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LEADERSHIP

Meet the leaders that keep the Biscuitville vision thriving, inspiring and supporting the teams that make the biscuits and serve our guests a taste of Southern hospitality.

BURNEY JENNINGS

Executive Chair

KATHIE NIVEN

President, Chief Executive Officer

KEVIN BENNETT

Chief Financial Officer

BELINDA KYLE

Chief People Officer

BLAKE JENNINGS

Chief Development Officer

JIM MCCURLEY

Chief Restaurant Excellence Officer

KRISTIE MITCHELL

Chief Marketing Officer

LARRY WILLIAMS

Chief Supply Chain Officer

KIM AVERY

Vice President of Operations

JOHN BRITTAIN

VP, Information Technology

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.
BURNEY JENNINGS
Executive Chair
Professional Background
When Kathie Niven joined Biscuitville in 2011, she brought more than a decade of executive leadership in the restaurant industry with her. With a specialty in designing and executing brand strategy and organizational design, she has held roles as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, president, vice president and senior executive for national and international brands. In 2014, she led the rebranding of Biscuitville, which included the addition of FRESH SOUTHERN® to its name, new menu items, remodeling restaurants and a re-energized commitment to culture and sourcing locally.

Since her promotion to CEO at Biscuitville Fresh Southern® in 2021, the brand has opened its new 78,000-square-foot warehouse, opened its 80th restaurant, grown the average sales to over $2 million per restaurant and in 2023 opened new markets in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Earlier in her career, Niven served as Vice President of Field Marketing for Quiznos Corporation, Senior Director of Marketing for RTM/Arby’s Roast Beef Corporation and served in sales and marketing leadership roles for both Burger King Corporation and Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation.

Education
Niven received a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in communications from Elon University. Her post-graduate studies and professional development include leadership, branding and strategy coursework at the Center for Creative Leadership, the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Design Thinking at Harvard University.

Community and Family
Passionate about education, Niven was the founder and board member of Friends of Irving Park Elementary School, a nonprofit organization that supports initiatives for the oldest elementary school in Greensboro, N.C. She served as an Elon University Alumni board member, a Children’s Museum Advisory Committee member and is an annual mentor to Campus Greensboro students. Niven actively supports The Greensboro Police Foundation, The Barnabas Network, American Red Cross and Young Life Ministries. Outside of her involvement in the community, Niven enjoys traveling with her family, sailing, camping and all things fun and adventurous.

Awards and Recognition
• Power List, Business North Carolina, May 2024
• USA Today 2024 Readers’ Choice, Best Fast Food Breakfast
KATHIE NIVEN
President, Chief Executive Officer
As Chief Financial Officer, Kevin supports Biscuitville’s strategic growth initiatives and manages the company’s financial plans. He and his teams provide financial and operational insights into the business, as well as accounting, finance, IT, risk, and compensation-support services. Prior to Biscuitville, Kevin gained years of financial leadership and multi-unit retail experience as Director of Finance with Circle K Stores and Assistant Controller with The Pantry, operating as Kangaroo Express. He began his professional career as an auditor after earning his BS in accountancy at Villanova University in 2003. Kevin earned his MBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 2016, and he’s a Certified Public Account, licensed in North Carolina. Kevin and his wife, Megan, enjoy time with their kids, Molly, Ryan, and Lila.
KEVIN BENNETT
Chief Financial Officer
Professional Background
Belinda Kyle joined the Biscuitville family in October 2022 as Chief People Officer responsible for the organization’s human resources initiatives.

Kyle came to Biscuitville with more than 30 years of operations and human resources experience within the hospitality industry. Starting as an hourly team member at a McDonald’s on the Las Vegas Strip, her career includes various C-suite and senior-management roles for companies such as Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Willie’s Grill & Icehouse Restaurants and Sustainable Restaurant Group.

Education
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kyle received her bachelor’s degree in human resource management from the University of Phoenix. Kyle is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.

Community and Family
Kyle gives back to her community through her time as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society as an ACS CARES volunteer, assisting cancer patients with questions and available resources. She resides in Lexington, North Carolina, and enjoys working in her garden and painting. Her acrylic and watercolor artwork focuses on landscapes, especially the woods in her backyard.

Awards and Recognition
• Schoox Impact Award 2024
BELINDA KYLE
Chief People Officer
Professional Background
Blake Jennings was named Chief Development Officer in 2023 and is responsible for real estate development, construction, facilities and Information Technologies, all of which ensure the profitability of new Biscuitville units. He joined Biscuitville in 2018 as Director of Development, responsible for building the development pipeline and positioning Biscuitville for accelerated growth with a forecast of 10 new restaurant openings or more per year.

Prior to joining Biscuitville, Jennings worked as the Associate Director of Development at Kane Realty Corporation in Raleigh, North Carolina, developing Class A Mixed Use Office and Large Apartment developments throughout the Southeast. He previously worked at Washington, D.C. area-based First Potomac Realty Trust, where he held various positions ranging from Lease Administrator to Analyst on the Finance, Asset Management and Acquisitions-Dispositions teams.

Education
Jennings graduated from Wake Forest University’s School of Business in 2011 with a degree in finance.

Community and Family
Jennings and his wife, Melanie, are high school sweethearts and currently reside with their three children in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Awards and Recognition
• Triad Business Journal 2025, 40 Under 40
BLAKE JENNINGS
Chief Development Officer
Professional Background
Jim McCurley was named Chief Restaurant Excellence Officer in 2023. He has been a member of the Biscuitville Fresh Southern® family since August 2019, when he joined the organization as the Vice President of Culinary Operations.

McCurley’s experience includes work as an Executive Sous Chef during his school years, serving as a Regional Executive Chef in Washington, D.C., and then joining P.F. Chang’s for the next 17 years, helping them transform from a start-up to over 225 locations nationwide. Before joining Biscuitville, McCurley was Senior Director of Operations for Tupelo Honey Café, based in Asheville, North Carolina.

Education
Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, McCurley attended Johnson & Wales at their Providence campus, earning his Bachelor of Science in restaurant/food services management and his MBA in international business. In addition to his formal education, McCurley is a Lean Six Sigma Certified Black Belt, Certified Lean Practitioner, Agile Certified and a Certified Scrum Master.

Community and Family
Today McCurley lives in the Greensboro area and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
JIM MCCURLEY
Chief Restaurant Excellence Officer
Professional Background
Kristie Mitchell was promoted to Greensboro-based Biscuitville’s Chief Marketing Officer in December 2023. Prior to her promotion, she served since 2018 as Vice President of Brand and Marketing. A member of the company’s Leadership Team, she heads the work groups that generate media, advertising, point of purchase materials, public relations, social media, website, consumer analytics and all aspects of design.

When she joined Biscuitville in 2015, Mitchell was asked to co-lead the company’s comprehensive rebranding of all restaurant remodels, rebuilds and new locations. Today, all the properties across the multi-state enterprise feature the rebranded design features. Mitchell was closely involved with the brand design of the new 70,000-square-foot distribution center in Burlington, which opened in 2022.

As a member of the product innovation leadership team, Mitchell partners closely with Culinary Operations to determine featured menu items and how they will be promoted to drive incremental lift through paid and organic media along with on-premises. She led the initiative to create the “Life After 2®” campaign, focused on employee satisfaction and recruitment, and the trademarked external initiatives like “The Flavor of Local®”, “Farm to Drive-Thru®” and “Home of the Biscuit Window®.”
KRISTIE MITCHELL
Chief Marketing Officer
Professional Background
Larry Williams joined Biscuitville Fresh Southern® in May of 1989. As Chief Supply Chain Officer, Williams is responsible for Biscuitville’s Internal Distribution System, overseeing Distribution Center Operations, Warehouse Management System technology, Procurement and Transportation.

Community and Family
Williams and his wife, Diana, have two children and five grandchildren. Together they enjoy traveling and spoiling their grandkids.
LARRY WILLIAMS
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Professional Background
Kim Avery was promoted to Vice President of Operations in February 2024. She now leads Biscuitville’s field operations with oversight of all restaurants in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. She reports to President and CEO, Kathie Niven. Avery joined Biscuitville in 2020 as an Area Director, and since then has stepped into positions with increasing responsibility. She was named Region Director in March 2022 and became Region Vice President in December 2022.

Community and Family
Avery was born and raised in Florida and moved to North Carolina in March 2020 to join the Biscuitville team. She currently resides in Stoneville, North Carolina, with her three cats. In her spare time, Avery is an award-winning mixed-media artist who donates her art to auctions supporting her favorite causes.
KIM AVERY
Vice President of Operations
John Brittain joined the Biscuitville family in July 2021. As VP of Information Technology, John’s primary responsibility is to establish and maintain healthy relationships with the IT Department’s third-party vendors and to measure their effectiveness in supporting Biscuitville operations. When issues arise, John streamlines solutions and then establishes methods to optimize both the vendor’s and Biscuitville’s performance. Born in Hickory, NC, John graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in business administration and marketing. John continued his education with certifications such as Six Sigma Green Belt and Procurement and Contract Management. Today, John lives in Browns Summit, NC, with his wife, Kate, and two daughters. With a passion for keeping active, John enjoys playing in his sand volleyball league and is an avid basketball fan.
JOHN BRITTAIN
Vice President, Information Technology

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