Spud Bros Express opened its second North East branch on Tuesday, with queues round the block as crowds descended on Rainton for the launch and some travelled from miles around to be there.
The TikTok-famous brand's new shop opened at the EG On The Move services on Mercantile Road, following the success of its first branch in Tyneside.
Rapid expansion and a loyal following
The brothers behind the venture, Jacob and Harley Nelson, have seen interest in their business and their social media following skyrocket in recent years, making the rapid expansion one of the country's biggest business success stories.
Their first Spud Bros Express near Cobalt in North Tyneside opened in June, with interest peaking so much that people were queuing from 4am on opening day.
Opening day turnout
With the clocks going back in October bringing colder and darker mornings, nobody arrived quite so early for the Rainton opening. But there was still a large turnout.
The first 100 customers were offered free jacket potatoes, and people braved the cold to stand outside as the ribbon was cut at 12 noon.
Staff served up the brand's trademark spuds, including the Tram Classic, loaded with garlic butter, SpudBros' signature three-cheese mix, beans, crispy onions and world-famous Tram Sauce, and the Spudfather, topped with chilli con carne, tuna coleslaw and bolognese.
First in the queue
First in the queue was Caroline Harris, who travelled from Prudhoe to be at the front in time for the opening and was rewarded with a trolley dash around the service station.
