I’m Allen Peck Jr., founder and President of the Potato Coop. This is my story.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
I was born and raised in the small town of Duncannon just outside of Harrisburg, PA and graduated from Susquenita High School. Perry County is a blue-collar area with hard working, but financially struggling families. I wanted to do something with my life that would put me in a position to provide better opportunities for my family, friends, and community.
I wasn’t a highly motivated student, and it didn’t seem like college was affordable. When I looked around, it was the people who built businesses who seemed to have life figured out. I started studying successful people and reading every book they recommended. It wasn’t long until I had a notebook full of business ideas and the path to success seemed to be illuminated.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
My grand idea was flavored fresh cut fries. While I had a ton of business ideas, I moved forward with fries for one main reason: "I never met anyone who doesn’t like fries!" I started researching how to make the PERFECT crispy fresh cut fries. Luckily, I had plenty of family and friends who were up for the task of taste testing. After trial and error, I came up with a recipe that people LOVE. So after high school, I got busy writing a business plan.
I purchased a brand new trailer, and with the help of my father and grandfather, we constructed it to serve fresh cut fries and hit the streets of Harrisburg, PA. It wasn’t much longer until our famous loaded fries were added to the menu. As the Potato Coop’s popularity grew, I was able to upgrade to a full-service food truck where we could serve an even larger menu. That led to opportunities to cater weddings, business lunches, private parties and much more.
With explosive growth, we outgrew our warehouse and opened our first restaurant, not only to give our customers a place where they can always find us, but to act as a base of operations for the food truck.
THE BIG PICTURE
The goal has always been to create a duplicatable business system that can be franchised to empower other entrepreneurs to create passive income and live the life they truly desire. The plan is to systematically open new restaurants and food trucks from coast to coast. We are executing on it by perfecting our processes and procedures, developing a team of core employees and selling a TON of fries.
I thought it would take a fraction of the time it took to accomplish what we have. Just because my path to success was illuminated doesn’t mean it wasn’t rocky. The key to staying motivated is having a crystal clear big picture and to keep pushing forward. This isn’t the end of the story, but a continued journey. More Potato Coop restaurants and food trucks across America, and franchise opportunities for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
P.S. I still haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like fries!
