Meet Our New Franchisees:

Todd and Soulinda, the new franchise owners of the Sneads Ferry Burrito Shak say, “Sneads Ferry is the perfect location to open a Burrito Shak because of its proximity to schools and the military base.” They stated that they also enjoy its “small-town vibes.” They look forward to serving up high-quality burritos, bowls, quesadillas, salads, and tacos paired with great service to meet the needs of the local residents. The duo is enthusiastic about creating a strong sense of community, allowing the Shak to be a place of connection for the locals and visitors to the area. They want to offer a “positive and welcoming environment for customers to enjoy” while producing job opportunities and stimulating economic growth in the area. A pillar of their success will be their support of neighboring schools and charities.

Todd and Soulinda have over 27 years of combined experience serving in the United States Marine Corps. They enjoy spending quality time with their loved ones, traveling, and exploring the great outdoors. They are also both avid boaters and skiers.  The duo has a shared passion for food and entrepreneurship which led them to fulfill their dream of opening a restaurant franchise in Sneads Ferry.

The Burrito Shak Experience 

Todd and Soulinda explained that they were interested in opening a franchise as it allowed them to be a part of an established, local brand. The pair has an appetite for “really good food” and identified a gap in their local market for “healthier, fast and fresh Mexican cuisine.” The Shak is driven by fresh ingredients in a laid-back, coastal atmosphere. This led them to have a strong belief in the “potential profitability and success of the Burrito Shak concept.” 

David Longo, Founder and CEO of Burrito Shak, stated, “We can’t wait to watch Todd and Soulina serve up great food and beach vibes to the Sneads Ferry community.  As a graduate of Dixon High School, it’s great to continue to grow in our local area.” 

Our Sneads Ferry Burrito Shak will be located at 1064 NC Highway 210 Unit #7 Sneads Ferry, NC.

Ready to be your own boss while making a positive impact on your community?

Find out what it truly means to serve up Quick, Crafted, and Coastal fresh-mex cuisine and join our Burrito Shak family. Take a close look at new Burrito Shak restaurant franchise opportunities that are now available in both North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and beyond!

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Over the course of the 35+ minute interview (podcast link below), Don and Evonne ask the Longo’s some key questions about:

• How David & Kara Met (0:00 – 2:45 )
• David’s Restaurant Background (2:48 – 4:35)
• Funding Their First Burrito Shak Restaurant in Hampstead, NC (4:36 – 7:50)
• How Did You Come Up With The Burrito Shak Vibe & Name? (7:50 – 12:00)
• Working Together as a Husband & Wife Team (12:05 – 16:45)
• What Made You Think You Wanted to Franchise? (16:50 – 18:30)
• Finding Your First Multi-Unit Franchisee (18:33 – 20:44)
• Vetting New Burrito Shak Franchisees (20:45 – 23:05)
• When Did You Start Franchising? (23:06 – 25:30)
• Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) During Covid & Cinco de Mayo (25:31 – 27:10)
• What’s the Most Challenging Part of Franchising? (27:11 – 31:50)
• Who is Your Picture Perfect Franchisee? (32:00 – 33:10)
• What Advice Do You Have For Someone Considering a Restaurant Franchise? (33:10 – 35:00)
• Where Do You See The Burrito Shack Franchise in Three Years? (35:10 – 37:55)

For More Information on the Burrito Shak Restaurant Franchise, please request our 2023 Franchise Information Kit, available here!

The post “Slow and Steady” Growth For The Burrito Shak Franchise appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

The Burrito Shak difference is no secret, it will light up your five senses every time you enter one of our restaurants. When you walk into a Burrito Shak, you’ll see the good vibes flowing with smiling faces enjoying their favorite menu items in our laid-back atmosphere. Our tunes will always be on, and you’ll smell the superior, fresh ingredients being prepared and indulged. Grab a table and get the conversations flowing while kids enjoy playing together. Most importantly, taste the difference of food that’s been crafted with flavor and spice. 

High-quality Products Every Time 

We source only the best ingredients because we believe in utilizing nutritious, fresh foods that offer superior taste. We buy proprietary small chicken breasts and teres major cuts for our carne asada to ensure a tender texture and rich flavor. We also prepare all our vegetables in-house, making sure they are freshly chopped to be enjoyed on our salads, tacos, burritos, and bowls. Whether it is making our pico de gallo, guacamole, or pineapple salsa, we do not cut any corners on the freshness and quality of every product we serve! 

Chef-inspired Recipes that Value Flavor

 One of our core values is Life is Better with the Sauce! We like to add fun and flavor into everything we do from seasoning our meats to making jokes at our staff meetings. The Burrito Shak menu was curated by a professional chef to offer a large selection of items with complimentary flavor profiles. We have seven house-made sauces and five fresh salsas. From our chipotle ranch to habanero salsa, there is sure to be a flavor that matches everyone’s palette. 

Beach Vibes and Coastal Service in a Laid-back Atmosphere

We love Creating a Gnarly Community because we know the best part of eating tacos is who you eat them with. We focus on providing excellent customer service that is quick, easy, and served with a smile. We design each of our store interiors to feel like you’re back on your beach vacation and name each of our menu items after surf-breaks, fish, beach sayings, and coastal destinations.

Our brand colors of orange and teal allow people to feel like they are soaking up the sunshine and riding the waves. We are fueled by our passion to create the right vibe for our communities!

The Burrito Shak difference is implemented throughout everything we do, and it starts with amazing franchisees. We are looking for new franchise partners to join our team and bring the “Get Shak’d” vibes to your local communities. Visit www.myburritoshak.com to learn more about new opportunities that are available in both North and South Carolina and beyond! 

The post The Burrito Shak Difference appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

For our franchise development team here at the Burrito Shak, it happens just about every day. We are asked the same series of questions by phone or email or face-to-face, but they are always the most obvious questions we can answer. If you are thinking about investing in any franchise opportunity, these are usually a few questions that come to mind first:

1. How much money will I make?
2. How many people will I need to hire?
3. How can I finance this franchise investment?

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has your answers!
While some questions we legally can’t answer directly, like how much you’ll make, we can help with the others. Actually, because the Burrito Shak team has worked with the SBA for four years now, they have captured most of our answers already and they make them available publicly. Many questions about the legitimacy of any franchise opportunities can be answered simply by checking the SBA’s Franchise Directory (previously known as The Registry).

What is the Small Business Administration’s Franchise Directory? 

This online tool will be very powerful in helping bankers or lenders secure funding for your restaurant business. The SBA’s Franchise Directory gives these financial professionals a quick way to validate all eligible franchise brand and better understand any special requirements with lending to people starting a franchise business. Because the SBA acts as a guarantor on SBA Loans for new businesses, getting financing to open your own Burrito Shak restaurant is not only is easier than borrowing funds to start your own independent restaurant, but odds are good the approval process will be quicker and interest rates will be lower as well. 

Our SBA Loan approval process was streamlined due to our lending partner’s quick ability to have comfort with the Burrito Shak and the investment from their partnership within the SBA Directory. 

— Noah – Burrito Shak Franchisee in Cary, NC

The SBA’s Franchise Directory is a 200+ page PDF you can download for free that alphabetically lists more than 2,000 different franchise opportunities. The directory is updated every few weeks, so keep that in mind when speaking with local lenders. Each brand that’s approved within the directory includes some simple details related to the SBA, including when the SBA assigned that franchisor an identifier code. For the Burrito Shak, we qualified with the SBA back in 2019!

Because our Burrito Shak team continues to maintain our SBA Franchise Directory listing and because our franchisees continue to repay their business loans, future franchisees will likely find success with leveraging SBA Loans to open their own restaurants. To learn more about becoming a Burrito Shak restaurant owner, request our 2023 Information Kit today! 

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What was your background / career before becoming a franchise owner with Burrito Shak? 

JT attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2006, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in English. He continued with schooling and two years later, he earned his Master of Education. He began working in higher education as an Admissions Representative for Capital University in Columbus, Ohio while his wife, Rachel, finished pharmacy school at Ohio State University. In 2012, the couple moved to Wilmington where JT began working in Corporate Recruiting and Headhunting. In 2020, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the market for his work declined. This led JT to begin researching franchise opportunities. 

What drew you to the Burrito Shak opportunity?

There were two main factors that attracted JT to the Burrito Shak opportunity. He loved and continues to enjoy the high-quality food that is dished up daily and he was able to meet with Dave, Founder and CEO of Burrito Shak. The COVID-19 pandemic made it challenging to meet with people in-person. Therefore, JT said that being able to “meet with and learn from the person that started the franchise was huge.” This afforded JT to get “a kind of access / perspective” that he did not find with any other place. 

What is your favorite Burrito Shak Menu Item?

“The S-turn burrito” was and remains JT’s go-to item. His love for this dish began before buying into the franchise. JT admits that he is “a big queso fan!” This delicious burrito is packed full of rice, beans, cheese, roasted poblano crema, roasted peppers and onions, queso, and lettuce. Besides queso, JT explained that he “also loves the poblano crema.” However, you can try JT’s specialty order and substitute it for the jalapeño crema when it is available. 

What advice would you give someone interested in this opportunity?

JT shared that it is easy to “get bogged down and distracted with everyday issues.” Therefore, “mapping out and writing down your goals from the start” is very important. He said, “keeping the big goal visible and front of mind is huge.” 

What gives you the most satisfaction as a Burrito Shak Franchisee?

“Seeing improvement” gives JT the most satisfaction as a franchisee. He shared that he likes when he can pull himself “out of the weeds and look at the business as a whole.” He also explained that he enjoys realizing “both the growth we’ve had and the opportunities we have to grow and improve even more, it’s exciting.” JT is passionate about the industry and surrounding community. He appreciates and looks forward to speaking and sharing experiences with other business and restaurant owners. As well, JT stated that the camaraderie of giving and receiving help between entrepreneurs is “awesome.”

Which of the Burrito Shak core values speaks to you the most?

JT connects most with the Burrito Shak value of Creating a Gnarly Community. This value speaks to being driven and inspired by the community at Burrito Shak which includes the team, owners, and, of course, customers! “At the beginning I was stressed about running out of rice, but over one and a half years into this, easily the biggest concern is my team and the work environment. Having a strong community, inside the store and being involved outside, is key.” Burrito Shak is a village, and we are so happy to have JT as part of the Shak family!  

If you are considering restaurant franchise opportunities and want to serve your local community fresh food that’s Quick, Crafted, and Coastal, be sure to take a close look at new Burrito Shak opportunities that are now available in both North and South Carolina!

The post Franchisee Spotlight: JT, Monkey Junction Burrito Shak appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

A Recap of 2022

As we reflect on our achievements from 2022, we want to recognize the seven Burrito Shak restaurants that were in operation across North Carolina and Arizona. We increased traffic and ticket in stores for an average unit volume of $1.267M. The Cary, NC store boasted the highest growth year-over-year of 36.77%. Our eighth location in Raleigh, NC was underway with a multi-unit agreement signed in 2021. After a year of tremendous progress, we finished 2022 with a total of 11 signed agreement units.

What to Look Forward To In 2023

We believe in always getting back up on the next wave, which is why we are not slowing down our development as we enter 2023. We are thrilled to announce our strategic growth plan to Charlotte, NC and Columbia, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach, SC. This represents the expansion of Burrito Shak into its third state outside of its founding in North Carolina and expansion to Arizona. We strive to give our customers the best experience possible which is why we are continuing to evolve with technological improvements in our stores. This includes adding DoorDash as a national partnership to better serve our loyal customer base and increase revenue for our franchisees. As well, we added Clover as a new point of sales system at each location for a seamless experience. We are surging ahead with two new units currently in buildout and are looking to add five more units in development by the end of 2023.

At Burrito Shak, we have a plan that is unwavering. That is to quickly serve you fresh, delicious food made with quality ingredients every time you order in-person or online. We are positioned to make incredible advancements in the upcoming year and are ready to support prospective franchise owners. We continue to operate based on our core values because no challenge is ever too large for this gnarly
community! 

With the new year underway, now is the perfect time to join the Burrito Shak family. We are looking for new franchise partners to join our team and bring the “Get Shak’d” vibes to your local community!

The post Burrito Shak Continues to Grow and a Look Ahead for 2023 appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

This is why annual franchise conferences are important to the success and growth of any emerging franchise opportunity. Forward thinking franchisors, like Burrito Shak, see the benefits of bringing all franchisees together, under one roof, at least once each year, to create synergy within their organization, but also to take time needed to introduce new developments that will benefit the entire brand going forward.

Driving A Culture of Excellence

Earlier this month, Burrito Shak held their very first franchise conference in Raleigh, NC. Franchisees representing nearly all of the seven Burrito Shaks currently open, as well as those that are preparing to open later in 2023, attended this two-day event. This event was entitled “Driving a Culture of Excellence” and included educational sessions, team building events and round-table discussions, but also included a bit of fun too! USFoods sponsored the Burrito Shak franchisees within their suite at the PNC Arena for a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game. The conference concluded with some “mostly” friendly golfing action at the Drive Shack in Raleigh.

When asked about this first-ever franchise conference for Burrito Shak, one of our multi-unit franchisees, preparing to open a third Burrito Shak franchise restaurant in Raleigh, had this to share: 

“It was great to get all the franchisees together and talk about solutions for some of our most common challenges.” 

-Ian Wickline, Multi-Unit Franchisee with Burrito Shak

We also asked Burrito Shak founder, David Longo, about this event: 

“Having our franchisees step away from their businesses for this first conference was truly empowering. Not only were they able to connect with one another, but we really learned something about obstacles that we can address as a group. It’s exciting to know that these events will get bigger and better in the years to come, but this first one was truly something special that I think we all needed.“

– David Longo, CEO & Founder of Burrito Shak 

Ready to Learn More About This Opportunity?

If you are considering restaurant franchise opportunities and want to serve your community fresh food that’s “Quick, Crafted and Coastal”, take a closer look at new Burrito Shak opportunities that are now available in both North and South Carolina! 

The post <strong>Burrito Shak Hosts Inaugural Franchise Conference </strong> appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

Multi-Unit Restaurant Franchise Expansion

What’s even more exciting about the opening of this first Raleigh location, is there are very likely to be more Burrito Shaks to open within the Raleigh area in the years to come. An experienced franchise duo, two brothers who also operate the Jacksonville and Swansboro Burrito Shak franchises are opening their first of a three store multi-unit commitment in the Raleigh metro area. This quickly growing market of North Carolina is estimated by the census to have a population of more than 2,000,000 people! Our research certainly shows a large percentage of these residents will LOVE our coastal vibe, not to mention our burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, bowls and salads too!

Burrito Shak is a Fresh New Restaurant Franchise Opportunity

With 2023 likely to be one of the biggest years for brand expansion for Burrito Shak, we asked the CEO & Founder, David Longo, about this very first location to come in Raleigh. Without revealing too many confidential details about the success of the existing Burrito Shak restaurants, David did share the following:

Having truly experienced Burrito Shak multi-unit franchisees enter a market the size of Raleigh could not be more ideal for our brand. Ian and Garrett certainly understand this new market and they understand what makes our Quick, Crafted and Coastal vibe so successful in each community. We would love nothing more than to meet other experienced multi-unit restaurant franchisees in larger nearby markets like Charlotte, as well as cities in South Carolina, like Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Greenville, SC.

David Longo – CEO & Founder of Burrito Shak

Learning More About Owning a Burrito Shak Franchise

If you have been considering taking a new direction with your career or business investments in 2023, Burrito Shak is looking for awesome franchise partners to join our franchise family. While the process of becoming a Burrito Shak franchisee is fairly simple, it all starts with a visit to the About Us page at MyBurritoShak.com. After you’ve gone through the information and become stoked about our opportunities and products, send us your contact details to request our comprehensive (and complimentary) Franchise Information Kit for 2023!

The post Burrito Shak is “Opening Soon” in Raleigh, NC appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

“We are much busier than we anticipated we would be in the beginning, but that’s not a bad problem to have,” Melissa states. “Burrito Shak was completely new to this part of the country, and we are so proud and happy that Lake Havasu City embraced us like they have. I think it says a lot about an establishment when you see the same faces coming in over and over again.”

How does someone who grew up in Chicago end up opening a franchise restaurant unknown in Arizona? According to Melissa, she has always been “entrepreneurial” and wanted to open a business with her family. With the support of her mother and sister, Kathy David and Nicole Petracco who serve as managing partners with Melissa, the dream became a reality, although it was not a stretch to say the least. 

 Researching opportunities, Melissa stumbled upon the Burrito Shak website and was immediately attracted to the vibe communicated through the look and feel of not only the restaurant website, but the Tex Mex cuisine being prepared fresh to order. She immediately shared with her husband, a fellow entrepreneur who owns a construction company, who not only commented how “great”’ it looked but asked when they could go there to eat.

Melissa and her team had planned to visit North Carolina and spend some time with founders David and Kara Longo in early 2020, just prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. Because of restrictions placed on travel as a result, that trip had to be postponed several times until later in the year. When they were finally able to make it to the Carolinas, Melissa said it was extremely positive and she was thrilled the vibe portrayed through the website mirrored real life.

Although she admits she anticipated “some criticism” when they finally opened their doors to the public, due mainly to the menu as Mexican restaurants are in abundance in Arizona, she said the positivity has outweighed any of that. And while Melissa admits the traffic flow is steady and they work many long days, she says it’s far less stressful and far more energizing, signaling to her that franchising with Burrito Shak was a smart decision. 

“Community and customer service is such a big part of the success of this brand and we work hard and provide the best-possible customer service every day,” said Melissa. “A smile really does go a long way.”

According to the National Restaurant Association, approximately 30 percent of new restaurants will close their doors in the first year. For Melissa, opening a business during a time of economic uncertainty wasn’t the original intention, but she and her team are clearly defying the odds and show no signs of slowing down and said they wouldn’t be here without their customers and “amazing” staff. Moving forward, she is hoping to bring more Burrito Shaks to Arizona – and beyond.

Are you interested in bringing the Burrito Shak vibe to your local community? Request our 2023 Franchise Information Kit today to learn more about Burrito Shak franchise opportunities.

The post Lake Havasu City Burrito Shak Celebrates First Anniversary appeared first on myburritoshak.com.

That’s why the Burrito Shak franchise team took a week away from their restaurant businesses last month to attend SPRINGBOARD, an annual conference dedicated to new franchise brands eager to learn the best business practices from fellow franchisors who’ve been down this road before. While Kara, David & Chase were just three of more than 500 attendees at this event held in Philadelphia, they each came away with countless lessons and specific business strategies that will help them take Burrito Shak to the next level in the new year.

David Longo, CEO & Founder of Burrito Shak, had this to say about SPRINGBOARD after returning home to Hampstead, NC:

Attending this conference was truly inspirational to each of us – but in dramatically different ways. We each took away different things but we also made some amazing connections with franchise executives who were just so willing to share just about EVERY detail of their greatest successes and mistakes too. We look forward to attending SPRINGBOARD again and continuing to share our best successes with other emerging franchisors who are getting serious about creating great new restaurant franchise opportunities!

David Longo, CEO & Founder of Burrito Shak

Below we want to share several photos that were taken during the event. If you would like additional information on the Burrito Shak restaurant franchise, please request our 2023 franchise information kit here. If you are considering launching your own franchise and would like to know more about attending SPRINGBOARD next year, be sure to reach our to David directly via LinkedIn for his insight and suggestions!

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