A beloved staple at Orillia’s Mariposa Market has received a temporary but attention-grabbing name change that both reflects national pride and takes a lighthearted jab at Canada’s southern neighbour.
The bakery’s Texas Donut — a longtime favourite known for its super-sized proportion — has been rebranded as the Bigger and Better Than Texas Donut.
While the renaming is playful in nature, it has struck a chord with customers, particularly because of recent trade tensions and economic concerns between Canada and the United States.
Mariposa Market owner Bob Willsey said the idea came from a couple of customers who jokingly asked whether the downtown shop would change the name.
“They mentioned that Starbucks had sort of changed the name of their Americano to a Canadiano,” he said. “I don’t know if that was tongue-in-cheek or if it was a real thing, but it got me thinking.”
The idea quickly gained traction when Willsey posed the question on the store’s social media channels. What followed was an outpouring of engagement from customers eager to share their thoughts, suggestions, and enthusiasm for the change.
Willsey noted more than 1,400 name suggestions poured in, with more than 1,800 people engaging with the Facebook post that was shared more than 80 times.
“People really got into it,” he said. “The enthusiasm was incredible, and some of the name suggestions were really creative.”
Among the more patriotic submissions were names like the Great Canadian Donut, the Colossal Canuck, and Canada Eh Donut.
Others took a more humorous approach, with suggestions like Potholes — a nod to some of Canada’s infamously rough roads — and Nunavut, with the cheeky reasoning that “it’s way bigger than Texas, and we ain’t having none of it,” Willsey said.
For a brief period, Mariposa Market tested a rotating series of names, including Canada’s Not for Sale Donuts. However, Willsey ultimately settled on the Bigger and Better Than Texas Donut, as a way to maintain the original Texas Donut branding while injecting a strong sense of Canadian identity.
“I kind of wanted it to be positive, patriotic, but also fun,” he said. “This way, people still know it’s a Texas Donut, which we’ve been making for nearly 38 years. But at the same time, it subtly reminds everyone that Canada has plenty to be proud of.”
Although the name change is meant in good fun, it reflects a growing movement of Canadians seeking to support local businesses and products. Willsey has noticed a shift in customer behaviour at Mariposa Market, where people are increasingly choosing Canadian-made goods.
“The biggest thing we’ve seen is a growing enthusiasm for buying Canadian, buying local, and supporting Ontario businesses,” he said. “We’ve always had a strong selection of local products, from honey produced in Midland to hot sauces from Thunder Bay, and we’ve definitely seen more interest from customers in choosing Canadian-made items over imported ones.”
While some customers have specifically come in to grab one of the newly renamed doughnuts, the broader impact appears to be a wider appreciation for homegrown goods — a shift Willsey hopes will last beyond this moment of heightened national sentiment.
As for how long the doughnut will carry its new name, Willsey remains open minded.
“Who knows?” he said with a laugh. “Maybe if the governor of Texas or Donald Trump sends us an apology, we’ll reconsider.”
For now, though, the Bigger and Better Than Texas Donut is here to stay.
“It’s been a great way to spark conversation,” Willsey said, “and at the end of the day, it’s all about celebrating Canada.”