Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Burch.
Hi Billy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up, I always wanted to open my own restaurant. I started working in hospitality when I was 15. Something about the energy of a bustling dining room full of delighted diners gave me an addictive high. I continued working in and running restaurants until well into my 30s. By that time, I’d been a GM for a local restaurant group for seven years. The industry and lifestyle had taken it’s toll on me mentally and physically. Not to mention, it didn’t leave a whole lot of time for relationships with my friends, family or fiancé. It was time for a change. After a trip to Europe where we had seen tiny Italian-made vehicles being used as prosecco carts, I returned to the states and began researching how to ship one to the US and turn it into a traveling cocktail bar. Six months after that trip, my fiancé and I launched Fizzy Beverage Cart in January 2020. Fizzy is the cutest little three-wheeled mobile cocktail bar and immediately started getting event bookings. Little did we know that a global pandemic would decimate the event industry in the coming months. By late March, we had lost all bookings we had taken since launching. However, we didn’t let that ruin the potential for a good time. Once the Covid lockdown started easing, we hit social media and started marketing our little beverage cart for at-home celebrations and neighborhood pop-ups. That summer, we could be found bringing people together to celebrate in driveways and back yards outdoors where they felt safe. While this wasn’t the festivals and large-scale events we had in mind for our business, it was exactly what saved our business. By late summer 2020, we had finally gained enough bookings for me to transition out of hospitality and run Fizzy Atlanta full time. Since then, there has been no slowing down or looking back. We now have three units with a fourth on the way and just completed our 300th event!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Gosh, I wish I could say “yes”, but then again I guess that’s how I know we have something special. There really isn’t a road map for how to build an event-based motorized bar in the middle of a global pandemic. To navigate this, I’ve had to call on my years of hospitality experience, creative mind and loving fiancé. From the start, once we got our first vintage vespa car to Atlanta, we had to figure out how to restore it and build it into what we had dreamed of. Once completed, we literally tipped it on its rear end by accident getting it off the trailer at our first event. Not exactly the start we were looking for. No worse for the ware we tipped it back on all three wheels and went to work. Unfortunately, that was just the start of our uphill battle. The pandemic ended up having an adverse effect on our business by making us more popular with smaller at-home celebrations, but constantly changing regulations and variants had us constantly canceling and rescheduling events. Even worse, it made it impossible to figure out what an appropriate amount of staff would be. In turn, this forced me to be the admin, transporter, bartender, dishwasher, mechanic and therapy counselor. It’s been a lot of hats to wear, but somehow we have not only made it but thrived. We’re two and a half years in and continue to get busier and busier. Nothing will make events in 90+ degree heat easier and nothing can help anticipate potential issues that could present themselves when setting up wedding services in super remote areas, but we roll with it and love getting to see our client’s faces when they see our trucks setup at their event.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fizzy Atlanta Co.?
Fizzy Atlanta is a unique beverage catering company that specializes in creating memorable experiences for our clients with the help of cute vintage Italian three-wheel trucks. Fizzy Beverage Cart, “Fizzy”, was our original truck that features six taps to serve beverages like signature cocktails, sparkling wine, beer, cold brew, tea, lemonade or seltzer. She is small enough to fit into almost any location but large enough to serve a few hundred people at once. We also have our Frothy Coffee & Goods truck, “Bean”, that is like a “Best of Atlanta” coffee shop on wheels. He serves up East Pole Coffee, Honeysuckle Gelato and Alon’s Pastries all from a sleek white oak box mounted like the bed of a truck. Nothing cooler than having a live-action barista whip up some of the best coffee in Atlanta in the middle of an event. Our trucks are perfect for weddings, corporate or social events, but we always love to hear about our client’s creative ideas. Just recently, we got a request to cater a divorce celebration. Whatever you’re celebrating, Fizzy and Bean want to celebrate it with you!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
While my passion and drive have always been huge motivators, we reached a point where I realized running our business had exceeded my personal capacity. I then had to rely on others to help us continue to execute events at the high level of hospitality that we had become known for. I had to learn the value of an amazingly talented and passionate team. We try and take amazing care of the people that take care of our clients. I’m extremely fortunate to have assembled the team that we have today. They work hard every day and go out of their way to take care of our clients on some of the most memorable days of their lives.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@getfizzyatl.com
- Website: getfizzyatl.com getfrothyatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getfizzyatl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getfizzyatl
Image Credits
The main marketing photo is Brook Womack and Glorious Moments, the rest are Sarah Vitel Photography
