Spuds Your Way, known in the New Haven area simply as “Spuds,” is one of Hamden’s favorite local restaurants and the undisputed favorite food truck champion at nearby Quinnipiac University. Although founded in 2013, Spuds’ origins date back years ago to Springfield, MA where Spuds founder Jared Cohen (a Hamden native), and his father would visit The Big E every year.
“We go to The Big E every year and we’d always wait in the baked potato line,” Cohen said. “My dad is always thinking outside the box, and about 10 years ago he pitched Spuds to me, so I bid on our truck and went for it.”
Since its founding, Spuds has grown beyond its food truck, with the business expanding into its current building on Whitney Ave in 2019. Their food truck is still alive and well today, and stays busy by catering to events in the area like Hamden Fest, the town’s annual business expo and festival, which was held last month on June 11th. Spud’s truck also frequents local universities, where long lines are formed for their baked potatoes regardless of the weather.
“That's one of the reasons why I bid on the building that we have,” Cohen said, “We used to bring the truck onto campus all the time and it just seemed like a good fit. It's been working out well so far.”
Like most restaurants, Spuds initially struggled at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with catered events being canceled. Despite this, Cohen’s recent move into their storefront allowed his business to take advantage of the high demand for takeout throughout the last few years. Since then business has been steady, and Spud’s small team is kept busy with the restaurant's popularity with locals.
While known for their unique baked potatoes, Spuds also offers a wider range of foods, like burgers, hotdogs, quesadillas, wraps and more being available for order.
Not sure what to get? Cohen’s favorite is impossible to pass up on: “I personally like the Barbeque Chicken Supreme Big Potato. It’s awesome. You get a little bit of sweet with the heat, so it works out well.”