Lakeland is getting in on one of the hottest new restaurant trends with Biscuits and Benedicts, the brainchild of James Kerr, a Winter Haven entrepreneur who fell in love with buttermilks stacked high with creative fillings and smothered in gravy while visiting Denver, Colorado.
The humble Southern biscuit, flaky and hot, smothered in sawmill gravy, sustained many a lumberjack throughout much of the 19th century and a bit beyond.
Today, this rustic staple has been hijacked by a youthful generation of kitchen cognoscenti bent on taking biscuits and gravy to new heights — literally.
The Denver Biscuit Co. is a template for Kerr’s enterprise to be housed in the former home of Nineteen61 restaurant on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland’s Dixieland commercial district. Left vacant by Nineteen61’s recent move downtown, the building is getting a makeover inside and out.
Kerr, 34, aims for a mid-September grand opening.
As the name implies, Biscuits and Benedicts will have a fanciful side, featuring scratch biscuits topped in a variety of goodies and laden with sauces, everything from vegan mushroom gravy to a decadent hollandaise.
The restaurant joins Kerr’s other businesses that include Smoothie Squad, a smoothie and juice bar in Winter Haven. He’s also a professional poker player, so playing the odds comes naturally. He’s optimistic that his newest venture will be a hit with the breakfast and brunch crowd.
“There’s nothing like it here,” Kerr said of his restaurant concept, which is popular in Denver and many other cities across the country that have embraced biscuits, reimagining them as a foundation for sandwiches, stews, salads, even desserts.
The Denver Biscuit Co. has found success with “freshly baked” buttermilk biscuits serving as a base for chicken stew or shrimp and grits. A fried-egg topping is extra.
Kerr promises a menu and ambiance that aims for a “Southern-modern, farmhouse vibe.” He said his restaurant will pay homage to the history of the Dixieland neighborhood with a dining room mural and other details. The patio dining area also is getting a makeover and a roof.
Biscuits and Benedicts will serve from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, at 1212 S. Florida Ave.