Who’s Who: David Longo, Owner and Founder, Burrito Shak

Who’s Who of Wilmington Today: Meet David Longo, Owner and Founder, Burrito Shak

After 23+ years in the restaurant industry, chef and entrepreneur David Longo wanted to use his skills and experience to create a casual, family-friendly restaurant concept that offered delicious, flavorful options quickly. He and his wife, Kara, opened Burrito Shak in Hampstead, and it quickly became a hometown favorite. Expanding the business to offer franchises, Burrito Shak’s high-quality, fresh-Mex cuisine can now be enjoyed in Wilmington, Surf City, Swansboro, Jacksonville, Cary and Arizona.

WT: Where are you from?

Longo: I was born in Wilmington and grew up in the Topsail area.

WT: What is your favorite part about living in the area?

Longo: My favorite parts about living in the area are the weather and the community-oriented environment.

WT: What are three words that describe you?

Longo: Hard-working, passionate and humorous

WT: What is your average workday like?

Longo: My average workday begins around 5:30 am, checking emails and organizing the day. From 7 to 9 am I ensure the Hampstead location is on the right track for the day and helping as needed. From 9 am to 5 pm I work on anything our franchisees need help with, develop the franchise side of Burrito Shak and work on projects to improve the franchise system.

WT: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Longo: I enjoy the value of seeing everyone’s hard work come together and give great food and service to customers who come to Burrito Shak.

WT: What is the most difficult part of your job?

Longo: The most difficult part of the job is the hours that go into running a restaurant and a franchise company.

WT: What has working at Burrito Shak done for you?

Longo: Building Burrito Shak has shown my three kids what it’s like to sacrifice and work hard and what it takes sometimes to achieve your goals.

WT: Do you have any goals in your job and what will you do to achieve them?
Our goals for Burrito Shak are to continue to grow the franchise company. We plan to continue to grow at a pace that offers great support to our franchise partners.

Fun Facts

Favorite movie: Joe Dirt, it’s just a classic

If you could have a superpower: I’d slow down time

Favorite song: Anything playing on the boat

Pet peeve: Laziness

Favorite Quote: Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

Learn more about Burrito Shak at burritoshak.com