Spiced side hustle gives this Kansas culinary teacher a kick (and a growing market)

Richard Wilks is bringing heat to Kansas’ food scene. A chef and community-builder at heart, Wilks created Burro, a line of chili and garlic crunch oils, sauces, and seasonings designed to fuel real connection around the table. 

His growing lineup can be spotted at the Overland Park Farmers Market, where loyal customers keep coming back for the bold flavor of his condiments with globally inspired ingredients, from Korea to Mexico.

“For me, it’s the community,” Wilks said. “My brain is built in a way that I can see a pile of ingredients, deconstruct them, add them together, and feed people to create a smile.”

Burro wasn’t created with just spice in mind, he said. Each product reflects Wilks’ belief that real food should be made with care and transparency, with no chemicals or additives. 

Fine dining to flavor bombs

Wilks grew up in Eudora, Kansas, where hospitality was a family affair. He helped out in his parents’ coffee shop and was already grilling at a local restaurant by the time he was 14. 

Burro’s Kick Ass BBQ Rub in action; courtesy photo

Though he went on to study hospitality management at Kansas State University with plans to run hotels, his passion for cooking proved stronger.

After college, he worked as a chef for Hillstone Restaurant Group in Palm Beach Island, then moved to Denver, where he shifted into pastry and began teaching after-school cooking lessons to kindergartners.

“I’ve tried to start several small businesses,” he said. “I’ve always had a job that helped me grow the side hustle.”

In 2021, Wilks moved back home to Kansas during the pandemic and was working as executive chef at Whole Harvest, a former plant-based meal delivery company, when the idea for Burro began to take shape. 

“Whole food, plant-based, low sodium, no oil, no meat, no gluten, very restrictive,” he said. “But it challenged me in a good way.”

At the time, he and his brother-in-law, Connor, were also brainstorming side hustles.

“We were both handy. So we started talking about flipping vintage campers into drink carts for weddings. That didn’t stick,” said Wilks.

But something else did. Wilks had been quietly perfecting a chili oil recipe at home.

“I started taking it to football watch parties, dinner parties, and every time I brought it, people were like, ‘What are you gonna do with this? This is fantastic,’” he recalled. “So eventually, I was like, alright, let’s make this a real thing.”

Richard Wilks’ line of Burro spiced products; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Camper, crunch, and the right kind of heat

That momentum led to Burro’s first release, his Kick Ass Chili Crunch, made with chili peppers, onion, garlic, sesame seeds, and chopped dates packed in 100 percent olive oil. The condiment has Mexican flavors inspired by Wilks’ stepdad’s culture and cooking, and Korean spice from the gochujang.

He offers tips for how to eat the signature crunch oil.

Burro’s sauce products; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“Toss your wings in it, put it in ramen, mix it into cream cheese for a spread, throw it into mayo as a spicy aioli,” he said. “My favorite way is with white rice. Straight up. Maybe a little kimchi.”

His Campfire Sauce is a medium-heat, sweet and smoky vinegar-based sauce.

“It has a little bit of warmth on the back end,” Wilks said. “Very approachable sauce for someone just getting into spice.”

The sauce is a hit with his favorite critics, his nieces and nephews.

“I can’t keep it in with my family. I have to keep it in the commissary kitchen or it’s gone,” Wilks said with a laugh.

Other popular products include the Kick Ass Agave, a sweet-spicy habanero sauce made with 100 percent organic agave.

“It’s like a spicy molasses,” he said. “Great in a summer cocktail or on vanilla ice cream.”

And then there’s his Kick Ass Garlic Crunch, a garlic-forward, Italian-inspired option with no heat.

A cocktail featuring Burro’s spices; courtesy photo

Real food, no shortcuts

In 2015, Wilks challenged himself to go vegetarian.

“I fell in love with how it made me feel,” he said. “And it made me start treating vegetables like the star, not just the side dish.”

That mindset shaped Burro’s ingredient choices.

“We don’t use any blended oils, canola oil, or vegetable oil,” he said.

Burro’s everything seasoning is a reflection of this clean eating with its transparent ingredients. 

“Very low sodium, no oils, no fats, gluten-free, vegan,” Wilks said.

Wilks is equally passionate about food education, especially for youth, he said.

He recently began work as the new culinary arts instructor at Gardner Edgerton High School.

“I want to teach young chefs how to succeed, or at the very least, how to cook themselves a French omelet,” he said. “And also just help people understand the impact of what we eat.” 

Richard Wilks with his Burro camper and product display at the Overland Park Farmers Market; courtesy photo

Feeding people, fueling purpose

While Burro currently sells at the Overland Park Farmers Market part-time, Wilks has big dreams for the brand’s future.

“We definitely want to get into more small, local groceries, like Nature’s Own or Billie’s Grocery,” he said. “Eventually, of course, the long-term dream is Whole Foods.”

For now, he’s still the sole producer, but eyeing co-packing options and envisioning the condiment brand scaling to the point of exit.

“I love the business, but the goal is to grow it into something bigger,” said Wilks, “Something that continues to bring people together through food.”

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