The owner of a small doughnut shop in Rochester, New York, wanted to honor Dr. Anthony Fauci by putting his face on the sweet treats and now they are selling out.
“We had no idea it was going to blow up this big,” Nick Semeraro owner of the shop told CNN of putting the the face of the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on his doughnuts. He explained that it was a way to thank Fauci for his calm manner as one of the voices during briefings from the White House during the coronavirus outbreak.
The piece was noted by the Washington Post in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Here Are The Members Of Congress Self-Quarantining After Meeting Person With Coronavirus At CPAC)
“We didn’t know everyone else felt the same way we did,” he added. “I never met a guy that, worldwide, he is so loved. And a month ago, we never knew his first and last name.” (RELATED: REPORT: Coachella Potentially Rescheduled To October Due To Coronavirus Fears)
Even as whole swaths of the global economy collapse, the pandemic has generated a robust cottage industry of Fauci-themed merchandise, including bottle openers, magnets and mugs https://t.co/WR7mGwVhRF
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 31, 2020
Soon other doughnut and pastry shops across the country started putting Fauci’s face on edible paper and decorating their treats and seeing similar results with the goodies flying off the shelves.
And there appears to be a bit of a cult following starting, with the respected scientist’s face appearing on all kinds of merchandise, including shirts, mugs and candles, just to name a few.
As the outlet noted:
On Etsy, you can buy “Honk for Dr. Fauci” bumper stickers, prayer candles depicting “St. Fauci” and socks printed with Fauci’s face. Graphic T-shirts bear slogans such as “I Need a Hero” and “In Dr. Fauci We Trust.”
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In honor of #ManCrushMonday and THE MAN, Dr. Fauci: some #FauciFan cookies!@FauciFan #NationalTreasure #COVID19 #SARSCoV2 #FlattenTheCuve #SciComm #QuaratineLife #BakeToEat pic.twitter.com/fmOi6yn22d
— Michael Taveirne, PhD (@ProfMicrobe) March 23, 2020
An Italian restaurant in Long Island has even named a linguine dish after him, according to a tweet from a New York reporter.
“Inbox: “FAUCI LINGUINI: ICONIC CLAM BAR IN PROUD ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO NAME DISH AFTER AMERICA’S HERO DOCTOR.” the tweet read.
Inbox: “FAUCI LINGUINI: ICONIC CLAM BAR IN PROUD ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO NAME DISH AFTER AMERICA’S HERO DOCTOR”
— Jillian Jorgensen (@Jill_Jorgensen) March 30, 2020