Meet Dale Donchey | Dad! Coach! Longtime Barista! Bagelman!

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dale Donchey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dale, how do you think about risk?
Everybody always thinks of risk in business as the financial risk, whereas the goal is to never hit zero, how do I keep from doing that? I think if you rule your decisions by that you can become guarded, and stop making the decisions that make the risk worth the reward. The scariest risk is always gonna be your emotional risks – being open to review and criticism every day. If one person in your business creates an experience that someone hates, they don’t want to talk with that person – they want to talk with YOU. Your failures can become multiplied by a single interaction or mistake, not where you are or want to be. Being able to determine if you’re willing to take those risks is really the biggest concern when starting a business. The more success you have, the more review you have. In this line of business there is the product, the brand, the “right” location, forecasting, etc. But the real labor of it all is your emotional labor. Your business should reflect you in some way; the praises feel amazing, but they can set you up for a deeper downfall elsewhere down the line. Everything you do is based around this job, career, and avenue – it’s everything! That’s why my brand is real, it’s a real person; it’s me. The risk is getting my feelings hurt and giving up, not being afraid to love. There’s no greater humility than owning your own business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
A history of Dale Donchey in coffee is too long for any ears to listen to as I move into year 20 in the industry. But I’ll give it my best shot! My first days of coffee were spent at a Starbucks in my neighborhood as a second job in 2002, which then grew into helping a couple of customers open their own dream of a café. Thus began my journey into the “independent” coffee shop life. From barista competitions around the US to being a part owner of Rattletrap, a coffee food truck. Then in 2011, I opened my first coffee shop Steady Hand Pour House in Emory Village. Finally, the road brings us to 2015 and the opening of the very first Spiller Park Coffee, in Ponce City Market. All this coffee and growth happened in the city of Atlanta, outside of my adventure to the other side of the planet.
How did I do it? Not sure. I just never stopped wanting to move forward, grow, and learn.
I looked at every situation as “If I fail, the worst that happens is I’m right back where I started…and hey, Starbucks is hiring all the time” haha.
In 2020 I began my love letter to my Jewish heritage through bagels, whitefish salad, and bialy, called Dear Friend, Bagels. What started as a recovery from the pandemic plan, quickly turned into a thriving pop-up that will hopefully see its resurgence as a true bakery in 2023.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Albert – Dive bar. Great drinks, great friends!

Kimball House – Oysters and cocktails

Northern China Eatery – Best dumplings on earth!!!

Ginya – No better sushi around

Kevin Rathbun’s Steak – Scotch & Filets

Aziza – Modern Israeli with wine pairing

The General Muir – The matzo ball soup that makes you feel good!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is to being a sole business owner, but not being alone in my ownership. The day to day growth of everyone at Spiller Park, their ideas and creative minds and ability to keep me young in my thoughts are what keep it all in motion.

There’s risk in giving up ownership of your business to the people who help make it happen.

There isn’t a single person on my payroll that isn’t a part of me or my business, who shares that fear of emotional risk and failure. We all know that we can band together to make it work (through pandemic or otherwise), but the failures we feel collectively are the same that I feel. We are all bonded together through our lives and creativity, and we all share that risk and success together.

The Atlanta experience isn’t a singular experience. Being able to call on local designers, woodworkers, creatives, and friends for their expertise or friendship – to have one mind in creating the future of SPC together. They love me and know ideas that I don’t even know I have, and help me bring those into reality. They keep me true to myself and Spiller Park to its brand. All these people who create who I am and my story, and are my role models, I hope to be a part of them and their story as well. The fabric of Atlanta runs through this brand, with so many names to list.

Office of Bros., The Albert, Gavin Bernard, Evan Fuller of Jamestown, April Stammel and the team of South Dwntn, Aaron Fender and the whole team at Portrait Coffee, and many, many more.

Website: www.spillerpark.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/spillerpark

Twitter: www.twitter.com/spillerpark

Facebook: www.facebook.com/spillerparkcoffee

Image Credits
Rachel McCart, @rkmccart