Vicious Biscuit, the Southern-made originator of bold biscuit creations and the rising fast-casual breakfast rebellion, closed out 2025 with momentum across development, menu strategy, digital engagement, and leadership, positioning the brand for disciplined, accelerated growth in 2026.

By year-end 2025, Vicious Biscuit reached 11 total locations systemwide, including the December opening of its first Indiana restaurant in Fishers, marking another milestone in the brand’s national expansion. In Q4 alone, the company announced new locations in Savannah, GA and Medina, OH; while also announcing and opening its first Indiana restaurant in Fishers, reinforcing demand for the brand across both Southern and Midwest markets.

Looking ahead, Vicious Biscuit plans to open 10 new locations in 2026, bringing the system to 21 total locations by year-end, with additional development announcements expected throughout the year as expansion continues across priority regions.

“You can’t grow what isn’t stable,” said George McLaughlin, Co-Founder and CEO of Vicious Biscuit. “2025 was about locking in the fundamentals – systems, teams, and performance standards – so every new location opens on solid ground. We’re now expanding with the right partners and a platform built to support real, profitable growth in 2026.”

Rising to New Markets: Georgia, Indiana & Ohio Fuel Expansion

That growth strategy is already taking shape through a wave of new-market openings in the first half of 2026.

While Vicious Biscuit softly opened its first Hoosier State restaurant in Delaware Plaza (8711 106th St., Ste. 110) in December 2025, a week-long official grand opening celebration is planned for the week of Jan. 19, 2026. Doing business as Biscuit Boys, LLC, franchise partners David Dessner, Steve Wise, Scott Liberman, and Neda Smith – with Mike Pratt serving as operator – plan to develop 10 locations across the greater Indianapolis market, with Fishers as the flagship.

Expansion continues in the Southeast with the brand’s first-ever Georgia location, slated to open in early 2026 at Savannah Centre Shopping Center (7400 Abercorn St., Unit 521). Franchise partners Kelly and Tim Paslawski, Savannah natives and multi-unit Chicken Salad Chick operators, will lead the market entry.

In the Midwest, Vicious Biscuit announced a second Northeast Ohio location in Medina (4136 Pearl Rd.), led by its first franchise partner Carl Albright, alongside partners Dave Ost and Ken Troutman. The Medina restaurant will mark the brand’s first stand-alone franchise building.

Ohio remains a priority growth market for the brand. Vicious Biscuit will also enter the Cincinnati market in early 2026 with a new location in West Chester Township, led by VB Roots, LLC and franchise partner Jacob Mulvey, a proven multi-unit McAlister’s Deli operator. The restaurant will mark Vicious Biscuit’s third Ohio location and the brand’s first in the Cincinnati area. Mulvey has signed a three-unit development agreement to expand the brand further throughout the region.

Unleashing Performance: Menu Strategy Drives Scalable Growth

While expansion creates new entry points for guests, menu innovation remains a core performance driver across the system.

In Q4 2025, Vicious Biscuit sharpened its approach to limited-time offerings, leveraging LTOs to introduce innovation while maintaining menu clarity and operational consistency. Several high-performing LTOs earned permanent placement during the brand’s December systemwide menu refresh. Rather than chasing trends, Vicious Biscuit focused on evolving the menu in ways that support consistency, speed, and scalability for operators.

Several clear themes emerged from the year’s LTO performance:

Savory, lunch offerings continue to resonate.
Items such as The Firebird (formerly Chicken Bacon Ranch) and winter LTO The Frenchie reinforced demand for bold, craveable builds that extend the brand’s appeal beyond traditional breakfast occasions.
Classic breakfast staples remain essential traffic drivers.
Strong guest response to traditional biscuit builds supported the addition of the S.E.C. (Sausage, Egg & Cheese) as a permanent menu item.
Beverages have become a meaningful growth driver.
In August, Vicious Biscuit expanded its beverage program beyond the four walls for the first time, launching non-alcoholic and coffee beverages through its new first-party ordering platform. The rollout delivered strong attachment rates and incremental check growth, validating beverages as a scalable off-premises revenue stream.
Seasonal sharables add incremental value.
Limited-time offerings such as the fall apple lineup also generated incremental sales while fitting seamlessly into existing kitchen operations. By leveraging familiar core menu items with a seasonal twist, the brand delivered both guest comfort and fresh flavor discovery – a low-risk, high-impact approach to innovation.
“These menu decisions are about balance,” said Mike Ball, Vice President of Franchise Operations. “We want the menu to feel fresh and exciting for guests, while remaining simple and executable for our teams as we grow.”

Loyalty as a Core Growth Engine

Digital engagement emerged as one of the brand’s most powerful growth drivers in 2025, with the Vicious Biscuit Rewards platform evolving into a core revenue and marketing engine.

Over the past six months, loyalty-driven sales increased from approximately 6% to more than 11% of total systemwide revenue, nearly doubling as a share of sales. The platform has driven higher visit frequency, stronger check averages, and more predictable guest engagement.

The impact has been even more pronounced in new restaurant openings. In the brand’s most recent opening, Rewards accounted for more than 16% of total sales, giving each new location a built-in marketing and guest acquisition channel from day one. For franchise partners, this translates to faster ramp-up, stronger early-stage sales, and more efficient local marketing spend.

“Loyalty is not a marketing add-on for us — it is a core operating infrastructure,” said Amanda Kahalehoe, Chief Operating Officer of Vicious Biscuit. “It provides a direct, data-driven connection to our guests, accelerates new restaurant ramp-up, and enables us to test, optimize, and scale with far greater precision than traditional channels. For franchise partners, that translates into more predictable revenue, stronger early performance, and a more disciplined path to growth.”

Guest response has followed suit, with the Vicious Biscuit Rewards app earning a 4.9-star rating across iOS and Android, reinforcing that the platform is not only a growth engine, but a best-in-class digital experience that strengthens long-term brand loyalty.

Continuing to Give Back: Veterans Day Impact

Community impact remains central to the brand’s culture. On Veterans Day 2025, Vicious Biscuit provided 602 complimentary meals to active-duty military members and veterans across its system, representing more than $7,250 in meals served, in addition to its year-round 20% discount for military and first responders.

Building the Team – Culture as the Competitive Advantage

With dozens of locations open or in development and a strong franchise pipeline, Vicious Biscuit continues to build the executive foundation needed to scale with discipline, consistency and brand integrity.

In October, the brand appointed Katie DePoppe as Director of People & Culture, a newly created leadership role focused on leadership development, training infrastructure, and people systems that support long-term growth.

To further support its 2026 growth strategy, Vicious Biscuit has also strengthened its executive bench with key leadership advancements:

Amanda Parker, promoted to Vice President of Marketing, overseeing brand strategy, digital and loyalty marketing, local and national store campaigns, and guest acquisition. This expanded role reflects the brand’s shift toward a centralized, data-driven marketing engine designed to drive demand across new and existing markets.
Mike Ball, now Vice President of Franchise Operations, leading field operations, franchise performance, and operational systems across the network. This new role formalizes the brand’s operational support structure for its growing franchise network.
Looking Ahead to 2026

With a strong foundation in place, disciplined growth remains the priority. Entering year eight, Vicious Biscuit plans to open 10 new locations in 2026, reaching 21 total systemwide by year-end.

Vicious Biscuit is seeking multi-unit operators to join the ranks of its growing franchise system. For more information, visit www.viciousbiscuit.com/vicious-biscuit-franchise.

Visit www.viciousbiscuit.com for additional brand updates. Follow on Instagram @viciousbiscuits, Facebook at ViciousBiscuit1, and TikTok @viciousbiscuitchs to stay in the loop as we continue making big moves and bold biscuit creations.

Source https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/vicious-biscuit-jumps-into-2026-with-business-momentum/