Jacksonville, FL (November 19, 2022) – Council Member Danny Becton was on hand to help join in to cut the ribbon on District 11’s newest and most unique small business, Mr. Potato Spread. Founded by Lakita and Aaron Spann in 2014, this new location and their first franchise comes after many years as a food truck business and operating their first location at Regency Square Mall, which closed back in April 2022 because of the mall’s decline. Now located at 7159 Philips Hwy, Ste 2, Jacksonville, FL 32256, this location becomes their first franchised location, operated by Randall Coursey and his wife Shinika, and is open from 10:30am to 9:00pm Monday through Saturday.
Founded in 2014, Mr. Potato Spread began as a food truck service after the desire of Lakita and Aaron to also spend more time with their three children, as well as, to share their passion of service. After some research on their part, they settled on the idea of marketing baked potatoes as they felt potatoes were extremely underrated and underutilized. Their first finished product, The Crab Pot, became their staple dish and since then they have expanded their menu offering creating several different baked potato combinations. After years of traveling around in their food truck serving employees of various Duval County businesses, in 2019, they opened their first physical location in the Regency Square Mall. That location stayed open until a few months ago, when the owners decided to move out of the mall into a more centralized location in Jacksonville. After some searching around and consultation, they settled on their new location at JTB and Philips Hwy for its proximity to I-95 and I-295, traffic volumes, and visibility.
Mrs. Spann, during the ribbon cutting ceremony, stated “we are truly honored and very thankful to have our first franchise opening here in this wonderful location off Philips Hwy and JTB. We are very grateful for this location! We initially thought to be in Riverside, but after finding this location, we felt this would be the perfect spot to expand out footprint in Jacksonville,” Mrs. Spann acknowledged. Mr. Coursey, operator of the newest franchise expansion, said, “I am so thrilled to be carrying on the Mr. Potato Spread name at this new location! It is a growing brand with a unique market, and I look forward to serving many customers in this location for years to come,” Mr. Coursey stated.
Prior to cutting the ribbon, Council Member Becton stated the follow:
“As the Council Member for District 11, I would like to welcome everyone here today on this very special occasion. It is always exciting when we have a new small business, like Mr. Potato Spread, who sees Jacksonville and the opportunity to serve our residents, create new customers, and expand their business opportunity right here in District 11. It is the confidence and the creation of jobs in our city that I first get excited about.
What is equally exciting is that Mr. Potato Spread is now expanding from their Food Truck to now having a permanent brick-and-mortar location in our city. For Jacksonville and our area, this means more jobs that bring new neighbors to our communities and new food options for our residents. To also see your unique offerings or your Potato creations makes you a winner in my book.
In closing, on behalf of the entire Jacksonville City Council and the residents of District 11, I want to personally welcome Mr. Potato Spread to our neighborhood and wish you, your family and team great success!”
Another location is planned to open in the River City Marketplace on the Northside sometime within the next few months, with more locations planned in and outside of Florida in the coming months and years.
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