The Voodoo Doll Doughnut stands out as a signature doughnut for the franchise. How did they decide on this doughnut creation?

With National Donut Day being June 2, we wondered about the Voodoo Doll Doughnuts. Below reflects some of what we learned in our research.

If you have ever visited Universal Orlando Resort, you have most likely seen the pink building within CityWalk. If you somehow missed the building, the large doughnut throne used for photo opportunities will catch your eye as you walk towards Universal Studios Florida theme park.

Voodoo Doughnut Beginnings

As you may know, Voodoo Doughnut started in Portland, Oregon. According to their website, Voodoo Doughnut currently has 17 locations across North America. Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon, owners of Voodoo Doughnut, created a unique brand built on some fantastic ideas. One of those would be coming up with the signature doughnut here, the Voodoo Doll.

The Voodoo Doll Doughnut shows off what Voodoo Doughnut does well. This voodoo doll-shaped raised yeast doughnut features a pretzel “stake” inflicting harm via voodoo magic. The doughnut filling consists of raspberry jelly for the blood theme. Voodoo Doughnut guests experience a scaled-back version of the not-always-fit-for-children-themed items sold at the theme park locations in California and Orlando. Yet, we wonder when the backstory for why a voodoo doll works as the symbol for these doughnuts will be used in Orlando.

Doughnut

According to Voodoo Doughnut’s “Executive Wrangler,” Sara Heise, Pogson, and Shannon set out on several missions. One of those missions involved making sure people spelled “doughnut” correctly. As they say, “Doughnuts made from dough, not ’do’’ serves as a mission. So, if you ever write something about Voodoo Doughnut, respect their wishes and spell the full name out, please.

Also, they wanted an iconic logo and mascot. They decided on Baron Samedi. Co-owner Tres Shannon stated, …our logo is Baron Samedi, who’s the guy who leads the parade in Mardi Gras.” Shannon said, “In voodoo lore and culture, he’s the guy who shows you heaven or hell when you die. And if you see him, on the earth when you’re alive, you’re suppose to adorn him with sweets so the story goes that when he sees you at the gates or whatever, if he remembers that you adorned him with sweets then you’ll be sent the right way. But he’s the guy you’ll see lead the parade.”

Voodoo Doll Doughnut

So, the Voodoo Doughnut guys decided to adorn “Baron Samedi” with as many sweets as possible. The Voodoo Doll pays homage to this tradition. You would be correct if you are a James Bond movie fan with a vision of a “Live or Let Die” character of the same name.

Shannon does admit that some people find the use of the voodoo culture inappropriate. He said, “we get a little people saying we’re appropriating culture and all this stuff and it’s like, it’s just Voodoo Doughnuts. There’s good voodoo, there’s bad voodoo; we’re just a doughnut shop. And with voodoo, we’re able to conjure up delectable sweets around a cauldron of fat.”

So the next time you walk past Voodoo Doughnut in Universal Orlando (or any Voodoo Doughnut, for that matter), consider if you offered enough sweets to Baron Samedi. If not, the voodoo magic of this doughnut place might be what you need. You can read more about the Voodoo Doll Doughnuts in one of our previous review articles. As always, eat like you mean it!