Voodoo Doughnut

The former exterior of the flagship location in Portland

Voodoo Doughnut was founded in May 2003[6] by Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Richard "Tres" Shannon III. The company's logo features a version of Baron Samedi, Voodoo Loa of the dead.[7] During the business's first few years, it was only open at night.[6]

The original location closed between April to June 2011 for remodeling after the company acquired space next door that was formerly occupied by a nightclub called Berbati's Pan. Much of the expansion involved creating additional room for the kitchen.[8]

In August 2011, Voodoo Doughnut's staff constructed an enlarged version of its box for the Portland Bridge Festival that contained 3,880 doughnuts.[9] The box was filled with smaller boxes and topped off with individual doughnuts until it reached 666 lbs, a number which, as Shannon explained, was chosen to go along with their voodoo theme.[10] According to NBC News, it was the biggest box of doughnuts in the world.[11]

Also in 2011, Voodoo Doughnut began partnering with Rogue Ales to convert several of its doughnut flavors into bottled beer. These have included: Bacon Maple Ale and Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Ale.[12] The latter was taken from its Memphis Mafia doughnut, which serves a tribute to Elvis Presley. That same year, the Los Angeles Times declared Voodoo Doughnut an international tourist attraction.[13]

In April 2017, a man choked to death while attempting to consume a half-pound doughnut within 80 seconds at the Colfax Avenue location in Denver. The eating contest, which was also a long-running tradition at other locations, has been suspended since this incident.[14] According to the contest's rules, anyone capable of eating the entire cake-sized treat would receive a commemorative pin and not have to pay for the doughnut.[15]

In 2020, also during the pandemic, workers at the downtown location unionized, forming The Doughnut Workers United (DWU), which is affiliated with the Portland chapter of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).[16][5]

Bacon-Maple bar

Voodoo doughnut pink box

In addition to the Portland Cream doughnut, a variation of the Boston Cream doughnut), Voodoo Doughnut also makes a Cock and Balls doughnut that has cream filled "balls"[17]

Along with the examples included below, vegan doughnuts are also featured along with a rotating and frequently changing menu of specialty doughnuts and unusual variations of traditional varieties.[18] Voodoo Doughnut offers over 100 varieties in total.[8] Unconventional ingredients include Cap'n Crunch, grape flavored Tang, M&M's, Oreo cookies, and marshmallows.[19]

Two of their doughnuts, the NyQuil Glazed doughnut and the Vanilla Pepto Crushed Tums doughnut, are no longer available due to an order from local health officials. According to one of the company's co-owners, "The NyQuil one was kind of a lark, but that's the one that got the most famous. With the Pepto doughnut, I honestly thought if you had that shot of tequila you shouldn't have at 2:00 a.m., and then you got sugar, bread, Pepto, and Tums, you'd either feel better or puke your ass off and then feel better because you got it out of your system. So it was a win-win either way."[20]

On December 24, 2008, Voodoo Doughnut's Portland Creme doughnut was designated Portland's "Official City Doughnut" by a resolution introduced by Portland Mayor Tom Potter and passed by city commissioners the same night.[7] The resolution also expressed Portlanders' "deepest gratitude to Voodoo Doughnut management for its dedication in the face of these stringent economic times in providing employment opportunities... and above all, creating and naming a doughnut after our beloved city that leaves a lasting taste and fond memories on its customers near and far away."[21] Later, Mayor Potter and mayoral candidate Sam Adams attended a midnight doughnut-eating contest.[13]

On October 2, 2019, Voodoo Doughnut introduced a new Cannolo Doughnut, which is twisted before it's fried. The Cannolo is available in three different rotating seasonal flavors.[22]

As of September 2020, the company has ten retail locations.[23] The first opened in 2003[13] at 22 Southwest 3rd Avenue[24] in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland. To celebrate their fifth anniversary, Voodoo Doughnut opened a second branch at 1501 Northeast Davis Street named Voodoo Doughnut Too in the Kerns neighborhood.[3] The operation began with a "soft opening" on May 30, 2008 with limited hours. The official opening was in June 2008 and featured a parade that traveled from the original location to the new one.[1][25]

Voodoo Doughnut offers legal wedding services followed by doughnuts and coffee.[26] In an effort to "ritualize" the name “Voodoo,” both Pogson and Shannon became ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church, and subsequently performed both real and fake wedding ceremonies in their shops.[7]

The "Captain My Captain" doughnut, featuring vanilla frosting and Cap'n Crunch cereal

Voodoo Doughnut has been featured on television series including: No Reservations,[27] Man v. Food, Doughnut Paradise,[28] and Attack of the Show. It was also used as a destination in the season finale of the 13th season of The Amazing Race.

Jay Leno included a joke about Voodoo Doughnut during a 2004 Tonight Show opening monologue and said "Did you hear about the doughnut shop in Portland, Oregon, that has caffeinated doughnuts? Yeah, I guess you can stay awake during your bypass surgery."[29]

In 2013, Voodoo Doughnut founders, Cat Daddy and Tres, started a record label named Voodoo Doughnut Recordings with the intent of establishing a catalog of doughnut-related music to help promote the company's brand.[30][31] Early novelty acts included The Deep Fried Boogie Band and The Doughnut Boys.[32] The label expanded to other artists such as Poison Idea,[30] The Dandy Warhols,[33] Dead Moon,[34] Smegma,[34] Jerry Joseph,[35] Devin Millar, and Hazel.[36] The label also releases recordings of comedians such as Ian Karmel.[34]

• List of doughnut shops

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Voodoo Doughnut.

• Voodoo Doughnut website
• Voodoo Doughnut Official Facebook
• In Pursuit of a Trans-Fat-Free Doughnut (Day to Day, March 19, 2007) from the National Public Radio website