Olivia Sayer
The founder of Athens Brewery Tours & Transportation, Haden Davis, poses for a photo in Athens on Sept. 28, 2023. Davis offers transportation to those looking to tour local breweries in the area. (Photo/Olivia Sayer)
Haden Davis is the founder of Athens Brewery Tours & Transportation, a business that opened earlier this year and provides people with the opportunity to tour different local breweries in Athens.
Q: When did the idea for your business first come up?
A: “So I used to do wine tours up in Dahlonega, Georgia for about three years. So once I realized I was moving to Athens, I think the idea was kind of— it was kind of clear to me that that was something I wanted to see and look into getting started.”
Q: What has been the biggest surprise about the process of creating your own business?
A: “Um, every corner that you turn, there’s something else to do and more money to spend. My budget wasn’t super high when I started. So, you know, every time I turn the corner, there’s something else that has to be paid for— licensing and all that type of stuff.”
Q: And then your website mentions this a little bit, but just talk about some of the things that you offer. I saw you do wedding tours, Georgia football…
A: “Yeah, so I’ll offer any type of transportation, but my main focuses are brewery tours, weddings and then special requests. So basically, if there’s a group of people that want to go on like a date night, they want to get driven to the Braves game, whatever it may be—I can take care of that. Just definitely customizable tours and transportation for people.”
Q: As far as the future, what are some of your future goals for your business?
A: “So my future goals are definitely to expand the business and scale it. You know, hopefully, once I get bookings and they’re consistent, then I go and get another bus. And if that one gets booked consistently, get another bus. You know, hopefully in a couple years, I’ll have multiple buses. I’ll have people driving for me because I couldn’t drive all of them myself, obviously. And people kind of see it as an attraction to come to Athens more than just something, you know, something that they saw.”
Q: So on that note, how do you think tourism plays a role?
A: “I think pretty big, just because I think Athens is the perfect spot for this, just because there’s so many people in and out of Athens always looking for something new to do. So I mean, even for like game days, people come in on Fridays, usually, for the game on Saturday. They want to do something on Friday. And then also, you know, it goes to locals and people around Athens too, who just like going to breweries.”
Q: Do you have a biggest misconception about entrepreneurship?
A: “I think a lot of people might think it’s a little easier than it actually is. I personally probably did. Like I remember when I was thinking about my old bosses like I could easily do that. Which I have basically, kind of, in a way, done it now, but it was not easy in any means. There’s a lot to it. And then I guess a lot of things is I talked to a lot of people all the time. And they always want to give criticism, which is good—feedback is really good.”
Comments trimmed for length and clarity.
Why I Wrote the Story:
I chose to write this story because I believe it will provide an interesting angle on entrepreneurship. Additionally, highlighting a local business owner in Athens both informs the audience of local businesses in the areas, as well as provides a behind-the-scenes look of what entrepreneurship is like— something that my peers may go through.