“The idea just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

– Kaye Bentley, Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours

In this episode, we interview the founder and owner of Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours, Kaye Bentley.

A former postal service worker, Kaye founded Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours in July of 2018. The idea came to her just a year before she retired from the postal service. “I knew that eventually, I would retire from the postal service, but I just thought I would volunteer for some organizations and possibly travel,” she says.

Of course, as we now know, things didn’t exactly go the way she thought they would.

One day while at work, Kaye asked a colleague if she wanted to go out to some rooftop bars around town. As she was planning the bar route, she thought to herself, “If there was a tour for that, I would totally take it.” But there wasn’t anything like it out there.

On a whim, she called GoDaddy that day and bought the domain for Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours thinking that eventually “somebody will want to use this.”

She didn’t think that that “somebody” would be her. As time went on, Kaye continued thinking about the idea. “I kept taking notes and audio voice memos on my phone saying someone could do it like this and do it like that. And then I realized after about two or three months that that ‘someone’ was me. The idea just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

For the rest of the story, you’ll have to tune in to the podcast!

Here’s What You’ll Learn in this Episode

  • How Kaye started and developed Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours
  • The steps she took to get her idea off the ground, from developing the branding and website to building relationships with rooftop bars around town and getting her first customers
  • Kaye’s marketing strategies
  • Challenges of growing the business — especially for Kaye who didn’t come from a business background
  • Why moving to a co-working space has changed Kaye’s work-life balance
  • A glimpse of Kaye’s postal service career
  • What’s coming up for Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours

Show Notes

Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours is a unique way to experience Asheville from above. They offer exciting guided tours in the heart of downtown Asheville, taking featuring award-winning rooftop bars, spectacular views, history, and a driver! Connect with them via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Business resources mentioned during this episode:

Asheville History resources mentioned during this episode:

Miscellaneous:

Kaye’s Favorite Things to Do & Places in Asheville:

Music by Commonwealth Choir

 

 

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