'This is the epicentre': Why it's P.E.I. potatoes for fast-growing poutinerie

The founder of Smoke's Poutinerie will speak to the P.E.I. Potato Board Friday about why it's Island spuds for him.

Ryan Smolkin's business operatesmore than 150 poutineries across North America, and has international expansion plans for 1,300 stores by 2020. At the heart of the whole operation is millions of pounds of P.E.I. potatoes.

"This is the epicentre of it. You go to where the roots are, dude," Smolkin told CBC's Island Morning.

"Just like I get my sauces and my cheese curd from Quebec, I've got to get my potatoes from the potato capital of the world."

Smolkinowns a distributor that buys potatoes directly for the chain to ensure quality.

Smolkin has franchises in every province in Canada except, curiously, P.E.I. He said he has been wanting to establish a franchise here for some time, but is still looking for the right franchisee.

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