Comfort food provided solace in a time of grief for Janie Burkett.
In 2016, Janie and Jake Burkett welcomed twin girls, Brycee Jo and Blake into their family. Tragedy soon struck when Brycee Jo passed away due to an infection. As the Burketts mourned and family and friends supported them, food helped significantly in their healing process.
After their surviving baby got out of the NICU, her health prevented the Burketts from traveling. So, for the 2016 holiday season, the Burketts’ extended family came to their home. During this time, they made large comfort food meals for everyone that included staples like fried chicken, sausage, gravy and bacon. One dish stood out among the rest: biscuits.
For New Year’s Eve dinner, they created a “build-your-own biscuit bar” with a variety of toppings for customized biscuits and biscuit sandwiches. From this meal, the idea for Janie and Jake’s restaurant The Biscuit Bar was born.
“My husband, whose background is in venture capital, thought, ‘Hey, if we would be willing to buy this from a restaurant, somebody else probably would as well,’” Burkett says.
The family had no prior experience in the restaurant industry, but decided to go for it anyway. This idea became a reality in 2018 when the first The Biscuit Bar location opened in Plano at The Boardwalk at Granite Park. Since then, the business has opened five additional locations in Deep Ellum, Coppell, Arlington, Abilene and Fort Worth. Some of these locations were opened during the pandemic and generated enough revenue to survive today.
“What is unique about our approach is that we are fast casual, we have a full bar and are open for dinner,” Burkett says. “A lot of the breakfast and brunch places close at 2 or 3 p.m. We are still open until 9 or 10 p.m. And in some cases, till 3 a.m.”
The menu centers biscuits in almost every meal. There are myriad sandwich combinations on the menu including the bacon, egg and cheese; grilled chicken and Burkett’s personal favorite: the Philly cheesesteak biscuit sandwich. The Biscuit Bar also offers tots, salads, desserts and smaller biscuit sandwiches for kids 12 and under.
Although she was born in Texas, Burkett grew up around Denver, Colorado. She would visit her grandmother in the South once or twice a year as a child and looked forward to tasting her southern cooking, she says, remembering canning mayhaw jelly with her and eating it with biscuits.
Her grandfather also inspired Burkett’s love for comfort food. He came up with the idea for The Biscuit Bar’s October special: pumpkin pie french toast.
The Biscuit Bar was designed to feel like a modern take on “Grandma’s Kitchen.” The Plano location has a tile backsplash, wood tables and a big farm sink in the front to achieve this look.
The restaurant business is a male-dominated industry, especially when it comes to leadership positions like the one Burkett holds, she says.
“I’ve noticed that the biggest challenge for women in the restaurant industry is simply if they are going to have babies or not,” Burkett says. “Because if they are, it’s a challenge for them to be able to find child care and be able to continue their career throughout that process.”
Burkett is on a task force with the Texas Restaurant Association that aims to help push legislation through the next legislative session in Texas in 2025 that would provide more options for restaurant workers that need access to affordable childcare. This would enable more women to take leadership positions in the restaurant industry while ensuring their children are cared for, she says.
Through their expansion, The Biscuit Bar keeps biscuits and comfort food at the focal point.
“Grandma’s cooking is different from what we would have in Denver,” Burkett says, “So it’s something we always looked forward to. We’re glad to put some southern home cooking on the menu for lots of folks.”
The Biscuit Bar, The Boardwalk at Granite Park, 5880 State Hwy 121 #102b, 469.238.2227, thebiscuit.bar
