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Spudulike

Spudulike Ltd was a British restaurant chain and franchise specialising in baked potatoes (potatoes being known as "spuds" in colloquial British English) that traded from 1974 to 2024. Spudulike sold baked potatoes with various fillings, other potato-based meals, and side dishes.[1][2]

Spudulike Ltd was founded in 1974 in Edinburgh.[3] The company was acquired by the British School of Motoring (BSM) in 1979,[4] which helped Spudulike to rapidly expand its business as a franchise operation. It later demerged from BSM, and in May 2001, it bought Courts Quality Foods, owner of rival potato brand Fat Jackets.[5] Spudulike had fifty outlets across the United Kingdom in 2001, including twenty Courts franchises.[4]

The company entered into a company voluntary arrangement in July 2019, in an attempt to restructure its debt,[6] then on 1 August filed for administration, with all 37 remaining outlets closed.[7] Potato firm Albert Bartlett acquired a number of Spudulike outlets in September 2019, and reopened them in October 2019 with an updated menu.[8][9] In October 2021, TV chef James Martin worked with Albert Bartlett to launch an updated Spudulike menu.[10] The 'Spudulike by James Martin' stores were closed in 2024 as the company found they could not make them viable.

External links

References

  1. S.B. Martin. Worldwide Franchise Directory Gale Research, 1991, retrieved December 26, 2017^
  2. Joanna Fantozzi. 23 fast food chains from around the world that we wish would come to the United States Insider, July 28, 2017, retrieved December 26, 2017^
  3. Story spudulike.com^
  4. Wootliff, Benjamin. Baked potato chain fattens up The Telegraph, 29 May 2001, retrieved 23 October 2016^
  5. Spudulike buys Fat Jackets The Caterer, 30 May 2001, retrieved 23 October 2016^
  6. Spudulike asks landlords for rent cuts in rescue restructuring The Guardian, 6 July 2019^
  7. Spudulike closes all 37 outlets as high street downturn continues The Guardian, 4 August 2019^
  8. Spudulike Spudulike, retrieved 2019-09-26^
  9. Jak Ball. Spudulike stores reopen two months after administration PlymouthLive, October 7, 2019^
  10. SpudULike spudulikebyjamesmartin.com, retrieved 8 July 2023^