Episode 607: Welcome Home: Tom and Amy Johnson on Building B-Side the Tracks Brewing Co.

Tom and Amy Johnson are turning a years-long dream into B-Side the Tracks Brewing Company in Conyers, GA. Amy, a 30-year finance pro turned American Brewers Guild grad, will helm the brewhouse. Tom will run front-of-house and a small distillery (bourbon, whiskey, vodka; rum later). Their vision is a true “third place” with standout hospitality, pizza from a 700° rotating oven, smart limited specials, weekend brunch, and education-forward beer & spirits pairings. The path wasn’t linear: failed financing, lost earnest money, an architect/GC reset, a surprise ~$42k water fee, and an 18-month slog to close on their historic railroad-side building. Permits landed late May, renovation began in June, target opening is October. Equipment is en route, community excitement is real, and their service-first mindset (“welcome home”) is the throughline.

8–10 Takeaways

• Hospitality > Hype: They’re building a neighborhood “third space” where regulars feel known. Service is the differentiator, not bells & whistles.
  
  
• Beer + Spirits, thoughtfully: Six house beers on 12 taps, a 1-bbl pilot for experiments (first up: a peach wheat), and a micro-distillery launching with three core spirits.
  
  
• Education matters: Tasting flights, three-course pairings (beer and spirits), and “why you like what you like” guidance to win over the “I don’t like beer” crowd.
  
  
• Menu discipline: 700° oven, ~90-second pizzas, tight rotating specials, and brunch on weekends, quality over quantity to control COGS and execution.
  
  
• Perseverance playbook: Multiple failed loans, lost deposits, a full architect/GC change, and a late surprise water impact fee, yet they kept going.
  
  
• Community roots: Name and location honor Conyers’ rail history. Goal is a Cheers-style welcome: “Welcome home, we’re glad you’re here.”
  
  
• Real operator chops: Amy’s ABG training (and engineering-heavy exams) plus Tom’s FOH leadership and distilling background from UVM/Colorado Boy.
  
  
• Own the asset: They bought the historic building; renovations started June after permits cleared in late May.
  
  
• Right partners: POS via GoTab for responsive support and fit; local construction management to keep it community-driven.
  
  
• Target timeline: Brewing kit is on the water (ETA late September); opening aimed for October (Oktoberfest whenever the doors open).