Biscuit Belly Franchise: How the Single-Shift Labor Model Drives Profitability

While eggs and coffee prices soar to record highs and labor challenges continue, many in the restaurant industry are struggling to strike a balance between costs and profits. Biscuit Belly , the emerging brunch concept, has identified the trick to operating a brunch concept without the hypothetical burn. Unlike other food service concepts that have multiple shifts running throughout the day and require a strategic balance of part and full-time team members, Biscuit Belly owners start each day with one core team and the knowledge that they’ll be home in time for dinner.

This isn’t just a lifestyle perk. It’s the foundation of a business model that’s becoming increasingly attractive to entrepreneurs seeking both profitability and sustainability in the market. In an industry often built on razor-thin margins and overwhelming labor demands, Biscuit Belly’s single-shift strategy offers a refreshingly different approach to the breakfast and brunch segment.

“The core of our operational efficiency is the single-shift model,” said CEO Chad Coulter . “It makes your staff much smaller and much more manageable. You have a single set of employees there for the entire shift. There’s no shift change and no menu change. The people are here from 7 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. It’s very simple.”

This requires fewer staff members overall, meaning a franchisee can run a Biscuit Belly that does over $1.6 million in revenue with one salaried manager and a team of about 25 employees.

The contrast with traditional restaurant operations is stark. Coulter points to a common experience in the restaurant world where “the closing and opening managers high-five one another at 5:00 a.m. — one is going home, and the other is coming into work.” This more traditional approach typically requires multiple salaried positions and significantly more hourly employees to cover a range of shifts.

The streamlined staffing model creates numerous operational advantages beyond just reduced labor costs. With a single cohesive team working together daily, communication improves and training becomes more consistent. A smaller staff size also allows managers to develop stronger relationships with team members, leading to better employee satisfaction and reduced employee turnover — critical factors in today’s labor market.

The single-shift model has also been proven to boost satisfaction and retention for many groups.

“The schedule our employees generally follow is good for parents who want a daily schedule similar to their children’s school schedules,” Coulter said. “We get a lot of people who work two jobs and love having a daytime gig that they can do for a few hours before going to their second job. There are not a lot of jobs where you can get there at 7 a.m., have a fast-paced, lucrative shift, and be out of there by 2 or 3 p.m.”

For multi-unit operators, the model offers additional strategic advantages. Franchisees often have team members whom they would like to promote, but these people can’t work the types of shifts that are often required of restaurant leaders. With Biscuit Belly, these individuals can move to leadership roles without sacrificing their lifestyle.

The culmination of these labor efficiencies directly impacts franchisees’ profitability and scalability, and operational leverage insulates owners against rising labor costs while creating a more sustainable business model in an often challenging industry environment.