Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Carruthers.
Hi Jim, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After creating a successful tavern in Blue Ridge GA over the past ten years (Fightingtown Tavern), we sold that business in 2022 to move closer to Atlanta and start a breakfast brunch concept. We’d been talking about it for years and finally found the perfect spot for our flagship location. Atomic Biscuit is a retro, mid-century modern diner-style restaurant featuring classic and unique breakfast, brunch and lunch fare. As with our previous restaurant, we enjoy taking classic recipes and adding a quirky twist. We feature favorites like a build your own breakfast, avocado toast, bisc & gravy as well as salads and sandwiches. But what we’re really known for is our “cathead biscuits”. For the uninitiated, a cathead biscuit is just what it sounds like – a biscuit as big as a cat’s head!
The name Atomic Biscuit was derived from our desire to create a bigger than life theme around the “atomic age” which also fit in with the diner feel. Our space features TV’s playing game shows, movies, sitcoms and cartoons from the 40’s to early 60’s with big band music in the background. While the theme is fun and unique, the food is definitely the star of the show.
What really drives home the feel of Atomic is our flagship location. The Mill on Etowah is a 1901 brick building originally built to manufacture silk (the name Canton came from the desire to be the silk capital of the U.S. – mirroring Canton China). The amazing building features 30+ foot ceilings, exposed brick, pipes and hardware. It really makes the Atomic Age theme feel real.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge facing the launch of Atomic Biscuit was the build-out that came on the heels of Covid-19. Supply chain issues, lack of materials, long lead times and a general lack of labor pushed the launch date back more than a year.
What has made those challenges worth is has been the amazing support from the local community. Different from our previous venture, our client base is made up of almost exclusively local residents. We’ve enjoyed becoming a part of this community where my children were raised and being welcomed with open arms is the icing on the cake.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
After spending more than 25 years in the corporate world with companies like American Express, Orkin, Delta, Equifax and the Center for the Visually Impaired, my love for cooking finally gave me the confidence to embark on this culinary journey. I strongly believe that the best practices that my partner Bonnie and I learned from these great organizations gave us the business acumen necessary to be successful.
We believe a key to success in any restaurant venture is not just great food or a great concept but the ability to manage a very difficult industry from the business & marketing standpoint. We would never have been this successful without the strong foundations we had coming in,
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The post-Covid world presented challenges for businesses in any industry; however, the restaurant sector was especially hard hit. Social distancing, supply chain issues, rising food costs and more all created a perfect storm for owners and customers. Restaurants want to offer great service at a value-driven price but it’s often been almost impossible. While the industry is slowly returning to “normalcy”, one constant has been a lack of labor. Where did everyone go?! This is one area that has affected everyone. Because of this, most customers have been very forgiving, knowing what these challenges did to their own businesses. People will always want to go out and enjoy a meal while socializing. We don’t see this changing. One thing that has changed is a restaurant need to adapt to 3rd party delivery vendors. Those who didn’t deliver before must find ways to incorporate this into their business. But this is a good thing. It creates a new revenue stream and/or fills a void of reduced in-house traffic.
One constant for businesses of all kinds is – adapt or die. Those stuck in previous practices or those who refuse to change often fall behind or fail. We must all find new (and exciting) ways to keep and find customers AND give them a memorable experience.
All said, we believe the outlook in coming years looks bright.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.atomicbiscuit.com
- Instagram: atomic.biscuit
