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The popular loaded potato fast food chain Mr Potato is opening its doors in Sydney in a matter of weeks.

The South Australian chain revealed it will be opening the Sydney store on King Street in Newtown in the next month making it the tenth outlet to open in four years. 

The store is famous for creating a modern spin on traditional baked potato as foodies have the ability to construct their loaded potato as they please or choose from a ‘pre-loaded’ menu. 

Mr Potato was ironically started by international model and high school dropout Jess Davis, 32, who spent fifteen years refusing to eat any carbs out of fear they would destroy her enviable figure. 

She started it with her boyfriend of a few weeks, Tyson, in 2018, despite the pair of them having no hospitality experience. 

Popular South Australian fast food chain Mr Potato is opening its doors in Sydney this winter - the store revealed that they have a location on King St, Newtown, set to open within the month

Popular South Australian fast food chain Mr Potato is opening its doors in Sydney this winter – the store revealed that they have a location on King St, Newtown, set to open within the month

Mr Potato was started by an international model and high school dropout who spent fifteen years refusing to eat any carbs out of fear they would destroy her enviable figure

Mr Potato was started by an international model and high school dropout who spent fifteen years refusing to eat any carbs out of fear they would destroy her enviable figure

She always thought she would finish her education once she completed modelling, but as she enters her third year in business with fiancé, Tyson Hoffmann, she admits she has no idea what she would study. 

Jess, who lives in Adelaide, was just fifteen when she dropped out of school but her lack of formal education hasn’t stood in the way of her success.

She told FEMAIL her Mr Potato stores go through a tonne and a half of spuds every week, and have been popular since opening day. 

Jess Davis, 31, dropped out of school when she was 15 to pursue a modelling career - this lead her to eating a diet free from carbs for 15 years

Jess Davis, 31, dropped out of school when she was 15 to pursue a modelling career – this lead her to eating a diet free from carbs for 15 years

Now the successful model owns her own store selling baked potatoes. She built the Mr Potato restaurant chain alongside her partner Tyson Hoffmann

Now the successful model owns her own store selling baked potatoes. She built the Mr Potato restaurant chain alongside her partner Tyson Hoffmann

‘On that first day we thought we would serve five customers, we served 100 and ran out of everything,’ she said.

‘We were a baked potato shop with no potatoes. And when we told customers we were out they just sat in the shop for an hour to wait for more.’

Jess and Tyson had no experience in the hospitality industry which made planning, fitting out, and running their own business challenging.  

‘When we were so busy so quickly we knew we needed staff and hired some in the first week, we now have over 50,’ she said. 

‘There were a lot of mistakes early on but we got through them together.’

The model said she was under the impression carbs, including potatoes, were the enemy and avoided them completely but reveals her physique is better than ever now she eats them

The model said she was under the impression carbs, including potatoes, were the enemy and avoided them completely but reveals her physique is better than ever now she eats them

The model says making mistakes and building the restaurant with Tyson one step at a time has been one of the most incredible experiences of her life. 

The couple had been dating for only weeks when Tyson came to Jess with the restaurant idea. 

‘It was a bit of a nightmare sometimes when we started but it is so funny looking back. And now we can look at this thing we built together, just Tyson and I,’ she said. 

The couple launched one store on their own 16 months ago and now run four stores and have more than 50 staff

The couple launched one store on their own 16 months ago and now run four stores and have more than 50 staff

Jess now eats baked potatoes every day and says she is making up for lost time after avoiding carbs for 15 years. 

‘I was under the impression that carbs were the enemy and that I had to avoid them or I would put on weight,’ she said.

‘But I feel better than ever and have actually lost weight since adding them to my diet, I just love them.’

In fact she believes potatoes have had a ‘bad wrap’ for over 30 years since the invention of the Atkins diet and she wants to show people they can be a key part of a healthy diet.

‘Potatoes are so good for you, they are packed full of vitamins and minerals and were once widely labelled as a superfood,’ she said.   

The couple did everything on their own at first including renovating their restaurant despite having no hospitality experience

The couple did everything on their own at first including renovating their restaurant despite having no hospitality experience

Jess believes living and working together and being able to bounce ideas off each other 24/7 has been key to their success

Jess believes living and working together and being able to bounce ideas off each other 24/7 has been key to their success

She also says being original is important when it comes to creating a successful business, and says she believes it has been key for Mr Potato. 

The model joked she hopes to see 3000 stores around the world and be able to ‘pop into a Mr Potato franchise in every country’ before she retires.

Jess is proud to be able to offer vegan options and guarantees everything in the store is gluten free. 

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Post source: Daily mail