Coffee with a heart... and a great new look
By Jaclyn Lipp, Staff Writer
April 24, 2007 | 11:07 a.m.
Not only is its coffee served with a conscience, but Donkey Coffee is a local business with heart. And it recently celebrated the opening of a new upstairs expansion, bringing even more personality to the Athens favorite.
On Wednesday, a long line of students and community members constantly snaked out the front door onto West Washington Street, enticed by the promise of free iced lattes in celebration of the new addition and five years of business. Chris and Angie Pyle, the owners of Donkey, greeted customers with friendly smiles, thanked them and invited them to check out the expansion.
“I love the community of Donkey. I feel like this community has made it what it is and we want to honor them for that… we wouldn’t be anything without our customers. We have hundreds of regulars; I feel like I’ve met half the town and so many of those customers have turned into friends,” Chris Pyle said.
People were bustling throughout three quaint rooms that comprise the upstairs addition, which took almost four months to complete. Donkey is already known for its intimate and friendly atmosphere, but the new rooms simply add to its personality. The trademark purple trim leads up the stairs to the new rooms. On one side, a bar with high stools offers more seating, while another room is filled with comfortable sofas for a cozy atmosphere. In the third room, still more chairs and tables are available with wonderful window seats.
The walls are adorned with colorful artwork, which was purchased from Passion Works Studio, an art studio which supports collaborations between artists with and without developmental disabilities. One piece of artwork is very special to the owners; by the stairs, a picture with footprints is displayed that was painted by their 2-year-old son.
People had nothing but positive responses to the new upstairs and re-opening of Donkey. Freshman Alex Lapso, 18, lounging on one of the big couches in the corner room, was happily sipping on a white chocolate iced latte as he commented on Donkey. “I think it’s the ultimate coffeehouse feel. The upstairs is kind of rustic, but homey,” Lapso said. He also swore that Donkey's coffee was the best he’d ever had.
Usame Tunagur, an Ohio University graduate student in the School of Film, was enjoying the view from one of the window seats. Tunagur said that he has been a regular at Donkey for the past three years and he is friends with the owners. He mentioned that he had previously lived in Philadelphia, and that switching to a smaller town like Athens was a big change, but Donkey helped build a sense of community for him. For him, Donkey is a beautiful experience, and he spends a lot of time there. He is also a big supporter of how Donkey uses only fair trade coffee, which ensures that poor coffee farmers make a fair wage for their work. Tunagur said he is extremely happy that the coffee shop’s space got extended and it helps with the problem of not being able to find a seat.
Owner Chris Pyle also mentioned that a big complaint had been the limited amount of seating before the expansion. He said that the business had felt the negative effects of Baker Center opening and they were hoping to win customers back.
Downstairs, the interior of Donkey is just as interesting to explore. A social justice room filled with pamphlets on social action and framed inspirational quotes separates the front of the coffeehouse from the intimate back room. More than likely, some kind of live music can be heard coming from the stage in back room. Board games to enjoy with a cup of coffee are overflowing on shelves. People are busy studying or chatting over their favorite drink.
With the completion of the cozy new expansion, along with the business’s friendly service and intimate atmosphere, Donkey Coffee seems to be quite a hidden treasure in Athens.