Milwaukee Tater Tot Company Expands Statewide

Tots on the Street products. Photo courtesy of Tots on the Street.

Milwaukee-based food truck Tots on the Street has expanded statewide, bringing its handmade tater tots to the frozen foods aisle at all Pick ’n Save and Metro Market locations across Wisconsin.

The early-January rollout added roughly 100 stores to the brand’s footprint, marking its largest retail push to date and further stretching the business whose local popularity has already tested its production capacity.

Co-founder Hannah Kopplin summed up the shift in a single word: “life-changing.”

“It was one of those crying-of-happiness moments,” said Kopplin, who runs the business with her mom, Tami. The mother-daughter team participated in a local Roundy’s pitch last year and learned in October that Tots had been selected.

The milestone pairs with a practical challenge for the team, which continues to self-manufacture its stuffed tater tots amid growing demand. “It’s hot in that kitchen,” Kopplin said. “We are literally par-baking 50-pound boxes of potatoes — 20 boxes at a time — and hand-balling all of these tots.”

The business will collaborate with a co-packer and distributor in its next chapter, though Kopplin plans to remain hands-on throughout the shift. “We want it to be the exact same quality,” she said, noting that the tots are based on a family recipe. “That’s something we’re really set on.”

Products are packaged and frozen for reheating at-home, with available flavors include Original, Sour Cream and Chive, Basil Pesto Mozzarella and Cheese Curd. All are gluten-free.

Since its 2019 inception as a mobile business, Tots has expanded to three food trucks and launched a catering arm. Now preparing for its eighth summer, guests can expect “a bunch of new specials” from the truck, which plans to make regular appearances at Bay View’s Chill on the Hill.

“I think we really know our crowd and our event style,” Kopplin said. “We’ve found a foundation of what spots we go to and figured out our system. It’s taken eight years, but it’s been fun doing it.”

With a short seasonal window for food truck operation, Kopplin saw retail as an opportunity to reach more customers while keeping the business afloat through the winter. “With wholesale, we’re able to get our product into the homes of so many more families than just our food truck can,” she said.

The brand currently retails at stores including Sendik’s Food Markets, Woodman’s Markets, Metcalfe’s Market, Piggly Wiggly and Go Grocer MKE, and is available at local businesses like Indeed Brewing Company and Lakefront Brewery. A full list of locations can be viewed online.

In tandem with its expansion, Tots on the Street has been working to contain costs. “Our goal is to offer our product at a price that we believe families can afford,” Kopplin said, adding that ramping up production has allowed the business to purchase more ingredients in bulk, making that goal more attainable. “We stay as local as we can without breaking the bank.”

Kopplin has high hopes for continued growth in the coming years, with regional expansion next on her radar. Given the taxing and often unpredictable nature of running a small business, she’s happy to have a steady team behind her.

“It’s not an easy job, but there are days that feel like, ‘Wow, we’re still having fun with this’ — and that is purely because of the people we’ve surrounded ourselves with who share this passion for our company,” Kopplin said. “It’s just such a family vibe, and it makes the hardest days, physically, a lot more fun.”

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