'Worth The Wait': Voodoo Doughnuts Plans To Deliver To Chicago Foodies

CHICAGO — Like any business that starts local and then dreams of expanding as its secret leaks out, Voodoo Doughnuts has been strategic in picking its spots.

The Portland-based sweet shop, known for its eclectic collection of artisanal and creative confections, has had its eye on Chicago for years. But for the last 24 months, the decision was not whether to land in Chicago, but where exactly to call home.

So, when his real estate broker suggested the West Loop’s Fulton Market District, Voodoo Doughnut CEO Chris Schultz wasn’t initially sold. But in a city known for great restaurants and a growing population of foodies, Fulton Market’s reputation for being a landing spot for not brand-name eateries, but for having their unique take on their culinary offerings made the neighborhood the perfect spot.

Voodoo Doughnuts will open its 22nd location on Saturday when its shop at 945 West Randolph celebrates its grand opening at 8 a.m. The shop, known perhaps as much for its pink-themed environment and taste in music as it is for its 51 varieties of doughnuts, will combine its Portland attitude into Chicago, where Schultz can’t wait to get rolling now that the timing is right.

The first 50 people in line on Saturday will receive a "special treat", the business said, and some of the proceeds from opening day sales will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It was about being ready as a brand because you can’t come to Chicago with a half-baked brand,” Schultz told Patch on Thursday night at a media event celebrating the store’s opening. “People see right through it because these are foodies here and we really thought like we were at the point in time as a brand where we were ready to be in Chicago …It’s a perfect synergy.”

Voodoo will take advantage of the Fulton Market vibe in its business strategy. The shop will be open from 6 a.m. until 3 a.m. each day, taking advantage of families who might want to bring their kids in for an early-morning treaty as well as the late-night crowd, which needs something after an evening out with friends.

Yet, in a city with a myriad of bakeries and doughnut shops — both locally owned and franchised – Voodoo brings its own spin on the American sweet treat. Founded in Portland in 2003 and now in seven states, the business that offers an array of doughnuts from its legendary bacon maple bar to its Oh, Captain My Captain (a frosted glazed doughnut topped with Capt’n Crunch cereal) the uniqueness of its offerings sometimes puts the brand in its own category.

While still uniquely Portland, Voodoo will offer some Chicago-specific items, beginning with a doughnut that looks like a German-style soft pretzel — an homage to the city’s diverse neighborhoods. In coming months, the shop, which is adorned with ornate chandeliers and its familiar logo painted onto a very Chicago exposed brick wall, will feature a black velvet painting of an unnamed Chicago celebrity, Schultz said.

Schultz knows that there are a lot of places where people can choose to enjoy doughnuts and holds no judgment about customers’ loyalties. But he maintains that Voodoo’s brand is their own with a touch of good mojo.

“It’s a doughnut shop like you’ve never seen before,” he told Patch. “From the music to the chandeliers to the way we present our doughnuts, it’s something you have never experienced before in a doughnut shop. We’re proud of that. We don’t apologize for anything we do and we’re not going to judge you on what doughnut you choose.

“Life is too difficult, too hard not to come to a doughnut shop where you can come in and enjoy great music, choose the doughnut you want, and leave with a smile on your face.”

But be prepared. Voodoo Doughnuts around the country are often accompanied by long lines to get in. Between the variety of doughnuts from which to choose to the popularity of the brand — especially when a new shop opens like the Fulton Market location will on Saturday —Schultz knows that people are going to show up. And will show up in large quantities.

But he vows to make the wait worth the time. In a city where wait times for restaurants can vary between hours and, in some cases, months, Voodoo’s entry into the West Loop has been much anticipated by local foodies who are excited by the notion of not having to travel outside of their city (let alone) time zone to finally experience the unique doughnut shop whenever they like.

Schultz anticipates customers will face long lines for at least the first three weeks the shop is open as Voodoo settles into its newest surroundings.

“It’s just part of it,” Schultz told Patch on Thursday. “You wait in line to see a good movie, you wait in line to go to a concert. You wait in line to go see the Cubs or Sox or the Bulls — you wait in line and when you walk in, it has to meet that experience. It has to be worth that time in line and we want to deliver on that. …it’s worth the wait.”