Behind the bar at CoolToday Park: A Braves fan’s dream job

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:

Order a drink at the Tomahawk Tiki Bar in CoolToday Park and you are sure to see Tonia Copelan behind the bar.

Tonia has served Braves Country for six years, but her love for the team spans decades.

“I grew up watching Dale Murphy back in 1984,” Copelan said.

She is a Georgia girl through and through.

“I love the Braves. I love the Bulldogs too, but the Braves are my number one.”

Copelan managed a school lunchroom for 20 years and bartended on the side.

She planned to go back into the school business when she retired to North Port, that is until she heard the Braves were building a Spring Training facility down the road.

“I went up to a local pub and when I went in there, they said, ‘The Braves are building a stadium.’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ so I turned around, came right down here and I had a job. Within two weeks, they hired me.”

The rest is history.

“It just worked out perfectly. It was like it was just meant to be for me to be down here.”

Working with the Braves gives her a taste of home every time she goes to work.

“The Braves fans are awesome and we have a lot of Braves fans. And they all come from all over so we love them. One of the customers came up to me and he was so sweet and for my birthday, gave me a $100 tip here at this park.”

Other than getting to watch her beloved Braves play every spring her favorite part of the job is who she does it with.

“My favorite part is being with the employees and my customers. It is my customers.”

Spring training and year-round, the customers love Tonia Copelan back.

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