PERRY, Ga. — One Dooly County woman closed her store in downtown Perry and transformed the business into a boutique on wheels.
Abbey Patterson says she spends her time taking her bus around the state of Georgia.
"I'll travel anywhere from Macon to Valdosta," said Patterson.
Originally named Grace & Grits, Patterson owned a gift and home décor shop which opened in Unadilla before relocating to Perry.
"Finally, when I started to hit my stride and felt like I was finding what works for me and what my customers loved and that sort of thing, COVID hit, so I said 'Well, what am I gonna do now?'"
Her business then took a turn and became mobile. Patterson closed the store in downtown Perry and transformed her business to the Brassy Peach Boutique.
She says the pandemic, along with personal reasons, led her to the decision.
"COVID, that definitely made a huge impact on my business, and I said, 'well if I close the storefront and go mobile I've removed a lot of my overhead.' And I can go and do when I can and I'm not having to be there every single day, paying employees that sort of thing," said Patterson.
She travels for festivals, pop-up shops and private events.
"I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb, and it definitely does. It's absolutely impossible to miss," said Patterson.
She says she's gotten the exact response she was hoping for.
"It was so funny to watch people stare and point and just think like 'Oh my gosh this is a pink bus!'"
Patterson says her goal is to bring something unique to the community and uplift other women.
"When somebody comes in and shops with me, my goal is for them to leave feeling like they've got a new friend, so by having the bus, I meet all sorts of people and it's fun to be able to do that," she said.
She admits she was unsure of the outcome at first, but she says it was the best decision she could've made.
Patterson says social media has been beneficial to the growth of her business -- she looks forward to what's to come over the next few years