Owner will move Red Oak Biscuits to Cherokee, open two new restaurants

By Matt Sorrell // October 18, 2018


The team at Red Oak Biscuits will have a busy fall and winter. The downtown restaurant will move to a new location on Cherokee Street next month, and owner Derek Schulze also plans to open two new concepts in 2019.

Red Oak will leave its current location at 1330 Washington Ave., for 2926 Cherokee St., the former home of The Blue Pearl. Schulze said the move will take place from Monday, Nov. 12 to Thursday, Nov. 15, and Red Oak’s new home will open for business Friday, Nov. 16

“We’re walking into a turnkey space that’s all ready to go,” Schulze said. “I feel Cherokee really fits the Red Oak brand.”

The new Red Oak will seat approximately 32, slightly smaller than the current location, but the kitchen is larger. He said he hopes to expand into the second floor of the building in May 2019, which should yield an additional 30 seats.

Once the Red Oak move is complete, construction will start in the now-vacated downtown space to transform it into Schulze’s newest restaurant concept, Fried. This fast-casual eatery will feature a build-your-own style menu inspired by Southern fare.

Guests will choose a protein like chicken, tofu or pork and one of seven sauces from Buffalo to tikka masala. The resulting fried bits can be eaten solo, atop pasta or waffle fries or ensconced in a hoagie or tortilla.

Schulze said the menu will also feature fried “desserts on a stick” with state fair treats like fried Snickers and fried Twinkies. Schulze said he’s aiming for a late January or early February 2019 opening.

Earlier this year, Schulze announced another new restaurant and distillery concept called Moonshine, to open at 1325 Washington Ave. Schulze has scrapped those plans and said the space will now house Homestead.

The 3,000-square-foot space will seat between 100 and 150 inside and an additional 50 or so outside. A separate event space called Gather will occupy the second floor.

Schulze described the food at Homestead as “farm fare fast-casual” with a seasonally rotating menu featuring local ingredients. Look for Homestead to debut in May 2019.

Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.