Kara and Larry Mannion, owners of Spud Fish and Chips, told the City of Kirkland podcast July 24 that the restaurant chain has deep regional roots and that the Kirkland location traces to a 1969 franchise. On the show they described new menu items, civic partnerships and an artist‑led mural that involved hundreds of community volunteers.
"Spud's been around since 1935," Kara Mannion said, summarizing the brand's origin on Alki and the later franchise that opened in Kirkland in 1969. The Mannions said they have owned the Kirkland store for about 18 years and opened a second location — Baby Spud in Edmonds — about ten years ago.
The owners described recent menu experiments developed during in‑shop "test kitchen" sessions. They said their new burger is battered in the restaurant's signature batter, breaded in panko and deep‑fried so it finishes with a katsu‑style crunch; it is served on a bun with tomato, lettuce, pickles and the restaurant’s "campfire" sauce. They also introduced a single‑flavor vanilla soft‑serve and a thicker "spud spinner" shake option. As a podcast promotion, the Mannions offered a free soft‑serve cone to each of the first 20 listeners who mention the episode.
The Mannions described Spud’s local community role: recent sponsorship of Kirkland Little League, partnerships with the Kirkland Community Foundation (including beach sand projects and branded beach balls), and volunteering at neighborhood events such as a children’s concert at Juanita Beach. They also described a large mural project in Kirkland: a now‑young muralist who first contributed a small turtle painting later led a mural where more than 300 community volunteers signed up in hour‑long shifts to paint.
The Mannions emphasized continuity and local staffing: several employees return as "Spud alum," family members worked during COVID, and the owners highlighted staff‑training processes and an employee manual. They noted the ice‑cream machine represented a capital investment and that the soft‑serve is currently offered as a single vanilla flavor.
The podcast did not discuss pricing, licensing, or other regulatory items; the Mannions did not announce new locations beyond Edmonds and Kirkland. For customers, the owners encouraged listeners to visit the Kirkland location and check social channels for promotions and hours.