Bakery's candidate cookies have accurately predicted the last 3 elections

ByAlicia Vitarelli WLS logo
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Bakery's candidate cookies have accurately predicted the last 3 elections
Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro is adding a little levity to this year's election season by making the race more fun and delicious.

HATBORO, Pennsylvania -- It's a heated election season and political conversations can get a little tricky, but one Pennsylvania bakery is making the presidential race fun -- and delicious.

Political cookies fly off the shelves at Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro, a suburb of Philadelphia. They feature the name and party color of each candidate.

The bakery tallies the sales like votes in an unofficial, tasty poll. Each cookie counts for one vote.

"Everyone can agree on a cookie," said Kathleen Lochel, the owner of Lochel's Bakery.

At this bakery in this battleground state, everyone is picking their cookies on party lines.

"Since Pennsylvania is such a hot state, people are saying, 'OK, I want my candidate to win. I'm buying the cookie,'" said Lochel, who started making the candidate cookies in 2008.

For the past three elections, Lochel said the sugary sales have accurately predicted the presidential winner. Right now, the red cookies are in the lead.

"If the winner was chosen today, from our poll, Donald Trump would blow it out of the water," she said. "It's going to take Biden to probably come here to double these numbers. He's welcome. Both candidates are welcome here."

The ingredients are also unbiased and bipartisan, from the dough to the icing. Lochel's is making and selling hundreds a day and shipping them across the states.

"We have orders from Florida, Wisconsin, California," Lochel said.

The demand is so great, the bakery even hired people to keep up with the cookie craze, which Lochel called a "blessing" during a pandemic. The bakery is not endorsing anyone or anything -- other than dessert.

The bakery is now run by its third generation. After more than 75 years of business, Lochel said all of this excitement and support is so critical during this crisis. People come in for a cookie and end up buying other treats, which has kept them busy.

And yes, all of the clients buying cookies have been civil, Lochel said.