Greensboro, NC (March 25, 2013) – For Burney Jennings, president and CEO of Biscuitville, the answer to what drives his passion is straightforward.

“You’ve got to love what you do,” Jennings said. “I love the restaurant business. I love what I do.  Most days I go to work, and I’m happy I’m there.”

Jennings was the guest speaker at a business luncheon on March 21 at The Piedmont Club, sponsored by Wharton Gladden, a boutique real estate investment firm based in Greensboro.

Jennings is the second generation in his family to run the business, which has 58 locations in North Carolina and Virginia. It’s clear that customer service and employee appreciation play key roles in his business model.

“I like working in a family business,” Jennings said, “It’s something I really, really enjoy. My father has encouraged me to find my own way. He’s been there for support. He’s been there for advice.”

He also credited his father with giving him room in this role because sometimes that transition can be difficult in family businesses.

Biscuitville specializes in breakfast, and 75 percent of their business is drive-through and takeout, he said. Although they felt an impact from the recession, they were not affected as much as other restaurants. As they grow, they do better if they add restaurants close to their core — within two driving hours of Greensboro. They don’t have plans to franchise.

“We’ve been a slow-growth company,” he said, in part because it is a family business, and they have not wanted to carry a lot of debt. “We want to be careful with how we grow.”

One of the positive steps that they have taken is to establish a Board of Directors with four independent directors, three shareholders, and a CEO, who does not necessarily have to be a family member, and that has been a good process for preserving family harmony.

In a relaxed Town Hall type format, Algenon Cash, managing director of Wharton Gladden, asked Jennings how the unemployment insurance reform would impact Biscuitville, and Jennings said that the only source to pay back the federal government is from employers.

“Small business is the backbone of every community in America, they create over 70% of the new jobs in our economy, and the pressure of new regulations is creating unprecedented challenges,” Cash said.

Cash asked Jennings about the impact of the Affordable Care Act on this small business. Jennings said that he expects it to cost his company approximately $750,000. As far as ACA requirements, Jennings said they made the decision that they will not adjust people’s hours to avoid paying the health care costs because they need reliable people, and many of their employees have worked with them for years.

“We have families who’ve been with us for a long time,” Jennings said. “We’re very concerned about customer service.”

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