A Day in the Life of a Westside Business Owner
Jacob Hunter, co-owner of The Daily, starts his day early. He leaves his home in Candler Park and Lake Claire by 7:30 a.m., making the 10 to 15-minute drive to the cafe’s Westside location on Trabert Avenue. This location is part of a growing network that includes two other spots in Inman Park and Buckhead. When he and his partners returned to Atlanta from Charleston in 2022, they chose to live near Inman Park for the proximity to their children’s school.
Hunter’s daily routine often involves moving between locations. While he isn’t always present at The Daily’s Westside spot, the manager, Shay Raynor, handles most of the operations. Hunter travels as needed, sometimes hopping around to each location. His commute can vary depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.
For morning commutes, Hunter prefers back roads, taking DeKalb all the way and turning onto Marietta and then Howell Mill. If he uses the Connector, he exits at 17th Street and heads west down some of the busiest roads in the area. He finds the morning commute manageable, but the return trip in the afternoon can be more challenging.
Due to his children’s school schedule, Hunter usually leaves the Trabert Avenue location around 1 p.m. By then, the travel time from Berkeley Park to Inman Park and Lake Claire takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the future growth of the area.
Navigating Traffic and Development
The congestion between Chattahoochee Avenue and the Marietta Street Artery is a direct result of the ongoing development on the Westside. However, Hunter has developed strategies to manage this. For instance, all The Daily locations close at 3 p.m., which helps avoid the worst of the traffic.
Despite the lack of proper infrastructure and heavy traffic, Hunter notes that it rarely affects ingredient and supply delivery times for the cafe. Most of The Daily’s suppliers are local, with baked goods prepared in Inman Park and tortillas sourced from Poco Loco in Kirkwood. Coffee deliveries come from a rotation of local roasters, ensuring freshness and reliability.
However, the Westside location doesn’t attract as much foot traffic as the other locations. Even though it’s located within a block of busy Howell Mill Road, Hunter estimates that only about 40 percent of the patrons live in the neighborhood. The post-church crowd on Sundays brings in a significant number of weekend customers, along with loyal regulars who have been dining there since the beginning.
Challenges and Hopes for the Future
Operating on Trabert Avenue has proven challenging without an anchor business like a gym or a grocery store. Hunter hopes that the arrival of the new portion of the Beltline this summer will bring increased foot traffic and more visibility to The Daily and its neighbors, Floral Park Market and Monday Night Brewing.
While Hunter acknowledges that success shouldn’t depend solely on the Beltline, he believes that an anchor business would help make the Westside more walkable. “That’s why we’ve stuck it out this long,” he said, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming developments.
As the Westside continues to evolve, business owners like Hunter remain hopeful that the changes will bring long-term benefits to the community and their businesses.
