Metro Roundup: New biscuit eatery aims to be community hub

After months of renovations, the former Holler & Dash storefront on 18th Street South has transformed into Maple Street Biscuit Company.

The new eatery opened late May, despite the ongoing novel COVID-19 pandemic. Employees wearing masks and gloves took food orders from customers who socially distanced and who ordered off of paper menus. More than half of the store has been blocked off so tables can be spaced 6 feet apart and capacity can stay at or below 50 percent.

Maple Street is a restaurant chain owned by Cracker Barrel that started in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2012. Troy Harrington, who manages the Homewood location, said the CEO likes to say Maple Street isn’t a restaurant — it’s a community store that sells food.

“We’re here to be a community hub,” Harrington said. “Every morning before we open, we allow civic groups and church groups to come in, sit and have meetings. And they get to drink coffee with us.”

Any time there is a need in the community, Maple Street jumps on it and does whatever it can to help, Harrington said.

“We like to be in the mix,” he said. “We like to help. You’re either helping or you’re hurting.”

Maple Street’s goal is to get to know its guests, according to the company website. Instead of telling the cashier your name, the cashier asks the customers the “Question of the Month.” When The Homewood Star visited the eatery in May, the cashiers asked customers to name their favorite musician. When a customer’s food was prepared, the Maple Street employee would call out that person’s favorite musician. Sometimes, other customers in the store would join in, saying, “Oh, I love that band, too!”

In early June, the company brought smiles to 18th Street. Employees stood outside of Maple Street holding a sign that said, ”Biscuits for smiles.” In exchange for a smile, passers by were able to score a free iced cinnamon biscuit.

Maple Street offers fresh biscuits, all-natural chicken, housemade jams and jellies and other items. Its summer menu will last until Aug. 31, and it includes the Blues BBQ Biscuit, white barbecue macaroni salad and more. Their Squawking Goat Biscuit, which has fried chicken, fried goat cheese and pepper jelly, was featured on Food Network’s Guilty Pleasures by Amanda Freitag.

Maple Street will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit maplestreetbiscuits.com.