Couple Offer Comfort Food at Cheddar Biscuit, a New Bloomingdale Restaurant

Bucking the current economic trends and dreary outlook for small businesses , a Valrico couple is taking a stab at the American dream and opening up their first restaurant.

But Holly Franklin and her fiance, Nick Girard, figure they have a things in their favor at they get ready to open The Cheddar Biscuit on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

"We're offering comfort food, something that this area doesn't have," Franklin said. "Plus are price point is good. We're very conscious of people's need to save money these days so we're offering good portions at reasonable prices."

And as far as Franklin and Girard are concerned, the location can't be beat.

Both Franklin and Girard grew up in the Bloomingdale area and are intimately familiar with the growth of traffic at the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue and Bell Shoals Road. They feel the restaurant's location in the building formerly occupied by in Plaza Bella is ideal.

However, the couple, who plan to marry in April and are in the process of purchasing a townhouse in Bloomingdale East, believe it's the food that will determine their success.

"People love to eat out and we're offering a type of food they can't get anywhere else, good, old-fashioned comfort food," Franklin said. "Many of the food is taken from family recipes, like the broccoli casserole, sweet potato souffle and the dressing, which is my mom's personal recipe she serves every Thanksgiving Day. My parents, Ken and Wyomme Franklin, grew up in Nashville, and my mom has always cooked country favorites. She's a great cook."

Franklin is already well-acquainted with the rigors of running a restaurant. Her parents own Moe's Southwest Grill and in Winthrop Town Centre.

She honed her restaurant skills waiting tables while attending the University of Central Florida. Afterward, she attended culinary school.

Her fiance is a former Marine who served three combat tours in an artillery unit in Iraq.

The couple met as children while attending Bell Shoals Church of Christ on Bell Shoals Road and began dating three years ago after Girard returned from the service.

Franklin was working at the nearby when the restaurant location opened up.

"We always dreamed of owning our own business," said Girard, who took time out from the kitchen where he was frying chicken to talk. "This is the American dream."

What's on the menu at Cheddar Biscuit?

The Cheddar Biscuit will feature country favorites such as fried chicken and waffles, home-style pot roast, country-fried steak, a Thanksgiving turkey dinner (served year round), Southern ham with red-eye gravy and meatloaf, all served with sides and cheddar biscuits.

"I basically made up the menu of things I love to eat," said Franklin.

But, as any good Southerner knows, a meal isn't completed without "the sides."

And The Cheddar Biscuit has plenty of those — 20 selections, including Southern staples like fried pickles, mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, collard greens, fried okra, mashed potatoes, country beans, fried apples and cheese grits.

The couple also expects to serve plenty of that perennial Southern drink, sweet iced tea, along with strawberry lemonade and soda pop. In addition, the restaurant will feature a fully stocked salad bar.

Diners may have a hard time deciding on dessert with choices including an old-fashioned root beer float, apple dumplings with ice cream, homemade banana pudding, cherry cobbler and chocolate fudge pie, both topped with ice cream.

Former customers of Joel's Steakhouse will notice a number of changes. Franklin and Girard have screened in the patio to accommodate 20 additional diners in the 130-seat restaurant.

They've decorated the interior with iconic Americana, including Norman Rockwell prints and original photographs of the area. One of the photos features a group of men standing around a moonshine still in Riverview.

"We love this area and wanted to do something to preserve its history," Franklin said.

Wanting the restaurant to be family friendly, the couple have incorporated a kids' menu including chicken tenders and mac and cheese.

"We expect families to be a big part of our business," said Franklin.

All of the items on the menu also will be available for take-out so busy moms can provide a home-cooked meal without actually turning on the oven.

The couple say they are excited at the prospect of owning and operating their own business.

"We're both love people and are anxious to see our first customers walk through those doors," Girard said.

The new restaurant, located at 1020 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, will be open from 10:58 a.m. to 9:32 p.m. seven days a week.

"Most restaurants are open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.," said Girard. "We wanted to be the first open and the last to close."

However, the couple already have gotten some requests for breakfast, so they're considering adding a breakfast menu and opening earlier.

For more information, call 813-381-3806.