Virtual Dining Concepts acquires Man Vs. Fries

Virtual Dining Concepts announced Monday the acquisition of the William Bonhorst-owned, Instagram-famous concept, Man Vs. Fries. Delivery-forward restaurant brand company VDC is known for its investments in modern, viral food companies like MrBeast Burger and Buddy V’s Cake Slice, and most recently — Creators Kitchen As Seen on TikTok, which lets users order popular recipes as soon on the social media app.

Man Vs. Fries has officially been under the VDC umbrella for three months now, and in that timeframe, has nearly tripled its store presence to 130 locations in 49 cities nationally. The brand, owned by Black entrepreneur, William Bonhorst, is known for its fries-centric comfort food with approachable branding, like the “hella crisp” carne asada fries, the “Hella-Dilla” quesadilla, and the Cowgirl Burrito dripping in melted cheese and barbecue sauce. 

"We look for concepts that are already working," Robbie Earl, president and cofounder of VDC, told Nation's Restaurant News. "Man vs Fries had already proved it was a viable concept. There are not many other success stories outside of VDC in the virtual brand space. Man vs Fries is one of the very rare exceptions."

Following the acquisition, VDC immediately expanded the sphere of distribution for Man Vs. Fries by adding several menu items to in-house pop-up dining experiences at VDC partners like On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, UBERRITO Fresh Mex, and Tortuga Mexican Kitchen.

“Man vs Fries has a cult following and a robust presence in the foodie scene,” Bonhorst said in a statement. “I’m eager to watch Virtual Dining Concepts’ team leverage their experience to introduce our brand to new partners worldwide. I am excited for the future and the new culinary experiences this venture will bring to our fans!”

With this new partnership, the goal is to expand the Man Vs. Fries brand to 1,500 stores by the end of the year and is on track to achieve $50 million in sales in 2024 alone. VDC will handle the brand’s operations and business development, though Bonhorst will remain on board to support the brand’s culture.

“William Bonhorst has done an incredible job with the Man vs Fries brand, as it’s truly one of the standouts in the digital food service space with a loyal following and global reach,” Earl said in a statement. “We’re excited to take this brand to the next level, attracting new audiences across the nation and around the world.”

Contact Joanna at [email protected]