Who is Lauren Rogers from Halloween Baking Championship? Bakery owner’s storefront was vandalized last year with racist graffiti

Halloween Baking Championship is almost here, and 12 bakers are ready to give their all at Hotel Henson to win $25000 and an all-expenses paid trip to America's 10 haunted houses. The popular Food Network competition series will premiere its eighth season on Monday, September 12, at 9 pm ET.

One of the contestants, Lauren Rogers, wants to win the competition for her grandmother after how she faced racism last year.

Lauren Roger's bakery shop Gotti Sweets was spat at in February 2021. In the same month, her store was vandalized, and someone spray-painted the N-word on a car parked in front of her shop. Commenting on the same, the Halloween Baking Championship contestant said,

"The hate crimes, the aggressive behavior, it is scary."

Like many members of her community, Rogers was afraid of the police and did not call them about the racist graffiti. She said,

"You are told not to call the police, they'll come and shoot you."

Lauren posted a picture of the spray paint on her Instagram page, which caught the attention of Olympia Police Officer Vasile Kovzun. He visited the store the following day and offered to open an investigation into the incident.

Officer Vasile and his department's officers also increased foot patrols in the area. Officers were shocked to learn that someone in their area did not trust them and decided to help Lauren. Rogers was happy with their efforts and said,

"I really appreciate that. I wasn't expecting any reaction from the city at all. I didn't think they were paying that close attention."

The police currently have no leads on the case.

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Who is Halloween Baking Championship contestant Lauren Rogers?

Lauren is originally from Washington and is known for her specialty in customized cakes. She wants to make her grandmother proud by winning the show, with whom she used to bake during the holidays. According to her Food Network's introduction, she makes one cake per hour every Saturday.

During her brief stint at Baskin Robbins, she discovered her love for decorating cakes. Lauren then decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, to pursue her passion professionally.

She then opened her own store called Gotti Sweets in Olympia, Washington, in 2018. Lauren is known for running a 'by-appointment-custom-order-bakery' and making her specially customized cakes.

She has 15 years of experience in baking cakes, cupcakes, pies, and cookies. She also offers her customers cake-by-the-slice options, French macarons, peanut butter, and iced molasses cookies. Lauren's bakery is known for its Pie Tots, which are mini pastries with flaky pastry wrapped around fruit filling.

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More about the Halloween Baking Championship Season 8

Halloween Baking Championship will feature 12 contestants competing against each other by making creepy, scary, but delicious desserts for the judges. The show will be hosted by John Henson and judged by Stephanie Boswell, Carla Hall, and Zac Young. Henson will be the caretaker of the haunted hotel where the cooks will stay for eight weeks.

After each challenge, one or more bakers will be eliminated based on their desserts. They will be asked to take the lift to the 'mysterious 13th floor from which guests never return.' Each episode will feature the bakers taking on two challenges based on the theme of the week.

Halloween Baking Championship airs on Food Network every Monday at 9 pm ET.

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