It all started as a food cart in a night market in the Philippines.

But soon the seasoned French fries stand became the Potato Corner, and since 1992 the concept has grown to become a franchise with more than 1,000 locations in 11 countries — including, increasingly, the United States.

The newest Potato Corner has just started selling its Chili BBQ and other flavored fries at the Great Mall in Milpitas. This is only the fourth location in Northern California; the others are at the Westfield Valley Fair and Oakridge malls in San Jose and the Westfield Galleria in Roseville.

Essentially, what the chain does is treat a side dish as the “main attraction,” according to the web site. So instead of the follow-up “would you like fries with that?” question, you might hear “would you like chicken with that?”

Here’s how it works: First, you pick the bucket size you want — jumbo, mega or giga. (For COVID protection, they are sealed for takeout.) Then you select the style of potato —  original fries, loopy fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots or jojo fries (battered, fried wedges). Finally, the seasoning — BBQ, Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Chili BBQ, Garlic & Parmesan or Cinnamon Sugar.

Chicken options include wings, tenders and poppers. Also on the menu are baked potatoes with the obligatory toppings and chili cheese fries.

Besides food stands (primarily in malls), Potato Corner USA also operates food trucks in Los Angeles and Miami.

Details: 447 Great Mall Drive, Milpitas; www.potatocornerusa.com