Today we’d like to introduce you to Liyah Maddox.
Hi Liyah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started mixing about 7 years ago. My first job was in a small place that was a sports bar by day and a nightclub by night. From there, I branched into upscale hospitality, working at hotels and 5-star establishments where I was able to elevate my craft and knowledge. While working for some amazing places, I decided that I wanted a bigger voice when it came cocktail curation and providing luxury experiences. I felt like, “This is what I’m doing anyway, so why not just do it?” So, I officially started Bar Bryant Avenue in January of 2024.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I am very much still ON the way. The road has been challenging but all of the outcomes have been promising and worth the struggle. I think my biggest obstacle in the beginning was probably second-guessing myself and not starting sooner. The ride on the road begins to feel less bumpy when you’re in motion. You may hit a pothole (especially in ATL) every now and then, but that’s life.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I officially started BBA in January of this year. I had this idea to pay homage to my family, and where I spent a lot of my childhood. Bryant Circle was my grandmother’s neighborhood. Everyone knew everyone and even though they were all friends and neighbors, they were really a local community of black gardeners who all traded goods. The neighborhood had pear trees, blackberry bushes, honeysuckles, muscadine trees, apple trees, pecan trees, pepper gardens, tomatoes gardens, and surely more. We were surrounded by so much flavor and all you had to do was go knock on someone’s door for a taste. I wanted to bring the knock on the door to life by creating a luxury experience with cocktails that revisit my childhood flavors and memories. My recipes are a combination of flavorful memories and family recipes combined with my gained spirit knowledge and other techniques that I’ve learned throughout my journey.
My business specializes in craft cocktail curation and luxury bartending services. We take care of everything from your mixers, menu, recipes, shopping lists, coolers, setup, etc. If you don’t have a bar, we will bring one to you.
What matters most to you?
From a business aspect, I think that communication and forming a good relationship with people is the most important thing that you can do. Without people, you can’t run a business, and if you can’t form positive relationships with people, you’re likely to have a hard time. People are pretty hard to avoid.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.barbryantavenue.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/barbryantatl
Image Credits
Shopwithrowlee
