Founded in Raleigh in 2021 by James and Johanna Windon, Buena Papa Fry Bar is a “unique quick-serve, hand-cut, made-to-order gourmet French fry concept.” It currently has three locations and is planning to open a fourth in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. It has also recently signed franchise agreements for both North Carolina and South Florida.
“One night, in 2020 we decided to make ‘Bandeja Paisa,’ a traditional Colombian dish for the family as a special treat,” reads the Buena Papa website’s About page. But the family forgot one important ingredient: rice. In a pinch, they decided to substitute French fries.
“We tried it… it was delicious. From that moment, we knew there was more to this, we knew we could add more flavors and different taste profiles and over the next couple of weeks Buena Papa was born.”
Buena Papa’s loaded fries come in their original Colombiano form, with Colombian refried beans, chicharron (fried pork belly), Colombian chorizo, guacamole, and pico de gallo, along with varieties like Carolina (Vinegar BP signature fries, pulled pork, coleslaw, BP specialty barbecue sauce) and Griego (Greek BP signature fries, grilled chicken, tzatziki, pico de gallo).
“We’re very excited because we believe South Florida is a great area and great fit for our meals on fries,” a representative told What Now on Wednesday. “We also believe South Florida has a lot of potential for Franchise opportunities.”
