- December 15, 2025
Humanity. Compassion. Kindness. Equity. Inclusion.
These are a few of the words that cover the predominantly fuchsia pink exterior of Sally’s Ice Cream and the adjoining courtyard — words that owner Karen Barchowski lives by.
“When your head, your heart and your soul are all singing the same song, that’s when you listen. That’s my gauge. Does it feel good here, here and here? Okay. It’s time. When you know, you know.”
KAREN BARCHOWSKI, owner of Sally's Ice Cream regarding the right time to leave
“You’re fine the way you are,” she said. “It’s simple. It’s not very complicated in any way at all. It’s love. That’s it.”
Customers, friends and family gathered at the iconic shop for a Barchowski family farewell party organized by Flagler Pride on Saturday, Oct. 8. Barchowski has been the owner of the shop located on the corner of A1A and Fourth Street in Flagler Beach for 10 years. Last October, she purchased 28 acres of farmland in Vermont. She has spent the past year getting everything ready to make the transition to a new life and turn the ice cream shop over to new ownership. Recently, she knew it was time.
“When your head, your heart and your soul are all singing the same song, that’s when you listen,” she said. “That’s my gauge. Does it feel good here, here and here? OK. It’s time. When you know, you know.”
Erica Rivera, the newly voted president of Flagler Pride, coordinated the event with founder and vice president Eryn Harris. The organization has been having its family-friendly ice cream socials at Sally’s once a month. Harris reached out to Barchowski to ask if the group could have its events at her business because the ice cream shop is a symbol of inclusivity in the area.
“She already had that sign on there that said ‘All are welcome,’ so that was like a for-sure, we can go here and we will be accepted,” Harris said. “Plus, there’s really good ice cream.”
At the group’s social in September, the group learned that a new owner would be buying Sally’s and starting on Nov. 1. The group agreed that the next hangout should be a celebration, possibly an end-of-summer bash. Rivera quickly began to coordinate the event, and it evolved into the Barchowski Family Farewell Party. Local entertainers — Chris Gollon, Mike and Vin, Kat Karpinski and Dean Batten — performed at the event, followed by an hour of dancing with DJ Artie. Magik Audio, owned by Amanda Waldman, provided audio engineering for the event.
“It’s a wonderful event to say goodbye to Sally’s (Karen),” Palm Coast resident Brandon Stanley said. “I literally picked Palm Coast off a map, and this was the very first place that I came to when I visited the beach the very first time.”
Courtney VandeBunte, who is running for Flagler County School Board, District 2, spoke to the 50-plus attendees.
“I am a rare born-and-raised local,” she said. “One of my earliest memories as a child was my mom [giving] me two dollars, because that’s how much it was for a soft-serve ice cream then, riding my bike from 18th Street North and coming up here and getting ice cream. Back then, Sally’s was the only ice cream store in the community. It has since evolved into a symbol of inclusivity and love. It is a bittersweet day to say goodbye to Karen, but we know that Sally’s symbol will never change.”
There is not much left for Barchowski to do in the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 1 closing date except make sure Sally’s runs smoothly and wait for a back-ordered air conditioner.
“I’m just enjoying our time that we have here,” she said. “I’m looking forward to more big-table conversations. I love hearing about everybody’s lives, then you find out how that invisible line connects us all. You find out you have all these things in common, which is so cool. The places you’ve walked upon, they’ve walked upon. It’s so funny, because it’s a very vast world, yet so tiny.”
The entrepreneur is uncomfortable talking about her ability to strike a balance between creating welcoming, inclusive spaces and creating a business that’s economically viable. She makes a positive impact by staying true to the people, her family and her community, which she credits for lifting her up.
“It’s really not me,” she said. “It’s everyone else around me, is what it is. I can put a building there. I can put a sign, but unless there’s enough energy, love and acceptance there, it really wouldn’t matter. So, it’s really not about me.”
Her next venture combines the Vermont land purchase with her investment in the Revolution Kitchen, located in Burlington. The restaurant had caught her eye on multiple occasions, but she never went in. She decided to look online for businesses that were available in the area, and there it was. The owners were ready to retire. It was everything Barchowski had dreamed of — a vegan/vegetarian menu, an adorable exterior with a garage door and an ideal location.
“I like to feed people who are hungry,” she said. “If you need food, I will give you food. We’ll be able to start that off immediately. The evolution of the revolution.”
