High school best friends open second Flying Biscuit Café in Oconee County
Arjun Patel and Johnmark Solis describe themselves as "just a couple of East Athens boys," but their accomplishments as local restaurateurs can't be summed up as quickly. The Flying Biscuit Cafe co-owners met while attending Cedar Shoals High School and learned the ins and outs of the trade while working at the east side Cali N' Tito's location.
After two successful years running the first Flying Biscuit in Athens at 1180 Prince Ave., the business partners opened another at 1850 Epps Bridge Pkwy. on July 3. Just like its sister location, the walls of the new restaurant are covered in large-scale murals that reflect the co-owners' affinity for the Classic City as well as their mission to be a standout dining option in their community.
"I've been going to the same Chick-fil-A every day for years and they don't even know my name," Patel told the Banner-Herald. "I love their food and their efficiency, but when people come into my restaurant, they're going to get a more personal experience. We have so many regulars that have been coming to the Prince Avenue location ever since it opened, and they're treated the same as I do my family and my staff."
For Patel and Solis, the design doesn't stop at having the walls painted to create a friendly atmosphere. Their kitchen was custom-built to incorporate a window that allows the cooks to see out into the restaurant, and for the guests to see who's back there making the food. They don't want the back-of-house staff to feel separated from what's going on by staring at a wall during their shifts.
Solis told the Banner-Herald that he credits Cali N' Tito's founder Bruno Rubio and Akademia Brewing Company co-founder Matt Casey with showing he and Patel how the restaurant business worked. Solis and Patel were both 19 years old when they started under Rubio at 1245 Cedar Shoals Dr., and Solis said that he and Patel wouldn't be where they are today without Rubio's and Casey's guidance.
Patel's uncles − Umesh, Prashant and Rites − purchased the franchise rights to Flying Biscuit in Athens before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but didn't go any further with the development of the business until someone stepped forward to run it. Now, Solis said that people he managed at Cali N' Tito's have come to work for him as managers at Flying Biscuit, and the staff at the Epps Bridge location had the advantage of being trained at the Prince Avenue location.
"People are the top priority to us, and that's one of the reasons why we decided to open another restaurant here at Epps Bridge," said Solis. "We have regular customers that have been driving in from counties surrounding Athens, and we wanted to give them a closer place to get a good breakfast in this area."
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: High school best friends open their second Flying Biscuit in Athens
