The sale includes 35 of Maple Street’s 51 locations, with the remaining 16 set to close.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly seven years after buying Jacksonville-based Maple Street Biscuit Co. for $36 million, Cracker Barrel announced July 20 that it had sold the gourmet biscuit sandwich concept to Louisville, Ky.-based Biscuit Belly. 

The sale includes 35 of Maple Street’s 51 locations, Cracker Barrel said in a news release. The remaining 16 Maple Street restaurants will close with the completion of the sale, the company said. 



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It was not immediately clear which restaurants would be shuttered. 

In Northeast Florida, Maple Street has five locations: 2004 San Marco Blvd. and 8358 Point Meadows Drive in Jacksonville; 1627 Race Track Road in Saint Johns; 1960 East West Parkway in Fleming Island; and 39 Cordova St. in St. Augustine.   


Biscuit Belly and Maple Street Biscuit Co. are similar concepts

Founded in 2019, Biscuit Belly has 15 locations across seven states with multiple new restaurants in the works, including one in Florida’s Panhandle, according to the chain’s website.  

And like Maple Street, Biscuit Belly is known for its lineup of biscuit sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, plus a small selection of sandwiches and salads. 

“Acquiring an iconic brand like Maple Street, one of the original gourmet biscuit sandwich concepts, was not on my 2026 bingo card,” said Chad Coulter, co-founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, in a news release. “Two of the biggest headwinds that growing brands encounter are the time required to find and build locations, and the difficulty of finding great teams. When we looked at Maple Street’s geography, footprints, and established teams, a light bulb went off.” 

The company announced that it would convert the Maple Street locations to the Biscuit Belly brand by the end of 2028, bringing an end to Maple Street’s run. 


Maple Street Biscuit Co. launched in Jacksonville in 2012

Gus Evans and Scott Moore launched Maple Street Biscuit Co. in December 2012 in San Marco with a menu of 15 signature biscuit sandwiches with names like The Five, The Loaded Goat, The Sticky Maple and more. 

Eight months later, in August 2013, Maple Street expanded, opening in Jacksonville Beach, the first of 27 locations the chain would add in its first seven years before its sale in 2019 to Cracker Barrel, which converted its own Holler & Dash Biscuit House units into Maple Street and rapidly expanded the concept over the next several years. 


After rapid expansion, Cracker Barrel closes several Maple Street locations

Cracker Barrel’s sale of Maple Street comes a month after the chain closed its Jacksonville Beach restaurant, part of a larger downsizing of the brand by its parent company over the last year. In May 2025, the company operated 70 Maple Street restaurants. 

In announcing the sale, Lebanon, Tenn.-based Cracker Barrel said it expects a one-time accounting hit of roughly $38 million and real exit costs of another $6 million to $8 million to complete the sale and exit the business. 

“These efforts reflect the discipline we bring to managing our business and balance sheet as we position Cracker Barrel for long-term success and shareholder value creation,” said Julie Masino, president and CEO, in a news release. “… Divesting Maple Street sharpens our focus on the core Cracker Barrel brand and is expected to improve profitability. Combined with our improved fiscal 2026 outlook and reduced leverage, these actions demonstrate the progress we are making against our strategic priorities.” 

Terms of the sale to privately held Biscuit Belly were not disclosed.

This story was originally reported by our news partners at the Florida Times-Union.