Author: stuart mitchell

  • Top 10 Biscuit Chains in the South: A Love Letter to the Ones Who Feed Us Before the Sun Comes Up

    By a man who’s worn out more biscuit bags than socks and still believes in breakfast redemption.

    Let’s not overthink it. Some people start their day with yoga mats and green juice. Others—the real ones—start it with a sack of biscuits heavy enough to tear your truck seat. This list isn’t for tourists. It’s for folks who still eat standing up.

    This is for the dock crew running on two hours of sleep and six hours of grit. For the boys in Tecovas, Zyn locked and loaded, praying for the second wind that usually comes around biscuit #2.

    This is the Biscuit Belt, and these are its undisputed champions.

    1. Martin’s (Georgia)

    The biscuit that baptized me.

    Hiram Martin’s raised me—back when life was slower but still felt fast. That parking lot saw me more than some of my teachers. Every biscuit felt earned, like a trophy for surviving another early morning.

    As time moved and freight pulled me closer to Atlanta, I found the Austell Martin’s. And the biscuits? Same sermon, different pulpit. This place doesn’t serve food. It feeds your soul.

    2. Biscuitville (NC/VA/SC)

    Built Different.

    I didn’t grow up with it—I found it during a short stint living in Burlington, North Carolina. Didn’t know the town. Didn’t know the roads. But I knew I’d found something true.

    They drop biscuits every 15 minutes like it’s a sacred duty. Everything is fresh, fast, and feels like it’s coming from someone who gives a damn. I was figuring out life in that season. Biscuitville helped. That’s not hyperbole—it’s biscuit therapy.

    3. Bojangles (Southeast)

    Sweet Tea and Chicken Grease.

    Where a Cajun Filet Biscuit is basically a Red Bull with a crust. Nothing fancy. Just spicy chicken and a golden, slightly crumbly biscuit that feels like a middle school fist fight in the best way possible.

    4. Loveless Cafe (Tennessee)

    Grandma’s House with Better Parking.

    Since 1951. You go in tired, broke, and a little jaded. You leave believing in jam again. These biscuits are a long hug from a woman named Dot who once cured a fever with butter and will still whoop your ass for skipping Sunday service.

    5. Jack’s (AL, GA, MS, TN)

    The People’s Biscuit.

    Zero marketing. All flavor. It’s not trying to be hip. It’s trying to be there—when you’ve got 30 minutes before call time and you need a biscuit to remind you why you do this job in the first place.

    6. Rise Biscuits (NC origin)

    Righteous Rebellion.

    It’s bougie. It’s chaotic. It’s beautiful.

    Pimento cheese, jalapeños, honey drizzle—this is the biscuit version of a Southern rock solo. Not for purists, but if you’ve ever poured syrup on hot chicken and called it breakfast? Best Biscuits close to Broadway I Nashville.

    7. Tudor’s Biscuit World (WV, KY)

    Mountains & Mayonnaise.

    Every biscuit’s named after a dude who sounds like he’s on probation and owns a backhoe. You get the Peppi, and you better clear your calendar. Tudor’s isn’t food. It’s weight training.

    8. Maple Street Biscuit Co. (FL origin)

    Instagram With Heart.

    Looks like a church café. Feels like a startup. Tastes like the second coming. That Squawking Goat? Changed lives. You’ll laugh at the interior, then cry over your sandwich.

    This is brunch for men who still believe in torque wrenches.

    9. Bill & Louise’s (GA – Closed)

    Gone but Never Forgotten.

    This place was sacred. Cobb County nostalgia with sausage gravy on top. Shut down for a damn roundabout. But anyone who ate there knows: you didn’t just get breakfast—you got blessed.

    10. Stilesboro Biscuits (GA)

    A Time Capsule with Butter.

    No app. No hype. Just biscuits in a building that’s seen more sunrises than your favorite band. It’s quiet biscuit greatness. You pull up, nod to the regulars, and get right.

    Honorable Mentions:

    Chick-fil-A

    The clean-cut church kid of biscuits. Dependable. Polished. You won’t dream about it, but you’ll still eat it 3x a week and lie about it.

    Cracker Barrel

    The Sunday-after-a-bender biscuit. You’re hungover, mad at yourself, and their gravy might just fix all of it. Just prepare to wait behind someone buying a scented candle and rocking chair.

    Mrs. Winner’s

    A biscuit relic. She’s hanging on, like the last VHS tape in your mom’s cabinet. But if you find one open? Pull over. Order two. Say thank you.

    This one’s for the guy who forgets his lunch three days a week but never forgets to punch in.

    For the man who talks like a mechanic and thinks like a poet when he’s alone on the dock.

    For the crew lead who can’t remember what day it is, but sure as hell remembers where the nearest Martin’s is.

    You’re tired. You’re sore. But you showed up.

    And these biscuits? They show up for you too.

    Forget brunch.

    Forget vibes.

    This is Southern fuel.

    This is tradition.

    This is what we eat when the world still hasn’t opened its eyes.

    Run the dock.

    Run the floor.

    Run the damn biscuit belt.

  • Sunday thoughts (No Freight here) Episode 1

    This is going to get weird… ish.

    Thoughts from my chair. Don’t judge. Or do.

    I’m not saying I believe any of this.

    But if you follow the logic, it kinda holds.

    Let’s start with a simple idea:

    What if Earth is the Garden of Eden?

    Not metaphorically. Not spiritually. Literally.

    What if the story of Adam and Eve wasn’t the beginning of humanity—

    but the beginning of us as Earth-bound beings?

    The Fruit Wasn’t Sin. It Was the Trigger.

    Imagine this: long ago, beings—humanoids—landed on Earth.

    They weren’t like us. Not exactly. They didn’t need food. Didn’t age. Didn’t crave. They were pure, balanced, and maybe even immortal in their own right. But Earth? Earth was wild. Overflowing with resources, sensation, form, and flame.

    When these beings consumed Earth’s “forbidden fruits”—maybe not apples, but real, biochemical triggers—they changed. They began to evolve into something else.

    They became us.

    Eve Got Hot. Adam Followed. The Rest Is History.

    Eve tasted first. Her body changed. Adam saw her—maybe for the first time as a body—and followed. What was once a partnership of equals became the seed of a species rooted in desire, ego, love, pain, art, and death.

    They didn’t sin.

    They chose.

    And Earth became both heaven and hell—a place where souls could burn and bloom.

    We are the children of that choice.

    What If the Aliens Are Just the Ones Who Never Ate?

    The beings we call “aliens”? Maybe they’re the humanoids who never took the bite.

    They don’t need ships, cities, food, or sex. They don’t build, crave, or change. They exist in a state of stillness—advanced not because of technology, but because of perfect detachment.

    They don’t evolve.

    They are.

    Timeless. Silent. Balanced.

    And that’s why we never find buildings on the moon or ruins on Mars.

    They don’t leave tracks. They don’t live like us.

    They appear. Then they’re gone.

    We’re the Wild Ones. The Curved Ones. The Creators.

    Earth didn’t curse us.

    It woke us up.

    Everything we call art, love, war, sin, greatness—it all came from choosing to stay. We gave up stillness for sensation. We became mortal, but also meaningful.

    Maybe death is the trade-off for depth.

    And maybe the real irony is that the ones we call “advanced” are just the ones who never got their hands dirty.

    Then there’s Jesus.

    According to the scriptures, he didn’t stumble into Earth like we did—he was sent. But while here, he walked the full path.

    He felt. He bled. He broke bread and broke down.

    He died.

    And then he returned—back to the realm the originals never left.

    But with something they didn’t have: understanding.

    He’s not just a savior.

    He’s the bridge. The only one who truly experienced both worlds—and remembered.

    So What About UFOs?

    This is where it gets sharp.

    We think we’ve seen aliens. Lights in the sky. Triangles. Fast-moving discs.

    But in this theory? That’s not them.

    That’s us.

    More specifically, that’s governments—every country building their own version of what they think they saw.

    They caught glimpses of the real humanoids—flickers of form, strange movements, disappearances—and tried to reverse-engineer it.

    The U.S. builds flying triangles. China builds black discs. Russia builds quiet blimps.

    But they’re all wrong. They’re just guessing, building machines to replicate something that never used machines in the first place.

    They Think They Have Ships

    But the real beings?

    They don’t need ships.

    They don’t need sleep.

    They don’t need anything.

    They phase in and out, because they’re not bound by need, desire, or gravity.

    And the greatest irony? The governments think they’re catching up, when really, they’re chasing ghosts. They’re creating the myth of the alien through a misunderstanding of something far more ancient—and far less material.

    What If the Goal Isn’t to Leave Earth—But to Understand It?

    Maybe Jesus wasn’t trying to pull us out of here. Maybe he was showing us how to walk it right. Maybe Earth isn’t the exile—it’s the training ground.

    A place where souls burn off the static.

    Where the sharpest minds and hearts are forged.

    Where the fruit still tempts. And still teaches.

    Maybe we can go back.

    Or maybe we already have everything we need—right here, where heaven and hell touch.

    I don’t know if I believe it.

    But it seems logical.

    And logic, when followed far enough, always starts to feel a little like faith. Regularly scheduled freight programming to return Monday.

    — Stu

  • Forklift Power Rankings: Episode 1

    By someone who’s seen every corner of the show floor

    It’s time we talk about the real MVPs of the trade show and corporate event world: forklift operators.

    They don’t show up in keynote photos. They’re not on speaker panels. But if you’ve ever watched a show floor transform from a sea of crates into a polished experience in just a few days — you’ve seen their work. These crews are the heartbeat of the dock. They run on pride, precision, and pure grit.

    Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of producing some of the largest and most complex events in the world — from Sweets & Snacks to McDonald’s Worldwide, Google activations, and even the LinkedIn global corporate event. Across every show, one thing has become clear: not all forklift ops crews are created equal.

    So, just for fun — and with a deep appreciation for the trade — here’s my unofficial, unapologetically biased power ranking of the best forklift operator teams in the country: Oh and here’s my dads in the video…

    The Mack Rankings. No reflection of the Stu Rankings.

    1. San Francisco Teamsters

    Deep talent, bold innovation, and unmatched drive. They move like a symphony and problem-solve like engineers. The gold standard.

    2. Chicago Riggers

    Masters of machine rigging. If you’ve got a 20,000-lb CNC machine or a giant custom structure, this is the team you want on the floor. Their rep is ironclad.

    3. Atlanta (IATSE 834)

    Best large-show crew in the country. That’s not just my bias talking — it’s reality. They’re fast, disciplined, and rock-solid under pressure.

    4. Philadelphia

    Rugged, no-nonsense, and reliable when it matters most. A crew that gets it done without the fluff.

    5. Dallas

    If it has an axle, they can drive it. Adaptive, hardworking, and always in motion. You’ll rarely find them standing still.

    6. St. Louis Teamsters 600

    A proud legacy with real muscle behind it. These operators carry a rich tradition — and a serious skill set.

    7. New Orleans (IATSE 39)

    Experienced and dependable. Deep bench strength, especially in tough setups with tight windows.

    8. Nashville (IATSE 46)

    Not the biggest crew, but home to some of the sharpest operators in the industry. Pure talent at the top.

    9. Las Vegas

    No denying the depth here — Vegas can throw hundreds on the floor. But with that scale comes some inconsistency. When they’re on, they’re elite.

    10. Kansas City Teamsters

    This crew doesn’t get enough love. Prideful, fast, and gritty. They show up with a chip on their shoulder — and it shows in their work.

    This list isn’t about who’s “best” — it’s about recognizing excellence in all its forms. Each of these crews has their own culture, their own hustle, and their own way of making a show run. They all deserve their flowers.

    What keeps me hooked on this work is exactly that: labor relations. Getting to know these operators, learning their strengths, building trust, solving problems side by side — that’s what I love most about this business.

    So yeah, this list is all in good fun. If you’ve ever moved freight, flagged a truck, or built a booth from the dock up — you’ve got a place in this conversation.

    Who would you move up?

    Who’s missing entirely?

    Let’s hear it from the people who keep the docks running and the booths standing.

    #TradeShowLife #ForkliftOps #UnionPride #EventProduction #LaborMatters #CorporateEvents #RunTheDamnDock