Zagreb Goes Wild for SpudBud’s British-Style Stuffed Potatoes

After being a big hit for months at PLACe Market, where long lines formed for their stuffed potatoes, SpudBud Zagreb by Hrvoje Drahotusky, opened its doors on Monday, September 8, at a permanent location at Bogovićeva 4 in Zagreb.

The interest exceeded all expectations—hundreds of people formed a line that stretched all the way to Ilica. At the opening was Ben Newman himself, better known as The Spudman, a global sensation from the United Kingdom who traveled exclusively to support Drahotusky.

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Let us remind you, Drahotusky spent some time learning and collaborating with Newman at his famous stand in Tamworth, which became world-famous thanks to TikTok, where he has more than 4.2 million followers. Newman then promised to visit Zagreb for the opening, and this is also his first business visit outside the United Kingdom, confirming their close cooperation. At the opening itself, Newman and Drahotusky served the first guests together, and Spudman broadcast the event live to thousands of his followers.

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The restaurant is located at the site of the former Poke Poke, and offers a concept based on the British street food classic jacket potato—a large potato baked in its skin until crispy. To ensure quality, Drahotusky sources potatoes from a small farm in Međimurje that calibrates them specifically for his place, and the goal is for every finished dish with filling to weigh over half a kilogram.

In the new restaurant, they will serve exactly the stuffed potatoes that made them famous, and the current offer consists of four dishes: Cheese & Beans for 9 euros, BBQ Pulled Pork for 10 euros, Chilli Con Carne for 11 euros, and Pulled Chicken for 12 euros. Each dish can be further ‘boosted‘ with coleslaw salad. Drahotusky announced that in the future he plans to expand the offer with weekly specialties and desserts.

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During their stay, Ben Newman and Hrvoje Drahotusky plan to visit other restaurants in Zagreb as well, and their activities can be followed on their social media. Time will tell whether this concept will be sustained in the long run on the Zagreb scene, but judging by the euphoria that has followed Hrvoje and his team from the very beginning and the lines seen at festival appearances and the opening, the future of the place looks very promising.