Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Hendershot.
Founded in 2010 by Seth Hendershot, Hendershot’s Coffee Bar has become a favorite coffee house, bar, and music venue by locals and tourists alike. Seth Hendershot, along with investor and then business partner Chris Godfrey built Hendershot’s in a retired service station at 1560 Oglethorpe Ave. After three years of business at that location, the business needed to grow. Chris stepped out of the partnership to pursue other business ventures and Seth’s brother, Joshua Hendershot, along with financiers Robert and Tres Small, stepped in as partners. The 4 moved the business to a retired Coca Cola bottling plant called Bottleworks, which had been repurposed as a mixed-use development with Hendershot’s as the anchor.
Since 2013 Hendershot’s has grown into the new location and been able to host local, regional, and national artists on its stage as well as expand the menu to include food and specialty cocktails. Currently, the business is run by brothers Seth and Joshua Hendershot after the exit of Robert and Tres Small to pursue personal interests. The brothers hope to continue to grow the business in the Athens community and potentially bring the brand to other, similar communities.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
We’ve had peaks and valleys like everyone, and certainly a lot of bumps on the road. Struggles have been partnership changes, location change in 2013, parking issues, and just the general ups and downs of doing business in a college town. Summers are slow, Falls are crazy, Holidays are both. Also, personally trying to balance my family, wife and two kids, a music career, and running a business has been, to say the least, challenging.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Seth Hendershot is a musician and business owner from Athens, GA. As a drummer and singer, Seth performs or has performed live locally, regionally, and nationally with, among others, New West recording artist Randall Bramblett and Joyful Noise recording artist Kishi Bashi. He is first called as a recording session drummer in the Athens and Atlanta area, having appeared on over 20 albums in the last three years including Randall Bramblett’s last two releases on New West Records, “Juke Joint At The Edge Of The World”, and “Pine Needle Fire”, as well as Nashville artist Kyshona Armstrong’s independently released “GO” and “The Ride.” As a business owner, Seth is one of the proprietors of Hendershot’s Coffee Bar, a local coffee shop, bar, and 150 seat music venue that features local, regional, and national acts 5-7 nights a week. It is here that he also hosts a monthly Jazz Jam, oversees a weekly open mic night, and is responsible for the booking of the musical acts that perform at the venue. Seth lives in Athens, GA, with his wife Jennifer, Ph.D. student at UGA SPIA, and daughters Naomi (17) and Olivia (13).
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diversity and energy of the city. It lends itself to a vibrant and massively talented music scene that many cities don’t get to enjoy.
Contact Info:
- Email: bookinghendershots@gmail.com
- Website: hendershotsathens.com
- Instagram: @hendershots_
- Facebook: @hendershots.coffee
- Twitter: @hendershot10
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwKVzZ_ETA5fGkahFS7Ygtw
