Who is Johanna Windon?
Johanna Windon is a Colombian native and former elementary school teacher who co-founded Buena Papa Fry Bar with her husband, James Windon; the two are high school sweethearts. During the pandemic, a rice shortage left her unable to cook bandeja paisa, a traditional Colombian dish, the usual way, so she built it on French fries instead. The result became the core of a fast-casual concept serving loaded fries with Colombian, Mexican, Puerto Rican and American flavors. The Windons invested their life savings of about $40,000 into a tiny stand in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2021, at one point having just $18 left in their account.
Helped by viral TikTok videos, the business brought in more than $1 million in its first year. On Shark Tank Season 15, the couple asked $400,000 for 7%. Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary passed over concerns about expansion, and Robert Herjavec invested $400,000 for 19%. Buena Papa has since opened more North Carolina locations and a store in Miami's Wynwood district, and it is franchising to expand across the Southeast and other major markets.
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