Buena Papa: Building A Restaurant Brand From Scratch
In a recent episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler welcomed James and Joanna Windon, founders of Buena Papa, an emerging brand that's reshaping how consumers think about french fries. The concept is brilliantly simple yet innovative: premium hand-cut fries topped with gourmet ingredients inspired by global cuisines. Their signature item, the "Mexicano," features authentic carne asada, guacamole, pico de gallo, and lime sour cream – essentially a Mexican taco deconstructed over fries. Other offerings include Greek and Italian-inspired creations, all designed to transform fries from a mere side dish into a complete, shareable meal.
The Windons' journey began in 2021 at a food hall in Raleigh, North Carolina, where their concept caught the attention of TikTok influencer who organically promoted their food. This unexpected exposure led to months of non-stop lines and valuable business lessons about scaling, portioning, and pricing. Their success story took another significant turn when Shark Tank producers discovered them, leading to a deal with Robert Herjavec who invested $400,000 for 19% equity in the company.
The brand features a Chipotle-style service model where customers can watch their loaded fries being assembled along a line, with both signature dishes and create-your-own options available. While signature dishes have set prices, the create-your-own option ($17) allows customers to select two premium proteins, five toppings, and unlimited sauces – enough to feed three or more people. Their distinctive packaging, including a unique cone design for kids' meals and a purse-like carrier for adults, has become a walking advertisement for the brand.
Initially targeting college students, the Windons quickly discovered their concept appeals to all demographics – from grandparents to children – reinforcing that french fries might be one of the most universally loved foods. One early challenge was convincing customers that their loaded fries constituted a complete meal rather than just a side dish. The brand maintains a 70-30 split between in-store dining and delivery, though they acknowledge the challenge of maintaining fry crispness during delivery and advise customers to think "baked potato, not McDonald's" when ordering for delivery.
During the podcast, the founders showcased their commitment to freshness, emphasizing their two-step frying process and fresh-cut potatoes with no preservatives. They've designed their kitchen layout for transparency, with potato cutting and frying visible to customers as part of the "performance art" of their service style. While the concept began in food halls, they're now expanding through franchising into traditional retail units, which may alter their business economics.
Buena Papa represents a perfect case study in fast casual innovation – taking a familiar favorite, elevating it with premium ingredients and global flavors, packaging it distinctively, and creating an engaging service model. Their successful navigation from a single food hall stall to Shark Tank investment demonstrates how even the simplest concepts can disrupt the market when executed with passion and attention to detail. As the brand continues to grow through franchising, they've proven that sometimes the most successful restaurant concepts aren't about creating something entirely new, but rather reimagining something everyone already loves.
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