California Couple Sold Burritos Outside Home Depot — Now They Make $2.3M A Year

A breakfast burrito stand that started inside a 200-square-foot shed at a Home Depot parking lot in Southern California brought in $2.3 million (£1.7 million) in combined sales across two locations in 2025, according to documents reviewed by CNBC.

The business, LJ's Lil' Cafe, is run by Lydia Holmes, 36, and John Clarke, 33. The original shed in Cypress, California, opened in September 2021. A second brick-and-mortar site in Orange, California, followed in July 2025.

The Cypress shed brought in just over $1 million (£740,000) in gross sales last year. The Orange storefront added nearly $1.3 million (£960,000) after opening mid-year. The two locations employ 29 people, with labour and food costs accounting for the largest share of expenses, CNBC wrote.

Holmes and Clarke met in 2012 while working at a Seasons 52 restaurant in Costa Mesa, California. Neither had formal culinary training. They spent years recreating dishes from restaurants they visited before buying the shed when it came up for sale at the Home Depot site. Holmes's two younger brothers were the first employees.

The Cypress shed at 5800 Lincoln Ave is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours and a Monday closure. The Orange storefront at 3070 W. Chapman Ave opens at 6:30 a.m. seven days a week and includes an indoor dining area and a coffee bar, according to LJ's Lil' Cafe.

Eater Review Turned LJ's Lil' Cafe Into a Viral Sensation

The cafe's top seller is the OG breakfast burrito, built around 25 'extra crispy' tater tots and roughly a cup of a Monterey Jack and cheddar blend. It launched at around $8.75 (£6.50) and now sells for $15.99 (£11.80) after rising egg and meat costs forced a price increase. Spicy and vegetarian versions have since been added.

The first menu featured burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs. Sales were slow. Holmes and Clarke narrowed the offering to breakfast burritos after noticing what customers actually came back for.

In 2022, a freelance writer tried the OG burrito, then published a review in Eater's Los Angeles vertical. Clarke told CNBC that coverage prompted a queue at the shed the following morning and the cafe hit its first $1,000 (£740) sales day almost immediately. At one stage, customers waited two to three hours for a single burrito.

LJ's Lil' Cafe Owners Plan Third Location

After two years running the operation as a family, one of the couple's two sons developed health issues that required regular hospital visits. Holmes and Clarke hired Joy Wilson as general manager in October 2023. Wilson had previously worked at Chick-fil-A and Sessions West Coast Deli. Sales rose 30% in her first year, the company said.

In April 2025, Holmes and Clarke bought a storefront in Orange for $148,000 (£110,000), funded through a loan Holmes's grandparents helped secure. The site opened three months later as the brand's first full-service restaurant, with a formal grand opening on 21 November 2025. It carries the same burritos as the Cypress shed, alongside a coffee bar and a short lunch menu.

The Orange location uses handmade tortillas and Portuguese Hawaiian sausage from local suppliers. House-made sauces include a Creamy Cilantro Crema and a Spicy Habanero option.

Holmes manages payroll, human resources and social media. Clarke handles vendors, equipment and bills. The couple have two boys, Jack and Liam.

A third LJ's Lil' Cafe is planned for Cypress to cut wait times at the original Home Depot shed. No opening date has been announced. Holmes told CNBC the scale of the business only registered for her about six months after the Orange site opened, while she was driving to work.

'This is it,' she recalled thinking. Neither she nor Clarke had any business background when they started. 'If we could do it, anyone can do it,' Holmes said.