Eccentric pastry shop brings new ideas to doughnuts

Voodoo+Doughnuts+features+a+large+assortment+of+extraordinary+doughnuts+including+seasonal+doughnuts+like+this+one+designed+for+the+anniversary+of+9%2F11.+

Marcelo Cruz

Voodoo Doughnuts features a large assortment of extraordinary doughnuts including seasonal doughnuts like this one designed for the anniversary of 9/11.

Alejandra Arguello and Marcelo Cruz

Walking into Voodoo Doughnuts for the first time is like walking into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Everywhere you look, it’s a sensory overload experience with taste being the most eagerly awaited.

There are crazy decorations on the walls like a bright pink duct tape mural of women on white and pink horses and pillars sprouting tree branches with doughnuts at the end. And of course, display cases full of extravagant doughnuts.

As the name Voodoo implies, these are not your every day doughnuts. This eccentric doughnut shop originating from Portland, Oregon opened up their first Austin location on Halloween of last year and has been in business for 18 years.

Although Voodoo Doughnuts originated in Oregon, the company found a natural home in Austin, when it opened here in 2015 and has been a major success since then.

“The first location started in 2003. I think people just wanna make crazy stuff and keep it weird for lack of better words,” said Nay Hobrock.

With confections with names like Diablos Rex, Ain’t That A Peach, and Rappers Delight, these fried delights can’t be found at the average doughnut shop. Voodoo is located on 6th Street in downtown Austin and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Hobrock worked at the original location in Portland before her boss sent her to Austin to help open up the new location in July of 2014.

Hobrock said she had never even made doughnuts before starting to work at Voodoo. All she knew was that they were known for being good to their employees.

“I was just basically tired of working for a company that didn’t care about it’s employees,” Hobrock said. “I worked at a call center where people yelled at me about 40 hours a week. My friend was like ‘Hey Voodoo’s really rad and they actually take care of people.’ I was like ‘alright then.’ So I quit my job without any callback from Voodoo and then they called me back two weeks later and I’ve been working here since then.”

Voodoo has 70 different types of doughnuts, although some are only available seasonally like the “All American” — a doughnut sold around the 4th of July, which has frosting, a star, and a mini American flag on it.

Voodoo’s most well known doughnut is the “Voodoo Doll.” It’s a yeast raised doughnut in the shape of a voodoo doll filled with raspberry jam, topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake punctured into its body. Each doughnut is decorated by hand so customers will never get the same doughnut twice.

Junior Andrea Cuadra found Voodoo through some friends and decided to check it out herself to see what all the hype and commotion was about.

“My favorite donut is the T.C.P,” Cuadra said. “I go there because I love donuts and because they seemed really cool and interesting.”

Hobrock said she enjoys working at the Sixth Street location because of the constant buzz of activity in the area.

“It’s crazy! It kinda reminds me of back home in Portland, but like it’s so awesome,” she said. “I mean Austin in general is so much bigger. It’s ‘The Music Capital of the World’ and there’s always something going on. And like they close down the streets and stuff. It’s incredible to have all this energy of like everyone, everywhere.”

Tres Shannon and Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson are the co-owners of Voodoo. They said they wanted to come to Austin because it’s a great city and was also known for it’s “Keep Austin Weird” motto which intrigued them.

“We love the vibe and culture, it’s a very fun and outgoing place that fits our company well. And if anyone can keep two cities weird at once, it’s us,” said the owners in an emailed statement.

They hope that Voodoo continues to succeed here in Austin and becomes one of the most well known and top selling doughnut shops.