Local childhood friends save Athens’ beloved Burrito Buggy

Childhood friends Eli Flournoy, left, and Jim Stricklin grin in front of the one-and-only Buritto Buggy. Photo by Madeleine Hordinksi, BSVC ’20

When news broke that Athens’ beloved Burrito Buggy was for sale, it took childhood friends Eli Flournoy, MBA ’17, and Jim Stricklin, BSED ’91, less than 48 hours to purchase it.

The new owners – Stricklin, his brother Scott, and Flournoy – grew up in the same Athens neighborhood. After graduating from Athens High School, the friends parted ways to attend college.

“At some point in all our lives, the Burrito Buggy was a part of our youth, it was part of home,” said Jim Stricklin. “If you went uptown with your family, it was a treat to get the Burrito Buggy.”

Jim Stricklin, managing partner of Strictly Casual Concepts, LLC, has been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years with his brother Scott Stricklin, opening restaurants in Athens. When the well-loved food truck came up for sale, it became a priority for the old neighborhood friends to keep the Burrito Buggy a part of the Athens community.

“It’s a terrific opportunity to invest in an iconic local brand that so many locals and alumni identify with,” he said.

Jim Stricklin often can be found working at the Burrito Buggy alongside his son, Avery.

The new managing partners own the rights to all the original recipes, licensing, branding, the buggy and the van. However, Jim Stricklin promises that everything will remain the same with one exception: he will source more ingredients from local distributors.

Shagbark Seed & Mill in Athens provides the tortilla chips and black beans, Frog Ranch Salsa in Glouster, Ohio, provides the salsa, and the King Family Farms in Albany, Ohio, provides a variety of produce for the famous burritos.

Using local ingredients is part of a greater mission for Flournoy. After a 20-year career with media giant CNN, Flournoy embraced a different career path by supporting his hometown. His MBA degree at Ohio University will be applied to further the work of his family’s foundation, the Sugar Bush Foundation, which supports environmental projects co-administered by regional partners and the University.

Flournoy speaks fondly of going to uptown Athens after school to visit his parents, one a former OHIO faculty member and one who currently serves on the faculty, and always hoping to get a treat from the Burrito Buggy.

“It’s a great gathering place,” said Flournoy. “Seeing it on the corner next to campus is a trademark. I feel emotionally connected to the Buggy.”

With more than 3,000 followers on Facebook, the new owners hope to continue carrying on the food truck’s legacy.

“For almost 40 years now, the Burrito Buggy has served Athens, and we see no reason why it shouldn’t continue,” said Jim Stricklin. “It’s touching that so many people have a fond memory and connection to the Buggy. At the end of the day, that was the motivation to buy it. We owed it to the city of Athens.”