Downey's Potato Chips

Downey's Potato Chips Handcrafted, Michigan-made potato chips since 1984.

09/25/2026

Hear us out... 👀🥔

Every batch, we meticulously hand-sort the chips that don’t make our cut — the extra-dark ones, the extra-oily ones, the ones that made it a little further than they should have. Out they go.

…except the last time we showed you this, a lot of you said the same thing: “wait, those are my FAVORITE, don’t you dare throw those out.” 😅

We did NOT see that coming. But we heard you loud and clear. 👇💛 So now we’re building our case to the boss — and honestly, your comments are Exhibit A. Tell us: which of these does it break your heart to watch get tossed?

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09/25/2026

Not just any potato makes a Downey’s chip. 💭

A chipping potato is a white, round potato grown for exactly one job — becoming a chip — and producers like us are almost annoyingly picky about them. A few of the things we look for:

🥔 The right size & shape: the sneaky big one. A chip can be as wide as the potato it came from so each one has to be nicely round and just the right size to fit into a bag during packaging. (Yes, we really think about this this much.)

🥔 Low sugar = golden color. Under frying heat, a potato’s sugars react with its own proteins and turn brown; the same Maillard reaction that darkens toast and sears a steak. More sugar means darker chips. Low-sugar potatoes barely have the fuel for it, so they fry up bright and golden instead.

🥔 High solids, low moisture = crispy, not oily. A potato is mostly water and frying works by boiling that water out. As the water leaves, oil moves in to take its place — so a watery potato basically drinks up more oil. Less water to begin with means less oil is absorbed, a crispier chip is created and we get more actual chip per potato. Better batch, less oil.

We’re proud to source from Walther Farms: a third-generation, family-owned business out of Three Rivers, Michigan. Turns out the perfect chip starts long before it ever hits our fryer. 💚

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Facility tours? Let’s talk about it. 👇We get a lot of questions around here and this is one we see more than almost any ...
09/18/2026

Facility tours? Let’s talk about it. 👇

We get a lot of questions around here and this is one we see more than almost any other. So we wanted to answer it honestly and openly because that’s just how we like to do things.

Swipe through for our answer and drop any other questions you have for us in the comments below. We read every single one and we’re always happy to share what goes on behind these doors!

Drop down in the comments below if you’re curious about facility tours and behind the scenes of our work here at Downey’s and we will see what we can do. 💛

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Barbeque chips done the Downey’s way means you can still taste the potato underneath the seasoning 🔥🥔Ours is sweet, a li...
09/16/2026

Barbeque chips done the Downey’s way means you can still taste the potato underneath the seasoning 🔥🥔

Ours is sweet, a little smoky, with a tiny kick — but balanced enough that the actual taste of the potato still comes through. That’s the hard part but we believe it’s actually the whole point.

If you’re a BBQ chip person, this one’s for you. If you’re not sure you are yet — consider this the nudge. 👉

Grab a bag: store locator in bio, or come straight to the source at the Waterford storefront.

📍 4709 Highland Rd, Waterford Township, MI · Mon–Fri 11AM–4PM

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Snack Hack: Sweet and Salty S’mores. 🔥🥔Hear us out. As the weather gets cooler, the bonfires get going and you start thi...
09/14/2026

Snack Hack: Sweet and Salty S’mores. 🔥🥔

Hear us out. As the weather gets cooler, the bonfires get going and you start thinking about the OG campfire snack, we want you to consider something... what if you skip the graham cracker and use a Downey’s Potato Chip instead?

Melty chocolate, toasted marshmallow, and a light, crispy, salty chip. Classic treat with a savory twist.

Give it a shot this weekend and report back. We want photos. 👀

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We’re looking for our next chip team member! 🥔 Our production team is a small crew in Waterford that hand-makes every ba...
09/09/2026

We’re looking for our next chip team member! 🥔

Our production team is a small crew in Waterford that hand-makes every batch — hand-culled, hand-fried, hand-sorted — and we’re looking to add one more person to it 🤩

(You don’t need to know a thing about chips. That part, we can teach. 🤓)

We’re Downey’s Potato Chips — family-owned and operated in Waterford since 1984, making a lighter, crispier version of kettle chips from Michigan potatoes, by hand, in small batches. We take the craft seriously. But we don’t take ourselves too seriously 😉🙂‍↕️

What you’d be doing: Running equipment, peeling and trimming potatoes, sorting fresh chips, keeping quality tight at every step, keeping things clean, and jumping in wherever the line needs you. It’s physical (you’ll get your steps in), hands-on, and it’s the most important job in the building — it’s what makes everything we do possible.

What we’re looking for: Someone local. Someone reliable. Someone who wants to get really good at something and cares about doing it right. Food production experience is a plus, but we’ll train the right person — attitude, curiosity, and work ethic are everything here. There’s real room to grow with us, too.

The details: 📍4709 Highland Rd. Waterford, MI 48328 ⏰ ~ 20-25 hours/week 💰 $15.00/hr 🚗 Reliable transportation required

Interested, or know someone who’d be a great fit? Send your name and a little about yourself to [email protected] — that’s the best way to reach us and make sure your application actually lands. We’re going to our community first before posting anywhere else. 💚

Packing lunches again. 🎒 Wild how fast that snuck up.Here’s the one thing in the bag nobody’s going to trade away at the...
09/07/2026

Packing lunches again. 🎒 Wild how fast that snuck up.

Here’s the one thing in the bag nobody’s going to trade away at the lunch table: light, crispy, hand-cooked kettle chips that actually taste like potato, not just oil. Made with three things — potatoes, high oleic sunflower oil, and sea salt — and no peanuts or tree nuts, so they play nice in a lunchbox.

Kid’s lunch, your work bag, or a little stash in the glovebox you’re not telling anyone about. No judgment. 😌

Made in Waterford, MI since 1984.

Find your nearest bag with the store locator in bio 👆



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Address

Waterford Township, MI

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4am
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12486733636

Website

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