3 MINUTE READ
Art Stone was just four years old when he learned to make biscuits from his Granny Pearl at her farm in rural North Carolina. There was no ‘recipe’ to follow, no measurements to note, just made by what felt right. Granny Pearl would give Art leftover dough to make biscuit animals and other creations, this became a joy that would be sparked again much later on.
An Honest Joy
Art went on to pursue a career in art and then as a lawyer and administrative judge in North Carolina. From art to law, and then food - he traveled the world and lived in many different places. The entire time, that joy that came from Granny Pearl’s biscuits remained in Art’s heart. For years, he tried different recipes and techniques trying to recreate the beloved biscuits of his youth. Art spent months perfecting a recipe he notes, ‘approaches her legacy' to his grandmother’s biscuit-making skills. With this, Art knew he had to share this love with the world.
In 2011, Honest Biscuits was born. The first stall popped up at the Broadway Farmers Market selling “honestly made biscuits to the Pacific Northwest”. Art dedicated himself to ensuring his biscuits were just that: honest. He works with local farmers and producers to secure the best local and quality ingredients for his shop.
The rotating seasonal biscuits pay honor to the relationships forged with local farmers from the early days of selling from a stall at the farmers' market. “A friend of mine who had a farm stand a couple of stalls over brought over a big case of pears at the end of a slow winter morning hoping I could find a use for the unsold product. I took the pears home, and after experimenting for a while, I created the Winter Pear, a seasonal biscuit on the menu ever since”.
Honestly Done
Honest Biscuits grew and built collaborations with other local food businesses including Theo Chocolate and Beechers Cheese, offering biscuits with chocolate and cheese. In 2017, Art secured a location at the Market Front building at the iconic Pike Place Market. As one of the top destinations for the city, people from all over the world can be a part of the warmth and legacy that began with Granny Pearl in North Carolina. In 2020, Art participated in the Food Business Resource Center’s Food Finance Boot Camp to learn how to sustainably expand his business, “it was so nice that the course was tailored to the food industry. I have taken so many business classes that are too general and don’t address the challenges of owning and operating a food business. Everything in the Food Finance Boot Camp was pertinent to my business.”
According to Art, the course helped him to plan and prepare for growing his business and taking on big contracts in the coming years, which will provide a new revenue stream for his business in the coming years. Like many businesses, the pandemic hit Honest Biscuits especially hard. Previously, most of their business came from tourist traffic to Pike Place Market. With this, Art pivoted to shipping biscuits nationwide online and works with third-party takeout services to deliver biscuits all over the Seattle area.
This summer, Honest Biscuits remains open in their prime location with a sunny open outdoor dining space with sweeping views of the Puget Sound. As the state reopens on June 30th, Art hopes more traffic will come to indulge in a few biscuits as they enjoy their day on the waterfront.
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To learn more about Honest Biscuits, a proud LGBTQ-owned business, or to order online, visit their website.
You can also stop by the iconic Pike Place Market in Seattle to visit them at 1901 Western Ave. Suite E
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