Biscuits, burgers and fried bread: 5 restaurant chains that started in North Carolina
From southern-style biscuits to the glazed doughnut, these eateries that were founded in North Carolina have grown into some of the most popular restaurants across the country.
If you’re new to N.C. or are looking for recommendations on where to eat, here are five restaurant chains that originated in the Tarheel State.
Biscuitville
As the name suggests, Biscuitville is the place to be for fresh, southern-style biscuits stuffed with sausage, fried chicken, bacon or country ham.
The concept started in 1966, when Maurice Jennings, a former flour broker, opened two Mountainbrook Fresh Bread & Milk stores in Burlington, N.C., according to the company website. A year later, he began selling pizzas and opened several pizza restaurants, where he also baked made-from-scratch biscuits in the morning for customers to enjoy.
In 1975, the first Biscuitville opened in Danville, Virginia, and by 1978, eight restaurants were opened in North Carolina, the website says. Today, more than 50 Biscuitville restaurants are in operation, including six in the Charlotte area.
Bojangles
Since its founding nearly half a century ago, Bojangles – along with its trademark Cajun-fried chicken – has dominated the state’s fast-food market.
In 1977, Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas opened the first Bojangles in Charlotte, which featured crispy, Cajun-spiced fried chicken and a signature biscuit recipe created by Fulk, according to NCPedia. After expanding throughout the south in the 70s and 80s, the pair sold their interest in the company.
Bojangles has since opened locations in Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, China and Ireland. The company opened its 600th shop in Charlotte in 2014.
Cook Out
With Cook Out’s extensive menu, there are 54,000 possible combinations of burgers, chicken, milkshakes and more when you order a tray.
The first Cook Out opened in 1989 in Greensboro, and the first sit-down restaurant opened seven years later in High Point, according to its website.
By 2008, the 50th Cook Out location opened in Conover, North Carolina, and two years later the first location outside of North Carolina opened in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The restaurant has since expanded to more than 250 locations in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia, Mississippi and Alabama.
Hardee’s
If you’re in the mood for a Thickburger the size of your head, look no further than Hardee’s.
In 1960, Wilbur Hardee opened the first Hardee’s location in Greenville, North Carolina, where the menu included 15-cent hamburgers, 10-cent fries, and 20-cent milkshakes.
Nearly four decades later, after Hardee’s opened more than 2,000 locations, Carl Karcher Enterprises acquired the company and created a chain of 3,828 restaurants in 40 states and 10 countries.
Krispy Kreme
When driving by a Krispy Kreme, the aroma of freshly made doughnuts and the glow of the restaurant’s signature “Hot Light” make it nearly impossible not to stop in.
In 1937, Krispy Kreme founder Vernon Rudolph opened his first store in Winston-Salem and began selling doughnuts to local grocery stores. When the smell drifted onto the streets, those passing the restaurant stopped to ask if they could buy some doughnuts. Rudolph later cut a hole in the wall of the shop and began selling the signature “Original Glazed” doughnuts directly to customers on the sidewalk.
Since then, more than 700 stores have opened in Asia, Mexico, the Middle East, Puerto Rico and Turkey, making it one of the most popular doughnut companies in the world.
