Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Haleigh & Cody Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Haleigh & Cody, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

There were a few things that happened on Instagram soon after the inception of Home Bar Network that got us super excited. When we launched our Instagram, Facebook & YouTube channel in April 2020, we had less than 1500 followers combined. Not worried about it, we started pumping out content, it was the middle of the pandemic and bars were closed, so we were all stuck inside and couldn’t think of a better way to pass the time than to do what we love, online. We hosted live happy hours every Thursday on Facebook and each week was a new round of cocktails. Haleigh was also running social media for a big whiskey brand out of Tennessee so we were able to utilize her skills and cocktail photography to get our channels going. Only a couple months later and we were already having brands reach out wanting to send us free bottles of liquor to be featured on our channels. This was so exciting to us! We had no idea we would be noticed at such a low follower count, but it definitely gave us reassurance that our content was well received.

Then the virtual cocktail class clients started rolling in. Like most small businesses, the first were from personal friends but then we were approached by a big communications company to host a live cocktail class for several of their internal teams. We were pinching ourselves! We immediately started purchasing higher quality cameras and mics and closed out 2020 with several virtual cocktail classes with clients, from our home state of Georgia all the way to California!

We loved our virtuals – such a great way to connect with people all over the country/world! But at the end of the day, we thrive in social situations and love meeting people in person. So when our first lead came in December 2020 for an in-home mixology class, we were THRILLED! They contacted us not only for a cocktail class but a whiskey tasting as well. That Executive Bourbon Stewardship coming in handy!

Things happened very fast and we are so grateful to see how our original idea to create a cocktail channel has blossomed into a full-blown business over the past 2.5 years.

Haleigh & Cody, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We’ve both been in the bar industry for years, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I was introduced to a mentor of mine who really taught me the bar business — Marcus Bifaro. Marcus moved to Atlanta from Long Island and had opened several bars/restaurants in Manhattan and in the Hamptons. He was a cocktail bartender who knew the ins and outs of all things behind the bar. I was used to slinging drinks and pouring beers — think neighborhood bartender — but when I met Marcus he taught me the true craft of tending bar, the theory of flavor and the rolls different ingredients play in cocktails. Marcus was the Director of Operations for the restaurant group I was working for and I became bar manager. From there, I began to devour as much information on cocktails as I could, from online classes to videos to books and articles. I started creating cocktail menus for the restaurant group and eventually became Beverage Director. Haleigh has also created successful cocktail menus, managed bars and been completely enveloped in the industry in a multitude of positions going back over a decade. Our love of cocktails, food, flavor, and bar culture are what allowed us to conceive and execute our idea for Home Bar Network.

The main crux of our business is probably a 50/50 split between our mobile craft cocktail bar, and in-home cocktail classes. We also offer professional bar consulting, home bar consulting, content creation, virtual classes and happy hours. We take pride in the fact that we use nothing but the absolute best ingredients — fresh squeezed juices, homemade syrups, tinctures, garnishes, etc. We like to point out that we aren’t “Craigslist bartenders” and there’s a reason our drinks and service are so highly lauded. This is an obsession for us and we ensure every aspect of each custom cocktail experience we plan goes above and beyond for each client. It is still amazing to us how many bars, restaurants, venues, and mobile services don’t pay attention to their bar offerings they way they should. Cocktails seem like an afterthought of many businesses, and that’s where we differ: they are our forefront and core focus. High-end cocktails, measured execution, and southern hospitality are what we excel at.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Haleigh and I met in Madrid, Spain. We like to say I was on a study abroad and Haleigh was on a party abroad which is hilariously ironic considering she’s always been the better student. We immediately connected through a love of travel, history, food, beverage and architecture. Her college roomate at the time was on the same study abroad program as me even though we were from different universities. As cheesy as it is, we truly think it was meant to be that we met this way. After all, we grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta only 15 minutes away from each other and never had met until we were in Spain! She stayed for almost two weeks and I was there for five. I asked her out on a date the second I landed back in Atlanta and we’ve been together ever since.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Impressing our clients with the best cocktails they’ve ever tasted and friendly approachable personalities is what grows our clientele the fastest. They immediately tell their friends about us and the word starts to spread. We are forever thankful for all the amazing referrals we get from our clients, family and friends. We love to grow our business through social media as well but word of mouth is KING!

Contact Info:

• Website: homebarnetwork.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/homebarnetwork
• Facebook: facebook.com/homebarnetwork
• Twitter: twitter.com/homebarnetwork
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqUqeHkDfihbYNbxLB3Ph3A
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@homebarnetwork