Owner: Michelle Lynn
By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
You haven’t truly experienced New Bern until you’ve eaten at The Country Biscuit®. A staple of New Bern for over forty years, The Country Biscuit is The Original Biscuit of New Bern®. Owned by Marine Corps veteran Michelle Lynn, the restaurant is known for opening before the sun rises at 5 a.m. and serving delicious breakfast egg platters, omelets, biscuit-donuts, an array of comfort lunch specials as well as @Home dinner meals.
“This restaurant has been a staple in New Bern and people go crazy over the famous Tenderloin Biscuit,” says Lynn. “It really is a big deal. Our guests love this southern comfort biscuit. It is messy, but oh so tasty, especially when you add shredded cheddar cheese and an egg on top! If you are looking for a sweet treat, you have to try the biscuit-donut! A hot glazed biscuit-donut will have you going back for a second!”
The newest concept to the restaurant is Country Biscuit @Home dinners. Customers are able to view dinners, select and pay for the dinners and chose pick up times at the convenient drive-thru windows, starting as early as twelve noon. Pickup is available until 6:30 p.m. To see the daily @Home dinners and all the breakfast lunch items visit thecountrybiscuit.com.
Another unique element at the restaurant is Rosie the robot, who assists the staff during busy hours to deliver the food to the tables. “The guests and staff named her, and she is a great tool to help us expediate the food delivery when we are really busy! She is super fun and the kids love her! She is really becoming a part of the Country Biscuit experience.”
In June of 2018, Michelle was considering opening a bed & breakfast, and she had gone to Marie Phillips at First Citizens Bank to discuss purchasing a property. Marie told Michelle, “No, you are not going to open a bed & breakfast. Talk to Jeff Ipock (who at the time, owned the Country Biscuit) and you are going be the next owner of The Country Biscuit. So we put together a contract and I received a loan from the small business administration through Union Bank,” says Michelle. “When I went before the small business review board, their response to me was, ‘Ma’am if we can’t give you a loan, then we can’t give anyone a loan. You are the perfect candidate.’ I wanted to wave an American flag, I was so happy,” said Lynn.
“My story is the ‘American Dream.’ I opened a hot dog stand in Murietta, CA when I was 27 years old. I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Now, I understand that this is what entrepreneurship is all about: hard work, never giving up on myself and finding a way to move forward despite obstacles.”