We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aaron and Miriam Orr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aaron and Miriam , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Entrepreneurialship is a risk in itself. No risk, no reward, they say! The illusion of risk has handicapped us from our dreams for centuries. How many of us have put a goal, a dream on the back burner only to mitigating risk? Risk by definition is “to do something that may result in something bad or unpleasant happening”. Such is living and life. The leap from employee to ownership is by no means “easy” but the “reward” comes daily in the form of gratitude, autonomy, and growth. This journey with its ups and down has always been a case of “the reward, outweighs the risk”. Not only did we take the risks of opening our own business, but we literally drove our dreams in the form of a double decker bus from New Jersey to Michigan for 23 hours! Driving on the right hand side of a vehicle 30ft long 13ft high 8ft wide was quite the risk! It takes a lot of guts, a lot heart, some support, and a little crazy to make it as an entrepreneur. Then there’s the human element in all of us..the risk of how it will be received by the community. No one wants to be viewed as a failure amongst their peers,family or friends. The fear of failing sometimes feels like the biggest risk of all. But it’s been said that “you’ll miss every shot, you don’t take” and fear can be a motivator. You must find your victories, and wins were you can. Success is shooting and missing until you make it.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
We are Michigan’s 1st and only open top double decker “bustarant”. A dedicated gluten-free, peanut free establishment Conveniently located in the heart of Ann Arbor on Main St and Madison (552 s. Main St. Ann Arbor MI, 48104) just blocks from the stadium. We have the most unique dining experience in town with indoor dining, enclosed heated pergola, and of course our main attraction the heated enclosed bus top seating! We are a literal “mom and pop” with the best and most unique Tacos in town. With over 100 five star reviews, we’ve quickly established ourselves as Ann Arbor #1 Taco destination. Board the bus and take a trip with us!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
As a new business, it’s imperative to hire staff that believe in your vision and see themselves as a part of that vision. While working as a general manager prior to opening 1923. I hired a guy name Michael Taylor based on his eagerness to learn, “go getter” attitude, his dedication and hunger for knowledge. I told him back then that I’d one day open my own place and I wanted him to manage it. Fast forward 3 years and Mike is an intricate part of our system and the best manager that we could possibly have. He believes in 1923 contributes in every aspect and motivates us to continue to grow as a business and owners.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Our biggest pivot came when we switched lots. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Jeff Starman and wickfield properties are the best property management/landlord/company in town. Our original lot dealt with a flooding issue and we had no indoor dining place or restroom. Which ultimately wasn’t sustainable. After a vacation last February Jeff came back with vision of moving us to Main St. This move would prove to be the best thing that could have possibly happened to us. We gained indoor dining, constant power source, a restroom, and location,location, location.
Contact Info:
- Website: 1923.llc
- Instagram: 1923bustarant
- Facebook: 1923
- Yelp: 1923
Image Credits
Gigi Bennett (inside of the house photos)