Coast to Coast...Alaska to Mexico

 

Al and Bob Pelton of San Francisco, working as an appliance salesman and drug store clerk, respectively, had experienced potato-based doughnuts in Germany and they tried a number of things before creating a dry potato mix that worked and made it possible to franchise the concept. They coined the word "Spudnut" and went into business in 1940 in Salt Lake City. By 1946, the company began establishing a nationwide chain of Spudnut Shops. Over 300  sprung up across the USA and were advertised widely with the slogan "Coast to coast...Alaska to Mexico." Their cartoon character "Mr. Spudnut" frequently appeared in advertisements, coffee mugs, and even in parades. When the brothers retired and sold their company in 1968, as is often the case with multiple company buyouts, things went downhill from there. The final owner, Dakota Bake N Serve, sold all of their stock to a promoter in exchange for tax-free bond notes that proved worthless. When the promoter was convicted on several charges of fraud and conspiracy in 1979, it was the end of the Spudnuts chain. Spudnuts have not disappeared completely though the original recipe no longer exists. Quality can vary depending on location.