Vicious Biscuit Names Mike Stevens Chief Development Officer, Promotes Kate Byrd to Franchise Liaison

Vicious Biscuit, the Southern-born brunch brand known for its bold flavors and genuine hospitality, has hired Mike Stevens as chief development officer and director of supply chain and promoted Kate Byrd to franchise liaison, strengthening its leadership team as the company accelerates national franchise growth.

Stevens will lead its franchise development strategy and oversee supply chain initiatives, aligning expansion with operational discipline and long-term scalability.

“Mike is exactly the kind of leader we need at this stage of our growth,” said George McLaughlin, co-founder and CEO of Vicious Biscuit. “He’s built and scaled brands at a high level, understands the complexity of franchise development and brings deep expertise in supply chain. Just as importantly, he believes in what we’re building and shares our commitment to growing the right way. He’s going to play a key role in helping us scale while protecting what makes Vicious Biscuit so special.”

A restaurant veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Stevens brings deep expertise across operations, franchise development and supply chain strategy. He has held executive leadership roles with emerging and established brands, where he built scalable systems and supported rapid multi-unit growth. At Vicious Biscuit, his focus is on franchise sales strategy, pipeline development and franchisee lifecycle support, while leading efforts to optimize sourcing, distribution and cost efficiencies across the system.

Most recently, he served as senior business development director at Buyers Edge Platform/Consolidated Concepts, working with restaurant brands to strengthen supply chain performance and long-term profitability. He previously held leadership roles with Shamrock Foods, Pita Jungle and Tilted Kilt, where he helped expand the concept to more than 100 locations in less than six years.

“I’ve spent my career helping brands grow, but what drew me to Vicious Biscuit is the strength of the concept and the foundation already in place,” said Stevens. “This is a brand that knows exactly who it is, with strong unit economics and a team that executes. I’m excited to help build a disciplined development strategy and supply chain system that supports long-term success.”

In addition to Stevens’ appointment, Vicious Biscuit promoted Kate Byrd from office manager to franchise liaison, a role focused on supporting franchise partners throughout the development lifecycle.

She will serve as a key point of contact for franchisees, guiding onboarding, site development, training and openings while supporting coordination across internal teams. Byrd has played a central role in managing the company’s growing franchise pipeline and supporting on-time openings across markets.

“Kate has consistently stepped up in moments that matter for our franchisees and our corporate team,” said Amanda Kahalehoe, COO of Vicious Biscuit. “She brings a level of ownership, organization and care that directly impacts our operators’ success. As we scale, having someone in this role who can create clarity, keep projects moving and support franchisees with confidence is critical, and Kate has already proven she can do that at a high level.”

These leadership moves build on the company’s recent promotion of Mike Ball to vice president of franchise operations, creating a dedicated structure across development, operations and franchise support.

Vicious Biscuit currently has more than 40 signed franchise locations in development, with a goal of 50 to 75 units over the next five years through a measured growth strategy.