Tres Shannon – co-owner of Voodoo Doughnuts
If you have never heard of Voodoo Doughnuts, you must live under a pretty big rock, but if you haven’t, it is a super successful doughnut shop that was started in Portland, OR, that now boasts of four locations and a cart. Yep, a food cart. So we could say they have 4.25 locations. Tres was in Denver, CO to visit their newest store when we were able to catch up with him. We talked the whole story, but unfortunately, his partner, Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson, was unable to join us, as he was back making doughnuts in Portland.
The interview is a long one, but one filled with lots of laughs and inappropriate talk, so lock the kids up on this one.
Tres and Cat Daddy were introduced to each other by Tres’ mom, and thought they would always start a business together. They came up with the idea to start a funky doughnut shop, learned some from pastry chefs at doughnut camp, rented a little whole-in-the-wall retail location in Portland, and the rest is history. The two partners did not have any formal business training, but have seen consistent and incredible grown and success, ever since opening their doors 8 years ago.
They have taken a very different approach to business that has helped differentiate them from anything else out there; from performing wedding in their stores, accepting only cash, being open 24 hours, to having a “cock and balls” doughnut that has gotten them much attention…good and bad.
Expanding outside of the Northeast has been a calculated move, and they have been welcomed in Denver with open arms. From the mayor performing the ribbon cutting, to business coverage in the Denver Post, to having great new neighbors. Everyone has been excited to have Voodoo come to Denver.
Tres shared with us how they got started, what it was like opening the first shop, what success has allowed them to do, why they chose to call it Voodoo Doughnuts, and some hints into what might be coming down the track for Voodoo. You are going to love this one.
For the full interview, go to smallbusinessnaked.com
Show Breakdown
1:24 – Opening Denver Johnny asked him why did he go to Denver, he answered that he have a lot of memories in Denver, he lived there in 1970’s, and used to see dead Kennedys somewhere around the 80’s and he said that there’s a lot of good reason that Denver is a good town, and at the same time Marijuana became legal. Then Tres talked about a lesbian bar, where it’s beside the dental office. And in the same street
they have everything they need in just one location.