Buena Papa French Fry Bar | Shark Tank Season 15
James and Johanna Windon pitched their french fry franchise business during
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Buena Papa after
James and Johanna Windon appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Robert Herjavec | Accepted a deal for $400,000 for 19% equity |
| Kevin O’Leary | No offer |
| Barbara Corcoran | No offer |
| Lori Greiner | No offer |
| Mark Cuban | No offer |
Shark Tank Buena Papa Update
- Entrepreneurs: James and Johanna Windon
- Business: Loaded french fry dishes
- Ask: $400,000 for 7% equity
- Result: $400,000 for 19% equity
- Shark: Robert Herjavec
Husband and wife duo, and founders of Buena Papa, start off their pitch by sharing that ‘Buena Papa’ is a Colombian expression that means, ‘good people’, however, it also means, ‘good potato’. As a couple from two very different cultures, they say they’ve learned to take two very different things and create something better with them.
That’s when Buena Papa was born. Although french fries are usually a side dish, they’ve turned them into the main dish.
Each order starts with 33 ounces of fresh-cut fries and is then topped with your choice of Latin American-inspired toppings. At this point in the presentation, the sharks get to enjoy the samples, and they are certainly impressed.
The french fry bar launched in 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The couple invested $40,000 to get the first location up and running.
After one month in business, they had $18,000 in sales. Then, two weeks after that, they went viral on TikTok, which led to an influencer coming to try all of their dishes.
Immediately after, they had 60 million views. As expected, business picked up immediately and they knew they were onto something big.
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It costs $3.50 to make any of their dishes, and they are sold for $13.50. Further, their overall food margins are 28%.
Their first location, which is 200 square feet, did $1.1 million in their first year. Then, they took all of the profits and invested them into an additional 700-square-foot location.
In the year of filming, with both locations, they plan to finish around $2 million in sales. In the year prior to filming, they netted $120,000, after paying themselves $80,000.
They also have a third location in an arena, and they are about to open a fourth location in Miami.
James and Johanna share that the goal is to start franchising french fry bars across America. The initial franchise fee is $29,500, and the company recoups an 8% royalty. Now, they’re looking for a strategic partner to help them further build their brand.
Lori Greiner loves the concept, and further, tells the couple that they’re doing everything right. However, it’s not the right business for her, so for that reason, she is out.
Mark Cuban says he was all in until James mentioned that they were franchising the business. He thinks it will end up crushing them, so he is out next.
Kevin O’Leary says the food is delicious, however, due to the recent change in his eating and lifestyle habits, he can’t get behind a product that he wouldn’t eat. So, he is also out.
Barbara Corcoran doesn’t think that they need a shark. She says they’re progressing nicely and will continue to do well, but she’s out.
Robert Herjavec is willing to take a chance on the couple. He offers $400,000 for 20% equity, but James counters him at 15%.
Unfortunately, Robert says no. James and Johanna keep trying to get him to come down on the equity, and finally, Robert agrees to 19%.
They ultimately leave
In terms of a Buena Papa update, it’s too soon to share anything new about sales. However, we’re sure that the company will continue to thrive after the nice advertising they’ll get from being on
James and Johanna were also recently featured on ABC’s local North Carolina station, where they did a segment interviewing the couple and featuring them at their Raleigh location.
They just opened a new location in Durham, North Carolina, and continue to run two locations in Raleigh. At the time of this writing, the Miami location still hasn’t launched, although it’s in the works.
You can view their menu and what they offer on the Buena Papa website.
When we get more news about a Buena Papa update, we will let you know!
In the meantime, check out our other company updates from Season 15 Episode 4:
For even more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 15 Products Page!
Jennifer is an avid Shark Tank fan that has been watching the show for years. She serves as Senior Editor at Shark Tank Recap and ensures that all our information is accurate and that our posts are up to date. Her favorite Shark Tank products are Le-Glue and Ring!