The Voodoo Doughnut Story

Voodoo Doughnut is the brainchild of old friends and entertainment-minded Portlanders Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon. In 2000, they decided to embark on a shared entrepreneurial venture – something that combined quality hospitality with their daring do-it-yourself brand of show business.

Research revealed that downtown Portland lacked a single doughnut shop, so in 2003 they rented a hole-in-the-wall storefront scrunched between two Old Town nightclubs, joked to friends and family about being bent on “world doughnut domination,” and opened Voodoo Doughnut. Their initial pastry offerings were a mix of the classic and the unconventional.

The various sideshow activities included legal weddings, concerts in the loft space atop Voodoo’s duct tape-muraled bathroom and weekly Swahili lessons.

Within a month of opening, Voodoo Doughnut received its first mention in the national press.

To date, Voodoo Doughnut has been featured on The Travel Channel, The Cooking Channel, MTV, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Wheel of Fortune, Portlandia, Grimm, Leverage, The Amazing Race and Access Hollywood, and in print publications such as People, Playboy, Conde Nast, Spin, GQ, Jane, Maxim, Food & Wine, and more.

Voodoo Doughnut opened its second location in 2008 and as of 2022, has thirteen locations in six states, most recently opening a location in Cypress, Texas. More often than not, the stores have a line not just out the door, but around the block.

Voodoo customers and enthusiasts credit the company for creating innovative, unique doughnut flavors and products and they’re always asking for a Voodoo Doughnut to open in “their neighborhood.” Listening to customers, the company plans to expand its offerings and footprint, opening new locations around the U.S.

In 2017, Voodoo Doughnut welcomed Chris Schultz, a 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry known for operational excellence and store growth, as the company’s CEO. Most recently, Chris served as Senior Vice President of Operations for MOD Pizza, which grew from one to more than 350 locations under his leadership.

With Chris’s passion for employees and the customer experience, Voodoo Doughnut is well positioned to expand both product offerings and locations, bringing creative doughnuts, a passionate employee culture and love of community to a neighborhood near you.