About Us - myburritoshak.com

The Burrito Shak Story

The goal of Burrito Shak was simple. With a family of children ages one and three, founders David and Kara Longo noticed a need for a restaurant that served up quality ingredients with flavorful chef-inspired recipes in a fast casual environment. They wanted to keep the menu tasty, yet affordable for all to enjoy. In the spring of 2015, Burrito Shak was born.

Burrito Shak is a combination of flavorful baja style fare, beach vibes, and of course, family and community. The flagship Burrito Shak is located in Hampstead, NC. David’s love for surfing and the beach inspired the coastal vibe given to the menu and décor.

Meet the Founders

David began his career in the kitchen at a young age bussing tables. He quickly found his passion for food and pursued a degree in Culinary and Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University. David has worked in kitchens his whole life and spent 12 years as a fine dining Executive Chef before he and Kara decided to take the leap of faith and open Burrito Shak in Hampstead, NC. Kara grew up in Ohio and attended Ohio State University. She moved to North Carolina and was a teacher before transitioning into her role running the marketing and creative side behind Burrito Shak. David and Kara now have 3 daughters and continue to live locally and invest in their local community. David was honored as the 2023 Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year for the Hospitality Industry for his work building the Burrito Shak brand. See more information on the honor at: Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year – Hospitality

The Growth of Burrito Shak

Burrito Shak quickly became a local staple and after only 2 years open, Burrito Shak was honored to win Best Taco in North Carolina in a customer-based vote. The contest run by Strange Carolinas featured 64 restaurants and was a single elimination style tournament.

Burrito Shak began franchising in 2019 and opened the first franchise location in Swansboro in 2019 and quickly followed suit with another location in Wilmington – Monkey Junction. Even through the pressing times of Covid-19, Burrito Shak continued to excel and opened 4 additional locations in Cary, Surf City, Jacksonville and Lake Havasu, AZ.

Burrito Shak has seen tremendous, continued growth in the post-covid era and is now over 20 locations open and or in development. The Shak has grown into multiple states with a very active pipeline for continued growth.

Meet the Team

David Longo

CEO/Founder

Kara Longo

Vice President of Marketing and Design

Chase Riker

Vice President of Development

Freddy Villa

Franchise Training Manager

Our Core Values

Don’t Settle for Subpar

Whether it’s the quality of our fresh ingredients, the flavor of our chef-inspired recipes, or the coastal service we provide, we never settle for anything but our best.

Creating a Gnarly Community

The best part of eating tacos is who you eat them with! We are driven and inspired by the people in our community – our team, owners, and customers.

Get Back on the Next Wave (Never Give Up)

Growth comes from grit and determination! We can accomplish anything when we believe in our mission and take every challenge head-on.

You Get What You Give

Whether it’s giving back to the community, creating delicious food for our customers, or putting in a hard day’s work on the surf, you get out of life what you put into it.

Life is Better with the Sauce

Life deserves some fun and flavor! Whether we are spicing up our Rincon or cracking jokes in our staff meetings, life is better when we stay FAR away from boring!