Culinary classmates: Arjun Patel and Jhonmark Solis’ journey as friends to business partners
Cedar Shoals alumni Arjun Patel and Jhonmark Solis have worked together as co-owners of two Flying Biscuit Cafe locations since 2021. However, their story didn’t start there. Patel and Solis’s friendship began when they attended CSHS from 2010-14.
Solis remembers how their friendship started.
“(Patel) went to Hilsman (Middle School), I went to Coile Middle School. He’s a year younger than me, and we were just in between friend groups. I used to have a lot of parties, and he used to go to my parties,” Solis said.
When they attended CSHS, while there were no classes or teachers directly relevant to the restaurant industry, there were teachers who uplifted and supported them as students.
“I wasn’t the best student. I was a smart kid, but I just didn’t try,” Patel said. “Ms. (Erin) Adamson, Mr. (Gavin) Matesich, they don’t work there anymore … Mr. (Marc) Ginsberg and Mrs. (Katie) Johnson, they always just knew I was not a by-the-rule-book student.”
Solis also had teachers who he remembers helped direct and inspire him in high school.
“I had a good teacher that influenced me not to be young and dumb when I was a kid. She no longer works there, but her name is Ms. (Sally) LaMater-Dowling,” Solis said.
After graduation, Patel and Solis’ plans after high school differed slightly.
“I just wanted to move away from my family and parents, so I did that for a little bit. I only went to Georgia State University, which is an hour away, but moving away from your family and being independent, I realized that it’s not as fun or as easy as it sounds,” Patel said. “I felt more isolated than free. That’s why I decided to move back.”
On the other hand, Solis was not thinking about leaving anytime soon.
“I really had no plans on leaving Georgia. I fell in love with the town of Athens and the Georgia Bulldogs, and just like the relationships I built here,” Solis said.
Their friendship grew when they worked together across the street from Cedar Shoals High School at the casual Latin American restaurant Cali N Tito’s, where the idea of starting their own business took shape. Not only did Solis and Patel’s connection grow stronger, but they also made new friends along the way.
Cali N Tito’s owner Bruno Rubio helped prepare both Patel and Solis for a career in the restaurant industry.
“Bruno taught me everything I know, from sprinkler systems in the front to running the actual restaurant and food (to) electrician work. He would do so many things and I would follow him and learn it with him whether I was getting paid or not, it didn’t matter,” Patel said. “I learned how to get things done, improvise, and that everything doesn’t have to be exactly perfect.”
Solis’ experience at Cali N Tito’s taught him the basics of owning and maintaining a business: how to handle customers and how to attract and maintain them.
“I learned a lot from the customer side, multitasking, creating a relationship with people, catering. I learned a lot from just being there day to day,” Solis said. “I learned how to make food, how to deal with people, how to make schedules, payroll, a little bit of everything.”
Because of their previous experience and friendship, when Patel sought to open a restaurant franchise, he knew Solis would be the right business partner.
“My uncles gave me the opportunity to join them in (owning franchises), and I thought, ‘I can do it, but it won’t be as fun.’ I knew it might be difficult, and the first person I thought of was Jhonmark, because we ran a whole city over there (at Cali N Tito’s),” Patel said.
From there, they began to work together to make the idea of ownership a reality.
“We went into talking to a franchise consultant, and then from there we just decided to branch out,” Solis said.
The original Atlanta location of Flying Biscuit was on McLendon Ave. in Candler Park where they celebrated 30 years in business in 2023. The all-day Southern breakfast chain was founded by Delia Champion and Michelle Speert in 1993. They relocated to DeKalb Avenue in Atlanta for a newer building and more parking. From there, the Flying Biscuit franchise expanded as far as Texas. Solis and Patel opened the restaurant in Watkinsville, GA first, so when the second Flying Biscuit in Athens, located on Prince Avenue opened, the community accepted their business with open arms, which surprised Patel and Solis, who had not advertised the opening at all.
“We were the busiest store that they had ever opened,” Patel said. “That was humbling for me to see how many people actually cared and showed up.”
Solis was also pleased that the Athens community accepted their unique restaurant.
“We were new to the breakfast game, and we worked with a completely different style of food, Latin food (at Cali N Tito’s). It was completely shocking and overwhelming, because we had so much support from just the community, people that knew us, people that knew Flying Biscuit overall as a company,” Solis said.
Patel recalls struggling to adjust to his new position as a franchise owner.
“The struggle was more like me and Jhonmark having to be here every single day for the first three months, working every day,” Patel said.
As years have passed since opening, Solis notes that the economic struggles of the business have been tough as the cost of ingredients has increased.
“The prices of eggs and chicken went up. That impacted us a lot, because people are only going to pay so much for eggs. We can’t really raise the prices on that. You just have to figure out different ways of saving costs,” Solis said.
Recognizing how the Athens community showed up for them, Patel and Solis help sponsor the J.J. Harris Alumni Scholarship alongside Athens Springs and Russ Warden, with this being the first year the scholarship is provided. The applicants must be a former student of J.J. Harris Elementary School and they must be a current high school senior in Clarke County or another high school in the area.
“We grew up in this community. We feel like you can take from your community, but the moment you give back, that’s when you’ve actually made it,” Patel said. “You owe it to do that because they made you who you are, so help the next guy make it.”
Throughout their time in the Prince Avenue Flying Biscuit location, their favorite memories involved family, friends, and what the future holds for their business.
“(My favorite memory is) opening the next (Flying Biscuit). Like how Tom Brady says when they ask, ‘What’s your favorite ring? The next one.’ So my favorite memory is always the next one,” Solis said.
Patel and Solis hope that their story gives students confidence and inspiration to work for what they want.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, where you were raised, how your childhood was, or how much money your parents have, all of that is insignificant. If you want to do something, literally just do it,” Patel said.
Solis reflects on the restaurant ownership journey similarly.
“Hopefully (our story) inspires them to grind. I grew up off Fowler Drive. I rode the bus, I never had a car,” Solis said. “Know that hard work always pays off and that nobody gets a raise off complaining. Don’t complain. Just do your job. Be the best at it. Always be the best at it, no matter what it is. If you’re cleaning bathrooms, be the best that you can be, because someone’s always watching.”
