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

Travis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

On a trip to Asheville, NC, I found an app that would not only tell you where all the breweries were, but also walking directions between them. This saved me HOURS of research and planning and was such a great way to experience a city I didn’t know much about. We were able to sample 105 beers in 48 hours and had a blast doing it. With breweries starting to pop up around Atlanta, I knew we needed something like this in our city. A standard Brewery Tour is great, but it doesn’t give you the same experience that I had in Asheville. That’s when I came up with the HOP-on/HOP-off idea. Our breweries aren’t close enough for walking, so we needed a bus. With a law change in 2017 that helped breweries open taprooms, they were excited to have a way to attract more people to their locations and try their beers. It has been a win-win for the city and the Atlanta Beer Community for the last four years.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After working for many years in Corporate America for companies both large and small, I knew I wanted to go into business for myself. The only problem was, I didn’t know what that business would be. After watching my friends start their own businesses, I realized I wanted to be in a services industry and not selling a tangible good. I was always just waiting on that “perfect wave.” When I found a problem to solve in the Craft Beer industry, I knew this was my wave. Branding was always the most important aspect to me. I wanted to build a brand that invoked fun, trust, and professionalism. This wasn’t going to be just a hobby. From the logo that is red and yellow (to incorporate colors from every Atlanta sports team), the outline is a bottle cap, and has the Atlanta skyline inside, to the Beer Nerds on our buses that provide entertainment and personalized information about the breweries and their beers, Atlanta Beer Bus is THE authority on Craft Beer in Atlanta. Other companies might think of a fun name or create silly social media posts, but the Atlanta Beer Bus takes every aspect of our services very seriously and we are always looking for new ways to reach and teach our customers.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The Atlanta Beer Bus is all about community and a shared experience. The pandemic lockdown could have meant the end for us (and did for some of our competitors). Fortunately, I had positioned us as a trusted partner with the breweries and continued our Tuesday Night social group for brewery workers throughout the lockdown. Not only was this a needed social outlet for us (even when the meetings were just us drinking together on a Zoom call), but also kept the Atlanta Beer Bus front of mind. When the breweries started to reopen, I was able to talk with them directly about their safety procedures, plans for being fully reopened. Not only was I able to let the breweries guide me on how/when to reopen, they were asking ME when I was going to reopen because they wanted me to bring people by. We actually came out of the pandemic stronger than ever.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

This has to be our relationship with the breweries. My main focus has been been bringing customers and awareness to the local breweries. I offered free day passes to anyone that works at our partner breweries. This helped gain their trust and showed them that I was working in their best interest. There have been several occasions where the breweries would be presented with an opportunity and they would immediately reach out to me to help execute the events and provide transportation. I have seen how breweries talk about other Tour companies and how my solutions are more appealing than my competitors. I have worked to establish Atlanta Beer Bus as the premiere service in town and the first choice when professionals are recommending a service. The breweries themselves have become my voice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.atlantabeerbus.com/
• Instagram: @atlbeerbus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlbeerbus
• Twitter: @atlbeerbus
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/atlanta-beer-bus-atlanta