Brandon and Kari started dreaming about creating a burrito restaurant after several years of craving a more natural diet and lifestyle. For years, burrito restaurants were one of the only places they could go when trying to avoid all the excess carbs, preservatives, and unhealthy fats that come with eating on the go. When the couple finally tired of hearing the rumors that a Chipotle or Moe’s or a Qdoba was coming to Searcy they decided to take a leap of faith and go for it!

Brandon had a lot of restaurant experience having worked in a variety of restaurants since his first job at Papa John’s Pizza as a sixteen-year-old. Kari also had restaurant and catering experience and had cultivated a love for cooking and baking over the years.

The goal from the beginning was to make everything in house and source as many ingredients as possible from local farms. While local sourcing is challenging and not as cost effective as buying pre-made food and getting every item from a big food provider it was a non-negotiable for them, and they have always made everything in house and they have been able to source more of their ingredients locally each year.

The majority of the restaurant work was done by the couple little by little as they could afford it. It took over two years to renovate the downtown building they bought and lived in as their primary home. They had no capital to start with and relied on unsecured bank loans, maxed out credit cards and small loans from friends to finish out the restaurant, buy secondhand equipment and order their initial inventory.

Burrito Day officially opened its doors in August of 2015 and has grown steadily ever since. The couple was able to move out of the restaurant building in 2017 and maximize their dining area, and they have also expanded their business model to include “Day Pops” their gourmet house-made popsicles and catering for lunch and dinner!

Brandon and Kari are forever indebted to the countless people who believed in them and to the wonderful community of Searcy for supporting them year after year! Burrito Day is special because this community is special!