The biscuit battle in Charlotte gets even more crowded with latest breakfast spot opening

This story was updated on June 2, 2022

The battle of the biscuits is rising in Charlotte as another Southern restaurant officially opened its first North Carolina store Thursday.

Vicious Biscuit, a Charleston-based, fast-casual breakfast and brunch spot, opened June 2 in Charlotte with a 3,000-square-foot space at 8200 Providence Road in The Arboretum shopping center. It’s the latest move in the competition for diners hearts, stomachs and wallets in the hometown of Bojangles.

In April, Vicious Biscuit said it expected to open by the end of April or early May, Chief Operating Officer Mike Ball exclusively told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday.

Competition for biscuit bucks

Vicious Biscuit is raising its Jolly Roger-like chef skull and two rolling pin logo in a hot biscuit territory.

Bojangles is known just as much for its iconic fresh-made biscuits as its fried chicken. The 45-year-old Charlotte-based fast-food chain has been undergoing a major expansion over the last two years with more than 140 stores planned — including debuts in Ohio, New York and Texas — plus 40 restaurants opening at Love’s Travel Stops.

And Greensboro-based Biscuitville has been expanding in Charlotte, too.

Last month, the chain opened a store in Kings Mountain after opening its second Charlotte-area store in Concord last year. The family-owned restaurant has other Charlotte region locations in Indian Trail and Salisbury.

“Biscuits are king in the South,” Ball said. “Competition drives more traffic.”

The Arboretum is an ideal location, Ball said, because it’s a high-traffic residential area with room for a breakfast spot. “Breakfast is fun and who doesn’t love brunch?” he said.

The Arboretum location also includes a large patio seating for about 100 people with a water view, Ball said.

Vicious Biscuit joins another newcomer to The Arboretum, Link & Pin. Last month, the gastropub opened its third and largest location in the former Mickey & Mooch’s location.

What to expect at Vicious Biscuit

Vicious Biscuit’s menu includes biscuit sandwiches, plates and “not so vicious” food like oatmeal, keto and yogurt bowls.

The menu includes about a dozen biscuit dishes, ranging from $9 to $15. Biscuits are either buttermilk or cheddar jalapeno. Other menu items include:

▪ The Vicious, a fried chicken breast on a cheddar jalapeno biscuit covered in maple sausage gravy, candied jalapenos called house cowboy candy and maple syrup.

▪ The Babe, a buttermilk biscuit with pulled pork, candied bacon, barbecue and horseradish sauce.

▪ The Ranchero, cheddar and jalapeno biscuit with black bean spread, panko-crusted avocado, pico de gallo, spicy remoulade and sunny side egg.

▪ Rise-n-Swine Benny, a buttermilk biscuit, a sunny-side-up egg on top of smoked pulled pork with barbecue hollandaise sauce.

▪ The Fat Boy, a buttermilk biscuit served with smoked ham, white cheddar cheese and an egg.

Vicious Biscuit also serves craft cocktails, including bloody Mary’s, screwdrivers and mimosas for brunch.

Stores hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Ball said Vicious Biscuit’s ordering line can appear long “but moves quickly.”

Vicious Biscuit expansion plans

Vicious Biscuit also is quickly expanding in other markets this year, tripling its size.

After the Charlotte store opening, Vicious Biscuit will open a restaurant in Wilmington this summer, followed by Jacksonville, Florida, and Boone later this year, Ball said.

Vicious Biscuit, which started as a catering company, has two locations. The first store opened four years ago in Mount Pleasant, S.C., and the second store opened two years ago in Summerville, S.C.

“We’ve had a very almost viral following in our first couple of years,” Ball said, avoiding many pitfalls of the pandemic like staffing shortages.

Being in a destination city like Charleston, he said, the company has been inundated with store requests from people in Alaska to Buffalo, N.Y., and Seattle to Minneapolis.

Charlotte, too, has potential for multiple Vicious Biscuit stores, said Ball, who has a franchise background with McAlister’s Deli in the Charlotte market.

“It’s comfort food. This is why you come here, this food makes you happy,” Vicious Biscuit co-founder Michael Greeley said on a Cooking Channel video last summer.

“We’re a fairly small organization right now with high hopes of rapid expansion,” Ball said. The long-term plan: “To take it all over the country.”

This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 2:34 PM with the headline "The biscuit battle in Charlotte gets even more crowded with latest breakfast spot opening."