By Jorge Perezchica
Step into 1/2sies Co. in La Quinta, and it’s immediately clear this isn’t your typical doughnut shop. Just inside the entrance, a glowing neon sign on the left wall reads “Doughpamine & Chill,” set against a vibrant mural of a dripping ice cream cone. Further down, playful cartoon characters—a smiling scoop and a halvsie doughnut—stand against a desert landscape dotted with palm trees, grounding the design in the Coachella Valley.
At the center, an arc-shaped bar anchors the experience, with handcrafted doughnuts on one side and an assortment of specialty ice cream flavors on the other. A nearby viewing window offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of doughnuts being made fresh, adding movement and craftsmanship.
Bright, colorful, and buzzing with energy—the shop is designed not just for grabbing a treat, but for lingering, connecting, and soaking in a little joy. That was always the goal for founder Danielle Ulian.
“I haven’t seen an ice cream parlor like this. I haven’t seen a donut shop like this,” she says. “This is more to me than an ice cream and donut shop. It’s a place to be. It’s a place to hang out. It’s an experience.”
That experience—equal parts flavor and community—is at the heart of 1/2sies Co.
From Therapist to Treat Maker
Danielle’s journey to La Quinta and the opening 1/2sies Co. has been anything but ordinary. Born in Canada, she’s lived in Michigan, Chicago, and Los Angeles, eventually calling the desert home for the past five years.
Before opening the shop, Ulian spent 20 years working as a psychologist. The transition into the food world wasn’t exactly conventional—but for her, it felt natural.
“Cooking for me is like therapy. It’s like this alchemy,” she says. “I’m a very intuitive cook.”
Entirely self-taught, Ulian immersed herself in learning everything she could about her new craft. She attended ice cream school, consulted with shop owners, and even went to industry conventions.
“I taught myself how to make ice cream. I taught myself how to make donuts,” she says. “All the ice creams are homemade here.”
That passion for learning—and creating—became the foundation of the business.
A Father’s Legacy
At the heart of 1/2sies Co.’s story is Ulian’s father, Mike, whose influence helped shape both the business and its purpose.
After he was diagnosed with cancer, Ulian moved to La Quinta to be closer to him. During that time, a simple moment left a lasting impression.
“One day, he was like, ‘I want a doughnut,’” she says. “And there weren’t any.”
That small but meaningful gap planted a seed.
“I wanted to be able to make ice cream and donuts for him whenever he had that craving,” she says.
Mike, a successful business owner himself, also served as a model for how Ulian approaches her work.
“I always say I got an MBA from them,” she says. “Because I got to witness them develop this very successful business.”
Though he passed away before the shop opened, his presence continues to guide her.
“He still continues to influence me,” she says. “He’s constantly telling me messages… remember that anybody should be able to come at any given time, and it should be really clean.”
A Calling—and a Leap of Faith
The idea for 1/2sies Co. didn’t come gradually. It arrived all at once.
“I literally meditated and woke up one day and was like, you’re gonna open up the store,” Ulian recalls. “It was just this peaceful knowing and this pulse of energy that this was supposed to be.”
From that moment on, everything began to take shape—from recipes to branding to design—often in unexpected ways.
“I would have these moments of like, ‘ooh, I’m going to make this peanut butter and jelly ice cream,’” she says. “It’s really these whimsical downloads that I get.”
Even the shop’s visual identity came together intuitively, inspired by travel, design influences, and moments of quiet reflection.
Reinventing the Doughnut
The concept behind 1/2sies Co. is as playful as it is practical.
Inspired by years of seeing half-eaten doughnuts left behind at gatherings, Ulian created a solution: half-sized doughnuts that allow customers to mix and match flavors without overindulging.
“I thought back about all the times I brought donuts to meetings and parties… and there’s all these donuts cut in half,” she says. “I was like, yes, we’re gonna do half donuts.”
The idea evolved into the shop’s name—and its identity.
Customers can pair those doughnuts with house-made ice cream for a signature experience.
“I would always recommend that you try a combination of both,” she says. “We call it ‘a la Halfsie.’ And it’s beautiful—and it’s also delicious.”
Crafted with Care
Quality is central to everything at 1/2sies Co., from sourcing to preparation.
“We get our milk from fifth-generation dairy farmers, and I use real food to flavor the ice cream,” Ulian says. “There are no syrups.”
Her approach is rooted in both creativity and intention, with flavors often inspired by memory and experience.
“I’ll have these moments… like my grandma used to make a wonderful apple crisp,” she says. “And I’m like, I should turn that into an ice cream.”
Community input plays a role as well, with customers regularly suggesting new ideas.
Designed to Spark Joy
The shop’s bold, vibrant design is impossible to miss—and entirely intentional.
“I love color. I love whimsical. I love eclectic design,” Ulian says. “Some people say it’s over the top. I say it’s just right.”
From the large-scale mural by a local artist to the custom-built interiors, nearly every element was created with the community in mind.
“I wanted them to be able to come in here and just feel this creative, joyful frequency,” she says.
A Hub for the Community
More than anything, Ulian envisioned 1/2sies Co. as a gathering place.
“A safe neighborhood hub is a place where people can come… they’re treated with respect, kindness,” she says. “People can feel safe just to hang out, just to be.”
That vision is already becoming reality.
“It has been absolutely just wonderful,” she says of the response. “We have been received with all the oohs and the ahs and the yums.”
Customers aren’t just enjoying the food—they’re embracing the space.
“People are thanking us for being here,” she says. “They’re just like, ‘thanks for being here. We needed this.’”
Bringing the Vision to Life
Opening a shop is about more than just flavors—it’s about people. Hiring the right team was crucial for Danielle to bring her vision to life.
“I love that I had this vision, and now I get to interview and hire everybody, because when in your life do you ever get to handpick the people who you’re gonna work with? That was really cool—to put together a team of people who I knew would be the heartbeat of this place. I had the vision, but it was then creating the gold standard team who was going to make this come to life,” Danielle reflects.
“But also just seeing people come in, seeing the smiles, seeing them come back again… my heart explodes. I’ve literally enjoyed every part of this process.”
From the mural by local artist Ismael Sandoval, to the thoughtfully designed interiors, every element of the shop reflects Danielle’s commitment to the Coachella Valley community. Inspired in part by events like Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the space blends playful color, with subtle mid-century design, desert motifs and a hint of Willy Wonka-style whimsy.
Looking Ahead
While the shop is still new, Ulian is already thinking about what’s next.
“I would like this to continue to be our La Quinta community hub,” she says. “But I also would like to expand.”
Future plans include additional locations, collaborations, and even a mobile dessert trailer for events.
At the center of it all is the same mission that started it.
“This was the dream,” she says. “To witness people experience joy, share delicious food and come together.”
1/2sies Co
50921 Washington St., Suite C-1
La Quinta, CA 92253