Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Erickson.
Jared, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Back in 2012, I moved into the Cotton Mill Lofts. This was one of the first times I lived in a space with no access to a garage. Getting to know some of the other motorcycle riders in the city, We all realized we had the same issues. No place to work on our own motorcycles. If one of us had a garage or shed, we would spend weekends and late nights working on our different projects. That was the start and soul behind Brother Moto, it is more fun to work together.
Three of us (Bobby Russell, Brandon Turner and myself ) saw the need for a space in the city for motorcyclist to work on their own bikes with the proper tools and maybe friendly advice if needed. We searched out a location in East Atlanta Village and opened our doors in the Summer of 2014. From the beginning we wanted Brother Moto to be one of the most welcoming spaces around. That’s where the idea for combining coffee with the garage and brand came into play. A non “motorcyclist”, or as we call someone that is Moto-curious, may be timid to go check out a garage, but walking into a coffee shop is very familiar and “comfortable” for most people.
In 2016, we moved back to my roots in Cabbagetown, right off Memorial before the heavy development started. We wanted more space to open the coffee program and offer more retail goods. We have some of the best loyal customers and incredible members. We have focused on letting people know you don’t have to own a motorcycle to love Brother Moto.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve pretty much decided life will never be “smooth”. We where technically shut down in East Atlanta Village due to an outdated zoning law. We could have stayed open as just a retail/coffee space but the DIY garage would have to go. We felt so strongly that the garage is what makes us who we are, we chose to move locations instead of compromise. We had great support from the neighbors and local business’s in EAV, which made it really hard to leave. That was definitely a bump we had not planned on, but it has made us stronger in the long run.
Brother Moto – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a brand, a Membership based DIY garage, and one of the best cups of coffee in Atlanta. We take what we do seriously but we don’t take ourselves too serious. It’s been really cool hearing stories of people in other states/countries and when they hear Atlanta or are talking about motorcycles, our name gets brought up. I’m proud of the fact we have made motorcycles and the ability to work on your bike more accessible to the common person.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Walking into our space and seeing it full of people has been so incredible. I can’t help but smile.
Contact Info:
- Address: 670 Memorial DR SE
Atlanta, GA 30312 - Website: brothermoto.com
- Email: hello@brothermoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/brother_moto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brothermoto
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brother_moto
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