Coffee, cookies, and dirty sodas at CoCo Playa in Point Loma

The Midway District has something new and unique: CoCo Playa.

Short for coffee and cookies at the beach, CoCo Playa, a new drive-thru at 3030 Kurtz St. across from Staples at Kurtz and Rosecrans streets, serves up custom coffees, fresh-baked cookies, and "dirty" sodas, infused energy and soft drinks.

Owned and operated by the Feghali family and their friends, the goal of the new business, according to trycocoplaya.com, is to "create waves of flavor and spread smiles."

So-called dirty sodas, relatively new in California, are a combination of soda, coffee creamer, and flavored syrups. The drink has risen from humble origins. It started as a sweet treat for Utah residents abstaining from alcohol and caffeine, to become an actual business model. There is now a growing dirty soda chain named Swig.

"We just wanted to bring sweetness to the people in San Diego," said Ryan Feghali, company co-founder. "Come thirsty – leave happy."

One of CoCo Playa's biggest draws is the dirty sodas that few here know about. "It's popular and trending right now and we have a number of them," said Feghali adding, "We hopped on [the trend] and wanted to offer it to people in San Diego. It's been hugely successful for us."

CoCo Playa's co-founder talked about one of their signature dirty sodas named beach. It's a drink that has Dr. Pepper, cherry, and vanilla crème in it, he said you can substitute any kind of soda or other drink, like root beer or lemonade. "You can do what you want (with your soda)," he said adding, "People love them and we're getting great feedback on social media. They can even come in and create their own."

Ryan said the Feghali family's background is in quick-service restaurants, having held franchises with both Little Caesars Pizza and Jersey Mike's sandwich chains. "We have a number of those locations," he said. "We started looking at what our next space was going to be, and we wanted to get into the coffee world."

So the family started looking for different options but didn't want to piggyback on anyone else's business model. "We wanted to create something ourselves, and ended up creating one of our own," said Feghali adding, "Our biggest goal was to provide San Diegans with amazing drinks and cookies. We want to make their day."

At CoCo Playa, customers get a personal touch, and a big smile when someone takes their order. Hopefully, noted Feghali, that "starts their day on the right foot."

Hours right now at the start-up are 6 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. The company is starting a new program on weekdays, happy hour from 6-9 a.m., where customers can get a free espresso shot to "elevate their day a little bit more," said Fehali.

Customers can also walk up to CoCo Playa's window and order. There is outdoor seating available if people want to eat onsite.

And don't forget about CoCo's cookies. "You can get drive-thru donuts," Feghali noted. "But cookies, nobody gives you that option."

The start-up founder pointed out they have a strong mix of shop-baked big cookies, some of which, he said, are "stuffed inside with other cookies, something you can't get many other places."

Concluded Feghali: "We're selling a bunch of things that make people happy, from coffee to dirty sodas. Our slogan is: 'Sweeter days start here.' We want to make sure people have an amazing experience."

Where: 3030 Kurtz St.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.