Boxwood Biscuit Co. Grows Up

If there’s one good thing that has come out of the pandemic, it was the inception of Boxwood Biscuit Co., a chef-driven pop-up turned brick-and-mortar café. The business was founded by Tyler Minnis, Annie Pierce and her husband, Luke Pierce. Annie and Luke are the owners of Law Bird Bar, which had opened just four months before the pandemic started. They are Columbus natives who have worked in the restaurant industry all their lives. Minnis came to Boxwood from A&R Creative Group, where he was the executive chef of The Market IV.

The Pierces had the idea for Boxwood Biscuit Co. in their back pocket for some time. When the pandemic hit and Law Bird turned into a grab-and-go shop, they realized the Law Bird kitchen was going to go unused. Planning to launch Boxwood out of the Law Bird kitchen as a pop-up on the weekends, they approached Minnis with the idea and he was fully on board. From initial inception to launch day in August 2020 was about two and a half months of work, meaning Minnis spent a lot of time baking test biscuits in his home kitchen.

Developing and executing a new venture at any time is hard work. During a pandemic, and on top of operating the Law Bird shop, the team had to work double-time to thoughtfully develop menu items that would work well for carryout and also source new restaurant equipment such as double-deck ovens needed for the plan. “Although it was a lot of work to get it going, it was rewarding to see everyone react the way they did to the food and drinks,” the Pierces wrote. A collaboration they did with Hot Chicken Takeover was a big hit and showed the potential of the business.

The group decided to turn Boxwood Biscuit into a full-time operation. They launched a crowdfunding effort early this year and in March opened their business at 19 W. Russell St. in the Short North, formerly the home of the Belgian Iron Wafel Co.

Top Left: The menu includes different sandwiches featuring the house fried chicken breast with various toppings on a potato bun; Top Right: The Franklin features bacon, egg, cheese and pork miso gravy on biscuits; Bottom: Boxwood Biscuit now offers dine-in service on two levels.

Chef Tyler Minnis prepares his signature biscuits.

When asked where he finds inspiration for Boxwood’s unique menu items, Minnis said, “I have always cooked seasonally so I still find inspiration from our local farmers and ingredients that are around town at any given moment. Inspiration also comes from anywhere. A memory of my grandmother making biscuits … with crab apple jam made from the tree in her backyard. Gravy made by my old roommate (he didn’t put miso in his), or Appalachian and southern cuisine.”

While the original pop-up focused on biscuits and biscuit sandwiches for brunch, the new shop allowed the owners to expand the hours and the menu and feature their special-recipe chicken.

“We fry our chicken in a double-dip Korean batter method which keeps our chicken extra crispy and helps it travel a little bit better,” Minnis said. “We use a lot of miso, soy sauce, chili, garlic, ginger, fermented chili and anything else that will help add flavor to our dishes.”

The Pierces see Columbus as a good proving ground for independent restaurants. “We believe the growth of the city has created a need for unique, independent restaurants that are run by people who put food and drink and their people first. We are constantly excited and inspired by those making it happen.”

They were troubled to see the pandemic have “such a devastating impact on our industry,” they wrote. “We’re anxiously awaiting the reopening and resurgence of some of our favorite spots.”

Boxwood Biscuit serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. On the menu you can find biscuits and gravy, biscuit sandwiches, salads, and the three-piece chicken bucket. There’s also a selection of sweets.

For the first-time visitor, Minnis recommends ordering the biscuits and gravy, which is where it all began. There are gravy flights and specials for those who like to change things up. Not to be forgotten are the French fries, which are in the shape of a miniature potato skin. They’re crispy, and can be eaten plain or dunked in Boxwood’s gravies and sauces.

Annie offers this advice: Don’t sleep on the Caesar salad and make sure to add fried chicken!

• Boxwood Biscuit Co. is open Wednesday–Saturday 7:30am to 8:30pm and Sunday 7:30am to 3pm. To keep up with all the important Law Bird or Boxwood or Law Bird updates, follow @boxwoodbiscuitco and @lawbirdbar on Instagram.