In between the myriad of shows to see today at Treefort Music Fest – including K. Flay, Yacht, and Wooden Indian Burial Ground – a food truck rally is happening. Local vendors are selling their delectables throughout the festival.
One of those vendors is Guru Donuts. Today, part-owner Angel Moran slings donuts near the mainstage while groups like Sun Blood Stories and 4onthefloor play in the background. She and her husband Kevin live in an old grocery store with two kitchens in Boise's Northend.
"So we just thought, hey, let's try it," Moran says. "First you just need to get your recipes down and see if it works.”
They teamed up with Michael Baker, a Boisean who grew up in his family's donut shop in Colorado. They started out by sharing donuts with friends to get feedback. The Guru Donuts tent at Treefort is practice for when they'll start selling at one of Boise's farmers markets in two weeks.
“We’re going to try as use as much local [ingredients] as possible, obviously when you first start out you can’t get all the ingredients you need. But it will get there,” smiles Moran.
So where did the name Guru Donuts come from?
"We were in Portland, and of course everyone knows Voodoo Donuts, and we were so inspired by it and we kind of were just kidding around," Moran says. "We were trying to think of names and we liked their whole punk rock tongue-in-cheek thing, but we wanted it more uplifting and positive. So we thought, 'Instead of Voodoo, what about Guru?' "
Moran says they made special donuts for Treefort. The Treeforter is a carrot cake donut with a cream cheese frosting with pistachios or pecans, and The Gandhi is a salted caramel glazed. She says one of the big hits this weekend has been the Hipsterberry -- a flaky pastry with wild berry lavender glaze.
The Morans will donate all their proceeds this weekend to Radio Boise, where Angel hosts the Gospel Brunch radio show every Sunday.
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio
