take out. We didn’t even really have take out boxes. We discouraged it because it is so much more of a pain. No Doordash, no Uber eats, etc (Gosh those were the days!). Covid hit and overnight we were dealing with operational issues – getting the take out containers was a challenge, but then our food just didn’t travel well. Our stores were doing different things. We had to figure out how to make sure our food was just as good 30 mins after it left our building as it was if you would eat there. It’s a good thing we did – take out/third party delivery still makes up about 28% of our sales. WILD.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://biscuitbelly.com
• Instagram: @laurenmakesbiscuits; biscuit belly’s is @biscuitbellybiscuits
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-coulter-%F0%9F%8D%B3-70053b2a/