- January 17, 2025
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When Palm Coast resident Daniel Cope's children would ask him what they got for Christmas, he'd often tell them, "a purple donkey."
It was an ongoing family joke.
So when he was brainstorming names for his new soda shop, knowing that he wanted one that would be memorable, "The Purple Donkey" fit the criteria.
"Yeah, The Purple Donkey — it's really memorable and it fits the whole soda theme," Cope said.
The Purple Donkey opened its doors for a soft opening on Friday, Jan. 17. The soda shop — Flagler Beach's first — is located at 705 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit A. It offers both dirty sodas and what Cope has coined as Donkey Tails: waffles on a stick, with savory and sweet options.
The dirty soda flavors range the Coco Lime Trot (cola, coconut and lime) to the Donkeys Chocolate Milk (root beer, vanilla and cream), which is Cope's favorite.
It's also the first soda served by Rony Villatoro, who helped Cope found The Purple Donkey, on their first day. Their first customer? Their next door neighbor, Tony Porcellini, of Tony's Wine Cabana.
When Cope and Villatoro found out that the storefront was for rent last fall, they knew it was "too good of an opportunity to pass up," Cope said. They signed the lease the day before Thanksgiving.
"What we want this place to be is a place where teenagers and families can come and hang out," Cope said.
Cope and Villatoro have been friends since they met at their church last August. Both had recently moved to Palm Coast, Cope from Punta Gorda, and Villatoro from Guatemala.
Why a soda shop?
Soda shops are popular out west, Cope said. He opened his first one in Arizona, where he is originally from. He's been a businessman his whole life, having gotten his start with a summer ice cream parlor and burger shop over 20 years ago near Mount Rushmore.
Working in a soda shop is a new experience for Villatoro. He's an accountant, and one that isn't much of a soda drinker.
But when Cope introduced him to dirty sodas, he could see why they are popular. Cope made him a Root Burro Float, The Purple Donkey's rendition of a root beer float.
"I don't like root beer," Villatoro said. "But when I tried that, I was like ... 'This has a complete, different taste.' It changes everything."
The night before opening, Villatoro and Cope were in the soda shop until midnight, and before they left, Villatoro made himself a dirty soda.
"A lot of people say, 'Oh, well I'm not a soda drinker,'" Cope said."... But this is definitely not your typical soda."
The Purple Donkey hopes to celebrate its grand opening sometime in March, an event that will feature a ribbon-cutting, live music and giveaways.
The Purple Donkey is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
