Randall Coursey is stepping into a new business world as he opens the first franchise of Mr. Potato Spread in Jacksonville.
For Coursey, it’s a departure from a career in corporate America.
The 45-year-old Coursey left a senior project manager position at the Landis+Gyr energy management firm in Jacksonville to open a restaurant.
“I just became a fan of their food,” Coursey said of Mr. Potato Spread.
“Then one day, I was scrolling through social media, they posted they were looking for franchisee opportunities. I jumped on it pretty quick,” he said.
Mr. Potato Spread has generated media coverage as a company that started out as a catering service and then a food truck service that treated potatoes as if they’re sandwich buns.
The specialty is to load the spuds with fixings well beyond sour cream and bacon pieces.
Everything from Philly cheesesteaks to chicken to seafood to vegetable specialties along with many other “foodie” options are loaded into the potatoes. Mr. Potato Spread also offers french fries and Tater Tots.
In 2014, Jacksonville couple Lakita and Aaron Spann started Mr. Potato Spread, which now has physical locations at the Regency Square and Orange Park malls and soon, River City Marketplace.
Coursey said Coursey Holdings Inc. is the franchise owner. His wife, Shinika Summeries, is the vice president of the company.
Coursey is revamping a 1,500-square-foot location at 7159 Philips Highway, Suite 102, that should open soon near the intersection with Butler Boulevard. It is between Jimmy John’s and Sushi Factory in the Golden Oaks at Butler Point center.
Coursey declined to disclose the franchise fee with the Spanns.
“They interviewed me about why I wanted to get into it. They’re very particular about who they wanted to be a franchisee for them because this is their baby. They want to make sure their brand is represented well,” Coursey said.
He said leaving the corporate world after a 19-year career is a leap of faith, but he said he is sold on Mr. Potato Spread.
“It was an opportunity for me to be my own boss. I worked in the corporate world for so long. I wanted to take a chance on me,” Coursey said.
“I wanted to build generational wealth for my children and my children’s children.”
Coursey said the first will be a start and there may be more.
“I studied a lot of corporate culture and watched a lot of the leaders and the decisions they would make,” he said.
Quintin Williams, logistics and distribution manager for North American operations for Landis+Gyr, worked with Coursey for 16 years.
“I’m not surprised Randall has decided to do something on his own. He’s always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Williams said.
Williams, who said he is a little hesitant about the restaurant business and industry, thinks that if anyone can pull it off, it would be Coursey.
“I think he’s going to be extremely successful,” Williams said.
“He’s a people person with charisma to make you feel comfortable as a customer. And his business acumen is second to none.”
Coursey has a Master of Business Administration degree from Louisiana State University Shreveport.
He is convinced he is ready for the challenges.
“I think the biggest challenge is choosing the right location and finding a location that’s a fit for your product. It took me a little while to find the right spot,” Coursey said.
“That’s how we came up with the Philips Highway location.”
Coursey considers his venture into the restaurant business as a continuing education in entrepreneurship.
He probably will hire three or four employees while he and his wife work there full time.
Coursey used his own money to pay for the franchise venture.
“I’m 100% confident. I’m not nervous. You hear, ‘Scared money doesn’t make money,’” Coursey said.
“I didn’t want to be thinking about this five to 10 years later and watching another franchise flourish and say, ‘Man, I should have taken that chance.’”
