Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meet Me At The Bar (MMATB). We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Meet Me At The Bar (MMATB), appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Meet Me At The Bar is very personal because it’s our truth, the brand is our story of how we created such a strong bond. We are proof that new friendships can be formed over just one cocktail. Our journey began during our college days at Alabama A&M University. However, it wasn’t until fate brought us to the vibrant city of New Orleans, LA, that our friendship truly flourished over the clink of cocktail glasses. We created Meet Me At The Bar as an activity with an effort to maintain bonds and create new ones.

Start-up was easy. The reason is that the vast majority of all social gatherings in the first half of 2020 were canceled or postponed. Due to the impact of COVID everything was at a standstill. We noticed we were “meeting at the bar” virtually more frequently because we couldn’t see each other physically. We knew we weren’t the only ones who resorted to maintaining bonds virtually due to being sheltered in place. Our first thought was how can we create a perfect substitute for the sheltered in in-place lives we are currently living, knowing we can’t fully replace real-life experiences. From that day forward we’ve shared a passion for maintaining bonds/friendships and meeting new people. Our method of choice to accomplish both just so happens to be over a cocktail. One of the major benefits of Meet Me At The Bar is that the bar is always open because this activity can be virtual or in a physical location. Meet Me At The Bar was launched in March 2020.

MMATB, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

With an unwavering passion for cocktails and a penchant for social connections, we’ve embarked on a mission to redefine the drinking experience for the contemporary, multicultural millennial generation. Meet Me At The Bar (MMATB) was established in 2020 as a social brand that connects people over cocktails through curated experiences, products, and events. We aim to transcend the ordinary, fostering connections and curating immersive experiences. Partnering with several spirit brands, we help elevate the drinking experience by introducing our audience to new cocktails, providing spirit education, and connecting brands with consumers. We create luxury, curated spaces where people meet, spirits are discovered, and conversations flow.

Through Meet Me At The Bar, we’re not just introducing new spirits and innovative cocktails but crafting a narrative that celebrates the rich tapestry of cultures while showcasing the finest establishments.

How’d you meet your business partner?

We have known each other since our college days at Alabama A&M University but our friendship didn’t blossom until we both moved to New Orleans, LA, and shared a cocktail.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Going back to when we started our business, completely walking into the unknown… we felt we needed to offer multiple products, services, and experiences right away. Knowing what we know now, “keep it simple” was the best advice given to us first-time business owners. Once we started, we hit the ground running, like many entrepreneurs and soon realized that we needed to remain small and narrow our focus. We focused on doing what we did well. We told ourselves we could always add additional products, services, and experiences as the brand grew and became more established.

Contact Info:

• Website: thebarnevercloses.com
• Instagram: _meetmeatthebar
• Facebook: meetmatb
• Other: TikTok: @thebarnevercloses

Image Credits
Photographer: Ashley Lorraine (IG: @sheshoots_)