One year ago this week I found myself in the village of Barbourville in rural Knox County, Kentucky. It’s one of the prettiest parts of this earth but has always suffered from a dearth of good eating places. Most folks in those parts either cook for themselves or run by a Mr Gatti’s or Hardee’s when hunger strikes.

There are a few mom and pops but for some reason, small independent restaurants are hard to come by in that part of the state.

On my trip I visited a local concern in the old TG&Y Shopping Center with the fetching name of the Kentucky Biscuit Company. If it has biscuit in the title of the restaurant you can rest assured that I will be approaching their doors with wallet at the ready.

I’ve already eaten two meals and it’s not even noon so I have to restrain myself and order a single biscuit with apple jelly. Eastern Kentucky is biscuit country with thousands of womenfolk thereabouts who grow up with a rolling pin in one hand, and a lard can in the other.

If you call yourself a ‘biscuit company’ you can rest assured you will be judged severely, often and with the utmost criticism. Folks around Barbourville know their biscuits.

I’m sad to report that the Kentucky Biscuit Company’s product was lackluster. The biscuit was both small, and lacked flavor. I suspect that if you peered about in the kitchen you would not find a tub of lard.

How many granny women in Knox County would be happy to motor their Valiant down to a local restaurant at 5am and set to making a few sheet-pans of biscuits?

Hundreds.

When I began writing this article I was thinking about a future trip I’m planning to southeastern Kentucky, and I was also thinking about where I would be eating on my journey. I looked up Kentucky Biscuit Company on a whim and learned that they had closed a mere four weeks after I ate there.

Perhaps a rural entrepreneur will come along and open a similar-themed restaurant. The area’s Cracker Barrels are doing land-office business and have since the 70s. You could assemble a team of grandmas in a jif and have instant credibility with the locals.

Have Mildred on the cash register, Viola running the expo, Nellie rolling out the biscuits and Hazel refilling the coffee mugs and ice tea tumblers.

Who want to go into business?