Jesus Araque started I Heart Fries in October 2019 with the intent of creating a concept that could be “adaptable in any region.”
“What I needed to have in that moment was something that everybody loved and that can be adaptable in any region, any place, that can unite different cultures,” Araque said. “Behind that idea, we started working on a main thing that everybody can love or fall in love with. So we started with the French fries.”
The versatility of the potato made it easy to incorporate various cultures, like one sees in the melting pot of Miami, Araque said. I Heart Fries has one brick-and-mortar store and another located in a ghost kitchen.
The concept loads fries with toppings that match the region its named after. The Americano, for instance, has hamburger meat, American cheese, bacon and nacho cheese. The Venezolano, on the other hand, comes with shredded beef, black bean, mozzarella, sweet plantain and fried cheese.
“One of the main qualities of I Heart Fries is that we can … create different plates in different places that can be related to specific people,” Araque said.
Social media influencer, athlete and artist Dylan Gonzalez invested in the concept because “it hit home for me,” she said. Being from Iowa, Gonzalez is no stranger to fried potatoes.
“I believe in the vision. I believe in the person behind the vision, and I’m really elated to partner together,” she said. “I think that what I Heart Fries brings is innovation, authenticity, variety, diversity, community—so many incredible qualities that I really value.”
The pair teamed up to franchise I Heart Fries to expand beyond Florida and even into South America. I Heart Fries is in talks with a prospective franchisee in Chile who wants to bring the concept there.
“We’re definitely looking forward to expanding in South America, where the roots of I Heart Fries really came from,” Gonzalez said.
Franchisees, just like Gonzalez, need to share the brand’s vision, she said. A commitment to working hard is another essential trait.
The investment required to open an I Heart Fries franchise ranges from $162,000 to $262,000. The royalty fee is 6 percent of sales and marketing fees encompass 3 percent of sales.
A similar concept is Buena Papa, which tops its fries with flavors based on different cultures. Founders James and Johanna Windon got an investment from “Shark Tank” star Rober Herjavec to grow the brand.
Gonzalez is a former basketball player for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, alongside her twin sister Dakota. She’s since garnered 1.2 million Instagram followers as an athlete, musician, influencer and activist.
“I was always incredibly business minded,” she said. “I wanted to understand business, to get into business, regardless of what some of the other passions and career paths I have that may stigmatize me, as far as being an athlete or even an artist.”
Her favorite on I Heart Fries’ menu is the Italiano, topped with chicken parmesan and salad with ranch and honey mustard.
“We’re just excited to bring everything that we have,” Gonzalez said. “We’re excited to come together.”