Written by Jordan Michelman.
There are some coffee brands you just want to root for, you know? Atlanta’s Spiller Park is one of those. Founded by self-described “coffee lifer” Dale Donchey back in 2015, the cafe’s original bar—inside of one of those trendy nouveau market halls that were all the rage in the 2010s—drew on Donchey’s immense experience behind the espresso machine. A veteran of seminal Atlanta coffee bars, including Method Coffee Bar (now closed), Octane Coffee (now closed), and Steady Hand Pour House (also now closed), Donchey and Spiller Park pulled off one of the best examples of that era’s neatest trick: harnessing the quality and dedication of the era’s third wave sensibilities in an approachable and accessible manner. (It was harder to do than it sounds to us now.)
Today, Spiller Park is a bonafide success story, with four locations across metro Atlanta and a busy catering company, “Spiller Lite”, operating at events throughout the region. Donchey remains refreshingly hands-on in running the business, and his newest cafe—a location on Atlanta’s historic Hotel Row that opened earlier this summer—just might be their best yet. We caught up with Dale between cafes to talk coffee, gear, and life in Atlanta.
Hey Dale—thanks for chatting with me. It’s really cool to see you guys grow like you have. I remember visiting the original location at Ponce City Market a few months after it opened, and now you have four locations! What’s changed for the company as you’ve refined your cafe model?
The biggest change is, of course, and not unique to just us: we made it through the pandemic times. It changed the market, and it changed the way I function as an owner. Moving from just a coffee shop to a cafe with additional in-house prepared food, more non-coffee options, and continuing to focus on employee benefits. I am trying to transform the business from just the coffee professional side of me to include my love for food, family, my city, story-telling… and, of course, baseball.
What’s stayed the same for you all these years, going back to the original space?
I still love the game, and I’m still a barista. Nearly a decade at Spiller Park I’m still learning, which was one of the reasons I fell in love with this industry over 20 years ago.
With four cafes, I’m curious about how you manage systems — are you using mostly the same gear at each shop?
I’m an old barista and love what I love as far as coffee equipment. My favorite is still the two group Linea EE we have, while most everyone else at Spiller Park loves working on the Linea PBs (they are younger than I). The Mazzer Kony has been my go-to espresso grinder since its creation, along with the EK for bulk grinding. We also use gear by Fetco, Origami, and the Marco water tower.
Does each shop have its own configuration?
Yes and no. Equipment is basically the same in each of our cafes, but they all have different flows and designs to match the neighborhoods/spaces they’re in.
Do you share staff between the shops, or does each cafe have its own dedicated crew?
The store managers are dedicated to each location but everyone else is free to move around if they’d like and/or have the availability. All of our staff is under our own staffing entity to help with many businessy things but the biggest advantage is being able to move between shops.
Your new cafe on Hotel Row looks so gorgeous — that exterior is stunning.
Thank you! It is actually harder not to screw up a 100-plus-year interior than you’d think.
Y’all are using a Linea PB inside this new cafe. Tell me more about this choice and why you landed on this machine specifically for Hotel Row.
It’s the machine from the Intelligentsia lab that was here in Atlanta. I used to do additional training on it there and figured if they’re not using it, I’d love to tell that story.
I’m curious about the catering wing of your business — what is your set-up like there? How long has this been part of what you do? Are there regular events you’re pouring at, or is it more based on gigs for hire? Tell me more about “Spiller Lite”.
The beautifully branded Simple Cart known as Spiller Lite! That catering came to life in 2017 and has gone from a folding card table at a Mailchimp holiday party to a fully functioning rig. We have some regular office gigs for months at a time, but it’s mostly gig-based work. We offer our full espresso menu and have even been known to provide a solid carb-based breakfast. We had our first birthday pool party this summer and have never been prouder. It’s a very fun billboard for our business that gives us a chance to get out of the shop and show off a little.
I want to know from you about cool Atlanta stuff — what are the bars, restaurants, and cultural stuff that you think are really exciting in Atlanta in 2024?
I honestly have a little girl now, and have become a different kind of cool. I love it when the whole family goes to the playground after a Spiller Park drop-in, gets a bagel at B-Side in Decatur, hits up Elemental Spirits for cocktails at home, crush the Freedom Farmers Market, and uses my High Museum membership. So, unless you wanna come along on that ride. I’d say go to General Muir for a matzah ball soup and celery soda, Staplehouse for an incredible lunch experience that’s a journey I can’t even imagine putting into a highlight suggestion, Kimball House for cocktails and oysters, Highland Tap for steaks and a martini, Inner Voice for pizza and beer, and of course Spiller Park for the morning after doing all that.
Visit Spiller Park’s official website and follow them on Instagram.
