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After a serial entrepreneurial career in the entertainment industry, James Winton started a cleaning business.
Then the pandemic hit. That’s when the creativity really starts to flow.
Windon and his wife, Johanna, opened Buena Papa Fry Bar in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2021, based its concept on a dish Windon invented during the pandemic: stuffed fish fry.
Cooking for her family during the COVID-19 lockdown, Windon learned how to make homemade french fries. One day, Johanna was out of rice as a base when she was making Bandeja Paisa (a traditional Colombian dish with rice, beans and a few toppings), so Whedon offered up his homemade chips fresh out of the oven .
It might sound crazy at first, but at the time they were desperate.
“We have hungry kids watching us. As parents, we want to make it work,” Windon said.
These entrepreneurs shut down their cleaning operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Windon was ready for its next opportunity.
“My business mind started to spin. I was like, ‘Wait a minute. You might have a business here,'” he said.
Buena Papa is like the Chipotle of chips, Windon says, but “don’t just think about bacon chips, because that’s not what it is.” Instead, it’s dishes from around the world, based on chips.
Once Windon had an idea for Buena Papa, he went online and began researching each country’s most famous dish.
El Colombiano (Colombiano) begins with the brand’s classic dish made with Bandeja Paisa: french fries topped with Colombian refried beans, topped with chicharron (fried pork belly), chorizo ​​(Colombian sausage) and finished with guacamole and pico de gallo. From North Carolina: French fries lightly tossed in vinegar, topped with pulled pork and coleslaw, and finished with a special tangy BBQ sauce. El Griego across the pond (Greek): French fries tossed with Greek seasoning, topped with grilled chicken, tzatziki sauce, and finished with pico de gallo.
The variety of the menu is one of the ways Buena Papa differentiates itself from the competition.
“You’re introducing new cultures, new languages, new foods [to customers]says Winton. “When you walk into one of our locations, you feel like you’re on vacation. Like the time you go to Cancun or go to Puerto Rico. “
Some menu items are in Spanish, which Windon says customers love but also helps teach them a new language.
Three Buena Papa restaurants have opened and a fourth and fifth are in the pipeline. According to Windon, they started with one food hall — the Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh — because someone there finally understood the concept.
When they went to the canteen to sell, the person in the canteen asked, “How long have you been in the catering business?”
Winton replied, “Zero. But I’ll find a way to fix that.”
He did it.
The fourth Buena Papa will be in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. They’re also just “drying the ink” on their first franchise deal.
“What’s even more exciting to us is that we can bring this simple concept to other people like us across America,” Windon said, noting those who don’t have restaurant backgrounds but have business experience.
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