Annapolis Donut Shop Featured In New TV Show

ANNAPOLIS, MD — An Annapolis donut shop featured in a new TV show has seen a surge in interest recently.

Sandy Pony Donuts got a cameo in the "Pluribus" sci-fi series, which debuted Nov. 7 on Apple TV. The show is by Vince Gilligan, creator of "Breaking Bad."

One "Pluribus" episode depicts a woman picking up donuts from a Sandy Pony box, licking them and placing them back in a box labeled "Help yourself." Something mysterious happens to anybody who eats one of the contaminated donuts.

Apple TV teased a clip of the donut-licking scene this summer when it announced the show's release date.

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Sandy Pony's website says the show creators reached out nearly two years ago, asking to use their donuts in the drama. The opportunity excited Sandy Pony, which started in a food truck in Chincoteague, Virginia, in 2015.

Early last year, the show asked Sandy Pony to ship 100 dozen donuts overnight. The pastry makers agreed and sent the donuts to the show's set in New Mexico, the Capital Gazette and The Baltimore Banner reported.

Annapolis native Ben Wang, who owns Sandy Pony with his wife Brea Reeves, told the Capital Gazette they signed a few nondisclosure agreements and embraced the uncertainty that came with filming.

"'[The scene] takes place in Annapolis, Maryland. I can't really tell you much after that, but we want your doughnuts in these scenes,'" Wang said, recalling his conversation with the producers, according to the Capital Gazette. "And I said, 'Yeah, no problem.' And then that's when they said, 'Well, look, we can't tell you what happens to people after they eat them, but something does happen to them, and we just want to make sure you're still OK with that.'"

"Pluribus" fans wondered if Sandy Pony was real and started calling the business's five locations — Annapolis, Chincoteague, Bethany Beach downtown, Bethany Beach drive-thru and Dewey Beach.

"We're not used to getting this much attention," Wang told The Banner. "But we're honored to be on the show."

Sandy Pony leaned into the buzz, creating a donut-licking web game and selling "Pluribus" T-shirts.

Wang told The Banner he has sent merchandise to countries as far away as Kuwait.

"Yesterday, I sent out three shirts to different places in Germany, one to Spain, and I mailed them in our actual teal doughnut box that you see on the show," Wang told the Capital Gazette. "I haven't talked to any customers that have gotten them, but I feel like it's kind of like a cool thing for them to receive, too, that people would probably keep because it's the same boxes in the show."

Fans can see the donut-licking scene here or watch the full series on Apple TV. Customers can learn more about the Annapolis donut shop, located in the Woodbridge Center next to Chevys Fresh Mex, at sandyponydonuts.com.