Morristown Natives Win ‘Shark Tank’ Deal With Fry Business

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A couple of Morristown natives just won big on ABC's "Shark Tank."

During Friday night's episode, Robert Herjavec, a renowned entrepreneur and investor, chose to team up with Buena Papa Fry Bar, owned and founded by James and Johanna Windon.

During their pitch, Buena Papa Fry Bar, known for offering Latin-inspired cuisine on fries, piqued the interest of numerous sharks and ultimately saw the Windons secure $400,000 in funding from Herjavec.

This collaboration hopes to bring the unique flavors, customer experience and business model of Buena Papa to consumers across the nation through an accelerated franchise expansion, officials said.

Herjavec's vision for developing retail franchisees, as well as his passion for the brand, cemented the collaboration.

"When I tasted what Buena Papa Fry Bar had to offer and saw their impressive market traction, I knew this was a golden opportunity. They've managed to turn something as simple as fries into a whole-meal experience. I'm thrilled to be part of this journey and help them expand their franchise program nationwide,” Herjavec said.

The husband-and-wife team founded Buena Papa in 2021 in Raleigh, N.C., after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to temporarily shut down their cleaning business.

The idea came to them one night when they decided to make "Bandeja Paisa," a traditional Colombian dish for the family, as a special treat.

"During that time, we weren't going to the grocery store much because of COVID, and we'd thought we had all the ingredients: chorizo (Colombian sausage), chicharrón (fried pork belly), frijoles (beans), but we forgot one of the most important ingredients... rice," Johanna Windon said. "So to save the day, I suggested that rice was a carb and we could just add another carb in place of it... I said we can just use some of those fries that I make and put everything on top of that. We tried it, and it was delicious."

According to the Windons, they recognized there was more they could do with that concept, and Buena Papa was developed over the next few weeks.

Their current menu showcases a fusion of traditional plates from Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Italy, Greece, and the U.S., offering a "culinary journey" for customers. The bilingual menu is also designed to help people learn Spanish while enjoying their meals.

To view the menu, click here.

"We've always believed in the potential of Buena Papa Fry Bar, and having Robert on board is a testament to our vision and hard work," the Windons said in a joint statement. "With his experience and mentorship, we're confident that Buena Papa Fry Bar will become a household name in cities across the country. Additionally, it’s a full-circle moment for us to be able to bring five Buena Papa locations to our home state of New Jersey."

The Windons said that they already have nine franchises signed, with details about their franchising program available on buenapapa.com/franchising.