The First Of City-County Observer’s ‘Home Owned, Home Grown’ Feature
 By Scottie Thomas
All it took for one Evansville native was the ambition and anger from a disgruntling dispute with his neighboring business, Subway, to jettison his entrepreneur skills, vision and drive into his own business. Today, Jason Dicken is the proud Owner of Spudz-N-Stuff. His wife, Leah, is also a strong part of the business. His family also has two ‘taters’ of their own, a six year-old and a one year-old. When not at home with his family, he is a Free Mason over at The Lodge and attends ball games and sporting events for his future ‘taters’ athletes.
‘We cater your tater!’ is born, derived from Dicken’s competitive, hardworking business mentality. His drive to focus on customer service and an outstanding, top of the line product separates him from his competitors, including the counterpart to the quarrel he faced early on in life. Dicken took his Chocolate Shop and turned into a Baked Potato business over at Washington Square Mall after a suggestion from a colleague working with T.G.I. Friday’s Restaurant.
Seven months later, after that Subway shut down, he purchased their equipment. He originally told his former competitor and neighbor about his predicted success and Dicken is now living it. With revenues of nearly $2.5 million and a payroll that approaches $18,000 a week for his staff at all locations, Spudz-N-Stuff offers an amazing level of customization with their catering. They specialize in delivering remarkable loaded baked potato bars, as every guest gets a freshly baked potato to top any way that they please.
The product not only uses top of the line products (such as A1 & Kraft), creating an above normal food cost, but their variety is strong with over 40 different potatoes to offer. The menu is perfect for the carnivores, vegetarians, dairy and gluten-free, as everyone is able to create their culinary masterpiece via the custom-baked potato. Customers are honored for their support through the daily specials like ‘Free Brownie Mondays’ and The Spud Club Rewards Program. ‘If I get you in the door once, I’ll get you to come back again tomorrow,’ said Dicken about Spudz-N-Stuff.
One of his defining moments through this venture was meeting and working with his Business Coach, Glen Miller. He was able to establish the front office logistics for the company in terms of Human Resources, policies, handbooks, and more. With plans for expansion, including Newburgh, Indiana and Vincennes, Indiana, Dicken envisions Spudz-N-Stuff expanding throughout the states of Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. ‘One day, I want [Spudz-N-Stuff] to be world-wide,’ said Dicken. ‘At least in my lifetime, I would like to be nationwide.’
‘I will go to the moon and back for my guests and customers with our potatoes,’ shares Dicken. ‘I have even driven all the way out to Owensboro from Evansville to meet with an unsatisfied customer [to rectify the situation].’ With the ability of making decisions on the spot and having the ‘I Can Do’ and not the ‘I Can’t Do’ attitude, make Dicken our first ‘Home Own, Home Grown’ citizen of the county and entrepreneur of excellence.
