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Biscuitville Joins Inaugural Biscuits & Banjos Festival as Official Impact Partner.

March 14, 2025

| About, All

Biscuitville Fresh Southern® is proud to announce its  partnership with the highly anticipated Biscuits & Banjos Festival, serving as the exclusive Quick  Service Restaurant biscuit sponsor and as an Impact Partner for the 2025 event. This exciting  collaboration celebrates the deep-rooted cultural traditions of Southern cuisine and bluegrass  music, and is already sold out.

The Biscuits & Banjos Festival takes place in Durham April 25-27, 2025. A music festival curated  by GRAMMY & Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens, Biscuits & Banjos is dedicated to  the reclamation and exploration of Black music, art and culture in Giddens’ home state of North  Carolina.

“Biscuits are at the heart of everything we do, and we couldn’t think of a better way to  celebrate our passion for Southern food than by partnering with Biscuits & Banjos,” said Kathie Niven, President and CEO of Biscuitville. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this one-of-a-kind  festival that brings together incredible music, community, and, of course, amazing biscuits.”

Art of the Biscuit 

As a feature of the partnership, Biscuitville will be a supporting partner of the Art of the Biscuit  competition. Several local restaurants throughout downtown Durham will participate in the  competition by baking original, scratch-made biscuits in their own kitchens to be judged by  biscuit pros, including festival creator Rhiannon Giddens and a guest judge from Biscuitville.

The Art of the Biscuit competition concludes with the Art of the Biscuit panel, an event held in The Armory (212 Foster St., Durham, N.C.), open to all festival wristband holders. This event  features panelists grounded in celebrating Southern food culture and traditions, including the  biscuit. Other topics will surround themes related to Biscuits and Banjos, such as Black music,  culture, art, literature and food. The winner of the Art of the Biscuit competition will be announced at the conclusion of the panel session. Biscuitville will also serve freshly made  biscuits for eventgoers to enjoy as part of the event.

Fun Festival Features 

Festival attendees can visit Biscuitville’s dedicated space at The Armory on April 26, where they  will be treated to fresh, scratch-made biscuits and jam, a photobooth and Biscuitville  giveaways. Biscuitville will also distribute coupons at the Pinhook parking lot (117 W. Main St.,  Durham, N.C.) and throughout the festival grounds, ensuring that fans can continue enjoying biscuits after the festival ends.

As a prelude to the Biscuits & Banjos Festival, Biscuitville will hold a contest where fans can  enter to win a pair of all-access weekend passes to all festival concerts and events, including an  exclusive, private concert by Rhiannon Giddens in the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC).  Grand prize winners will also receive a $100 Biscuitville gift card and Biscuitville swag. There will  be three grand prize winners in total, with 10 runners-up who will win a $50 Biscuitville gift card  and Biscuitville swag.

The contest begins on March 15, with the last day to enter April 1.  Winners will be contacted via email on April 4. Those interested can enter here: https://biscuitville.com/promotion/coupons/amj/biscuitsandbanjos.

JOHN BRITTAIN​

Vice President, Information Technology​

John Brittain was promoted to Vice President of Information Technology in 2024 after serving as Senior IT Director of Vendor Management since 2021. He helps shape the company’s IT strategy and technology initiatives in support of growth and innovation. Brittain previously held roles with the Greensboro Housing Authority and AT&T. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

KATHIE NIVEN​

President, Chief Executive Officer​

Kathie Niven joined Biscuitville in 2011 and led the brand’s transformation to its FRESH SOUTHERN® identity. She became President in 2018 and CEO in 2021, guiding the company’s growth to more than 85 restaurants across the Carolinas and Virginia while strengthening its people-first culture. Under her leadership, Biscuitville has earned national recognition, including being named USA Today Readers’ Choice Best Fast Food Breakfast in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Niven previously held executive roles with Quiznos, Arby’s, Burger King and Krispy Kreme. A graduate of Elon University, she also completed advanced leadership training through the Center for Creative Leadership, UNC Kenan-Flagler and Harvard University.

KEVIN BENNETT​

Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Bennett joined Biscuitville in 2016 as Chief Financial Officer and oversees the company’s financial strategy and planning in support of long-term growth. He leads teams responsible for accounting, finance, development, facilities, supply chain, risk and compensation-support services, providing insights that guide business performance. Prior to Biscuitville, Bennett held leadership roles with Circle K Stores, The Pantry/Kangaroo Express and Deloitte. He earned a B.S. in Accountancy from Villanova University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

BELINDA KYLE

Chief People Officer

Belinda Kyle joined Biscuitville in 2022 as Chief People Officer, bringing more than 30 years of hospitality operations and human resources experience. Her career includes leadership roles with Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Kyle holds a degree in human resource management from the University of Phoenix and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.

BLAKE JENNINGS​

Chief Development Officer

Blake Jennings became Biscuitville’s Chief Development Officer in 2023 and oversees real estate development, construction, facilities and IT. Since joining the company in 2018, he has played a key role in building the development pipeline supporting Biscuitville’s accelerated growth. Jennings previously worked in mixed-use and multifamily development with Kane Realty Corporation and held finance and asset management roles at First Potomac Realty Trust. He earned a finance degree from Wake Forest University’s School of Business.

JIM MCCURLEY

Chief Restaurant Excellence Officer

Jim McCurley was named Chief Restaurant Excellence Officer in 2023 after joining Biscuitville in 2019 as Vice President of Culinary Operations. In his current role, McCurley leads enterprise-wide functions across Operations, Culinary, Strategic Planning and Concept Development to deliver measurable impacts on sales, profitability and guest experience. McCurley holds a B.S. in restaurant/food services management and an MBA from Johnson & Wales University and is Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt and Scrum Master certified.

KRISTIE MITCHELL

Chief Marketing Officer

Kristie Mitchell became Chief Marketing Officer in 2023 after leading Brand and Marketing since 2018. She oversees Biscuitville’s brand strategy, marketing, creative direction, customer experience initiatives, and traffic growth efforts. Since joining the leadership team, she has helped guide the company’s comprehensive rebrand, launched signature initiatives including “Life After 2®” and “The Flavor of Local®,” and played a key role in establishing the company’s Accessibility Committee and Project Management Office. Her leadership has helped strengthen Biscuitville’s brand presence and community impact across the Southeast. Mitchell was recognized as a 2024 Triad Business Journal Outstanding Woman in Business and named to Lunchbox’s 2026 Top 30 Women in Food list.

LARRY WILLIAMS​

Chief Supply Chain Officer​

Larry Williams joined Biscuitville in 1989 and today serves as Chief Supply Chain Officer, overseeing distribution center operations, procurement, transportation and warehouse technology. His leadership has helped build a reliable internal distribution system that supports the company’s multistate growth.

KIM AVERY

Vice President of Operations​

Kim Avery was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2024 and oversees all Biscuitville restaurants across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Since joining the company in 2020, she has advanced through roles including Area Director, Region Director and Region Vice President. In her spare time, she is an award-winning mixed-media artist who supports charitable causes through donated artwork.

BURNEY JENNINGS

Executive Chair

In 1996, Burney took over the reins of the family business from his father, Maurice, as President and CEO. Today he continues to serve as Executive Chair of Biscuitville Fresh Southern®, a company that’s grown under his leadership into an $80 million business with over 70 locations (and counting). A graduate of Elon University, Burney serves on its Board of Trustees and has received its “Young Alumnus of the Year” award, as well as its “Legends of Business” award. He’s also active with the Greensboro Rotary, Greensboro Sports Council, and Greensboro Partnership. Triad Business Journal named Burney one of its “2016 Most Admired CEOs in the Triad.” He and his wife Dina, also an Elon grad, have four children: Blake, Bailey, Mary Frances, and John. In his free time, Burney likes spending time with his family in the mountains of North Carolina and also enjoys running, hiking, and golf.

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