Meet the 2 Richland natives taking over the iconic Spudnut shop after 75 years
Mike Bishop and Ryan Pierson have a very specific goal for the day they step out of the shadow of Val Driver and take ownership of The Spudnut Shop.
That day isn’t set, but it’s coming “soon.”
“It will still be the Spudnut Shop on Day One,” said Bishop.
Driver is retiring after 53 years working in the shop that her father and uncle started in 1948. She signed the sale papers in March, shortly after its official 75th anniversary. The deal will close after financing is in place.
In the interim, Driver is training the “Richland guys,” to carry the beloved Spudnut Shop at the Uptown Shopping Center into the future.
Richland natives
The new owners are leaving corporate jobs and pledged to be owner-operators when they finally take over.
For now, they’re learning the intricacies of maneuvering in tight quarters, serving up dozens upon dozens of spudnuts each day and operating a thriving lunch grill at the Uptown Shopping Center.
“It takes two of us to fill Val’s shoes and we’re probably still coming up a little short,” Bishop said.
So, who are the new caretakers of the iconic Spudnut, seller of doughnut-esque treats made with potato flour, as well as a lunch counter?
They’re both born-and-raised Richlanders who ran in the same sports-oriented circles and walked the halls of Richland High School. Bishop graduated in 1997, Pierson in 1996.
Both have fond memories of visiting the shop as children with their families. Both want their families to keep having that same experience.
Tri-Cities roots
Bishop’s parents worked for various Hanford contractors. Pierson’s were educators. His father, Lonnie Pierson, is a Richland High Wall of Famer for his decades-long coaching career.
Bishop studied business management at Northwest College in Kirkland and returned to the Tri-Cities with his large family, including nine children, now ages 2 to 28.
“I wanted to raise my kids in the Tr-Cities,” he said.
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He is leaving his job as assistant manager at Target in Richland. Though he’s worked in retail, he has an entrepreneurial bent, starting with the lawn care business he started as a teen and continuing with a snack business, Atomic Kettle Corn, which he runs with his children.
“This guy could find a dollar anywhere,” Pierson said of his business partner.
Pierson, who has three children ages 13 to 17, is leaving a corporate job as a railroad conductor. It was a great job, but he relishes the opportunity to work for himself and with a partner with a head for business.
“For the first time in my life, I own my future,” he said.
Like Bishop, Pierson grew up roaming Richland through youth sports, dirt biking and more.
The Tri-Cities were both larger and smaller, he recalled. He seldom strayed beyond his city. The first time he drove to Pasco on his own was for his first day at Columbia Basin College.
His family didn’t go out much, but when they did, Spudnuts were a special treat.
It’s a treat he doesn’t indulge except on occasion. He’s had Type 1 Diabetes since childhood and generally resists sweets.
So while his partner’s favorite treat is a Spudnut with cake sprinkles, Pierson’s go-to pick is a hamburger from the Spudnut grill.
“This was one of the places I remember being very, very iconic,” he said.
Chance conversation
The two agreed to buy Spudnut followed a chance conversation between the Bishops and a couple they purchased a home from in Pasco.
The sellers are friends of Val Driver and became honorary grandparents to the Bishop’s younger children. One day, she mentioned that her friend was thinking about leaving Spudnut..
Bishop was intrigued and approached her, gingerly at first.
He looped in Pierson. The conversation got serious about six months ago. The two sides agreed to terms, which are undisclosed. Driver said that after decades in the business, it was time to retire.
Bishop and Pierson are financing the purchase with a combination of personal funds and a loan backed by the Small Business Administration. They’re buying the building that houses Spudnut and two neighboring businesses from the Drivers.
The decor will remain, in keeping with their commitment to keep the same vibe as authentic as possible..
They’re enjoying a long transition, saying they need time to learn the intricate operation, which includes late night and early morning bakers’ hours. Spudnut has severely limited space. Each member of the 11-person staff has a precise role to play.
The incoming owners liken it to a ballet, where everyone knows their part through constant repetition.
Getting the word out
In the longer term, there will be modest updates. The 1980s era cash register will be replaced with a point of sale system that will provide more data about sales and trends.
Driver got by with minimal advertising. Bishop and Pierson spy an opportunity to sell Spudnuts to a growing community, with newcomers who haven’t heard about the potato flour doughnuts — yet.
But the goal, they both said, is to keep it the same place that has welcomed fans for generations, the place where the same cribbage group has met on Wednesdays for decades.
“I have three 4 year olds and a 2 year old. I want them to experience the same Spudnut Shop that I grew up in,” Bishop said.
If you go: Spudnut is at 228 Williams Blvd. Hours are 4 a.m.-4 p.m.
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