Bartender Brews Up Brewpub Tour Biz

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

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Yesterday I told you how ideas are everywhere. Look at a number of ways to find ideas through observation, through asking questions, problem solving and experimentation. Now in today's story, here's a little real world application of this. After being asked for brewery recommendations over and over, this bartender turns an old school bus into a main attraction for beer drinkers. He's actually in main thus, you know, main attraction.

Now a tour business can be a good idea if you are anchored to one place and can build the business over time. It's usually not gonna take off right away, or at least if it does, the potential to grow really kicks in over time, months and years. You also have to really like talking to people. You have to like handling logistics and doing customer service. But if you meet those criteria, this is definitely an interesting model to pursue.

We have looked at a number of successful tour businesses over the years. ABC News reporter dishes out profitable pizza tours. That was episode 809. Food tour guide chomps down on $100,000 profit. That was episode 648.

And government researcher offers private tours of nation's capital. That was episode 508. Again, just to name a few. But today we're gonna look at this bartender, a bartender who brews up brew pub tour biz. That story is coming up in just 30 seconds.

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If enough people ask you the same question, it might be a sign from the universe that you've found your money-making idea. That's what happened to Zachary Poole while he was working at a pub in Portland, Maine. Customers kept asking him what breweries they should visit. And after answering the question dozens of times, something clicked. There should be a tour for all these people.

That was when the idea for Zach's side hustle, the Maine Brew Bus, was born. These tours take guests around some of the best breweries in Portland, with Zach serving as both tour guide and designated driver. At the time, he and his wife had just bought a house after living in other states for her job. So when the idea for the Brew Bus hit, Zach jumped on it. Now, where does the bus come in?

Well, he found a used school bus that a local school district had listed on Craigslist. He bought it for $2,400 and drove it home, where it promptly sprung a leak. Zach fixed that up and then took the bus in for other repairs. Now, Maine Law, here's a fun fact, Maine Law requires that school buses be repainted after purchase. Zach was on his way home when he saw a man painting a bus in the parking lot of a private school.

When he stopped to ask for help, the man said no, at least until that man heard the idea for a beer bus. Having won over a helper, Zach had his new bus painted lime green, a decision that he says was helpful in branding. It wasn't long before he had his first tour booked, a bachelorette party, and he was nervous. There was a lot of back and forth before it was fully confirmed, but it ended up being a blast. Zach and his wife celebrated their first sale with a case of beer.

What else? Let's look under the hood of this frothy idea. The brew bus tours are all inclusive, with a flat fee that varies depending on the tour, but typically is around $70. That fee covers transport, the guide, and tastings at each brewery the bus visits. Depending on the tour, the bus will stop at three to five breweries, distilleries, and maybe some wineries.

This takes place over the course of half a day, and some tours include activities like attending local hockey games. Since Zach had been working in a pub before starting up, he already had a good idea of which breweries he wanted to approach. Finding places that could offer bespoke private tours was important, as the tasting rooms needed to handle all the people waiting at once. Therefore, he had to find breweries that were not only willing to work with him for little to no cost, but also places that could adhere to a schedule and offer new and interesting information to a group that was going to see several in one afternoon. Zach made sure to visit multiple brew fests to stay in the loop, meeting with vendors and talking to attendees.

It was a great way to get his business in front of the people who were most interested. And it worked, because aside from showing up, all Zach had to focus on was delivering a killer tour each time. It all culminated in a stellar first year, with nearly 1,500 guests having boarded the bus, and being right at the number one tour in Portland by TripAdvisor. Every tour helped to bring in more people, and at the end, Zach would ask them to leave a review. His conversion rate was high, especially considering that they had all had at least something to drink.

By 2016, the main brew bus had 10 staff members, and it had taken more than 5,000 people on tours. And as the business grew, the Portland brewery scene was growing as well. That meant more beer to go around, and more bus tours popping up. But for Zach, it was important to never see these other tours as competitors he needed to tear down. He was glad to see the idea grow in popularity, and he went out of his way to help fellow operators.

This generous attitude has only further increased his reputation on the main beer scene. In March 2017, the main brew bus acquired main beer tours, a similar tour business that doesn't use buses. Some of their tours are on foot, on bicycles, or even by boat. This allowed Zach to offer a whole new set of tours without setting them all up himself. By 2019, the empire had grown from one bus to three, with 13 drivers and guides, hand-raked in $600,000 in sales.

Zach now runs the main brew bus full-time, but on a flexible schedule, which allows him to spend more time with his family. As for what's next, well marijuana is now legal in the state, so he's thinking about starting a main can of us. [Music]

Well, if you happen to be in Portland, Maine at some point, it's a beautiful city. I've only been there a couple of times, but each time I've really enjoyed it, you might wanna check out the main brew bus. And also, if enough people ask you the same question, they might just need your side hustle.

As with a lot of our stories, the idea is what gets this going, but the execution and attention to detail is what helps it blow up. So big congrats to Zach, his wife and their team. Thanks so much for letting us share your story. And listeners, inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better. I hope that you're gonna take action in this year of interaction.

Today's show notes are at sidehustleschool.com/1109. 1-1-0-9. I'll be back tomorrow with more questions from listeners. My name is Chris Guillebeau for Side Hustle School. [Music]

From the Onward Project.