Where Have All The Spudnuts Gone?

   Leafing through an old copy of Mechanics Illustrated (April, 1952) and oh happy day, I chance across an article on the brothers Pelton (Al & Bob, shown above), creators of the Spudnut, and the Spudnut pastry shops.

   It always amazes me when I discover something that once existed on a fairly large scale that I've never heard of. Spudnuts (basically donuts made from potatoes) were sold in Spudnut shops worldwide (at one time there were 170 Spudnut shops in Japan alone). From extremely humble beginnings in 1940 in Salt Lake City, Utah, by 1968 it was the largest doughnut franchise (of any kind) in the United States.

   After doing some extensive research (read: 10 minutes on Google) I discovered that Spudnuts had a good 30+ year run. The slip in popularity began in 1968, when Al Pelton sold the Spudnut company to National Oven Products, Inc.

   Al had bought out brother Bob some years prior (Bob took that money and invested in Blue Ice, you know, those freezable gel packs that are handy-dandy for keeping things you want cold, cold). 

   When Al decided to retire and sold Spudnuts, he thought he was leaving the chain in good hands. However, the company he sold to soon turned around and resold Spudnuts to another company, Dakota Bake-N-Serve, who then proceeded to make some bad investments (and only wanted Spudnuts for it's infrastructure anyway, not the Spudnut product) and when that company went under, it was pretty much all she wrote for the Spudnuts empire.

    There are a still a few places that sell Spudnuts open - 37 at last count. The trademark to the name (at least for the U.S.) is now jointly owned by two businessmen, Mike Patton and Douglas Bagley, who also supply Spudnut mix to the remaining shops that sell Spudnuts. 

   Heck, Mr Bagley will even help you get set up in a Spudnuts shop of your own if you're interested (douglas_bagley@yahoo.com / (801)-328-4796)

   BTW, the idea for Spudnuts came to AL & Bob after eating delicious potato-based doughnuts in Germany (Bob served as a baker for the U.S. Navy, and was able to procure a recipe for those delicious potato treats).

   If you're interested in more Spudnut information check out spudnutinfo.com or SpudnutsMuseum@aol.com

  You can even find locations where Spudnuts can still be purchased (nearest one to me appears to be Johnny O's Spudnuts in Farmington, New Mexico - almost an 800 mile roundtrip...wonder if they deliver).

   There was a closer place, Red's Dogs and Doughnuts in Greeley, but that place closed at the end of 2019.