Abilene is about to have a biscuit problem. The good kind.
The Flying Biscuit Café has signed a lease at 2467 N Judge Ely Blvd, which means sometime in the first quarter of 2027, West Texas gets its first Flying Biscuit. It’s also the first one in Texas outside the greater Houston area — so for once, Abilene isn’t waiting its turn.
Where it’s going
The café is going into Allen Ridge, the roughly 30,000-square-foot dining, retail and entertainment development at the corner of E Ambler Avenue and N Judge Ely Boulevard. It sits just off Interstate 20 and less than a mile from Abilene Christian University — close enough that “meet you there after class” is going to become a whole thing.
Real estate representation came from ARL Retail, the developer behind Allen Ridge.
Who’s behind it
Franchise partners Edward Ortiz, Samantha Ortiz and Edgar Ortiz will own and operate the café. They already run a couple of other franchise businesses, so they know what a buildout schedule really looks like and what the first hard week of hiring feels like. Flying Biscuit is the one they wanted to bring home.
“We wanted to bring something new to West Texas, and Abilene is home,” said Edward Ortiz. “What matters most is giving friends and families a place to sit a while. We want everyone who walks in to leave planning the next visit — and we’d like Abilene to claim this one as its brunch spot.”
That’s the whole idea. Not a landmark. A regular Tuesday.
What’s going to be on the plate
Biscuits, baked all morning. Too much cranberry apple butter, which is the right amount.
Around them: the award winning shrimp and creamy dreamy grits, stuffed French toast, hearty omelets, a vegan scramble, burgers and wraps. Many locations pour a full bar of brunch-forward drinks too — mimosa flights and the “Stage 5 Clinger” Bloody Mary among them.
One thing worth knowing before you plan a late dinner date: Flying Biscuit does breakfast and lunch, and the doors close at 3. Some things you have to get up for.
The quick version
- Brand: The Flying Biscuit Café — Atlanta-born, founded 1993
- Address: 2467 N Judge Ely Blvd, Abilene, TX 79601
- Center: Allen Ridge, at E Ambler Ave and N Judge Ely Blvd, off I-20
- Franchise partners: Edward Ortiz, Samantha Ortiz, Edgar Ortiz
- Target opening: Q1 2027, exact date announced as buildout progresses
- Firsts: first Flying Biscuit in West Texas; first in Texas outside greater Houston
- Hours model: breakfast and lunch, closing at 3 p.m.
- Developer / real estate rep: ARL Retail
Common questions
When does Flying Biscuit open in Abilene? The target is the first quarter of 2027. The exact opening date gets announced as construction moves along.
Where exactly is it? 2467 N Judge Ely Blvd, inside the Allen Ridge development at E Ambler Avenue and N Judge Ely Boulevard — just off I-20, under a mile from ACU.
Is this a local operation? Yes. The Ortizes are Abilene-based franchise partners who will own and run the café themselves.
Does Flying Biscuit serve dinner? No. Breakfast and lunch only, with doors closing at 3 p.m.
Texas keeps filling in
Abilene joins a map that’s getting crowded in a hurry: 43 cafés open and 12 in development across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Missouri. Territories are being awarded across Texas right now, and West Texas just went from a blank spot to a starting point.
Thinking about owning one?
If you’ve read this far and you’re thinking about your own market, that’s worth a conversation. Some of our partners are on the floor every morning, learning regulars’ names. Others come in as investors — they put a strong operator in charge, keep an eye on the numbers, and grow from there. Both work here, and plenty of people have gone on to open a second or third store either way. We’re not filling a map. We’re picking partners who take the business seriously.
Breakfast and lunch only helps on both counts, too. One daypart, doors closed by 3, no dinner shift to staff.
Fill out the contact form and we’ll take it from there.
Come as you are — even that version.
