Meet Amanda Bussett | Owner/Creator of Lush Lounge

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Bussett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the most important factor behind my success with Lush was thinking outside the box and doing something other businesses weren’t. Social Media played a huge factor for us. The entire 6 week build out we had QR codes taped to the outside of all the windows to help create curiosity about what was going on inside. People started following along and we started gaining traction. Many people felt like they were apart of the build out with us because they were able to watch from the beginning and see the daily progress, so when it came to opening day people felt like they were apart of the whole process and were excited to see the final outcome.

Social Media has continue to play a huge role for us. We post nightly of people that come in and the experiences they are having. It’s help to make people feel apart of the Lush community, in addition to helping create that FOMO and people want to be apart of the actions. We have people that are constantly coming up and asking to be posted on the stories or laughing about different things they have seen. We like to celebrate people on our social as well. We give sparklers for birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, graduations and other monumental events and also post those moments which just helps to make our customers feel appreciated and important. We have hashtags such as #loveatlush which we use for couples that come in or when people propose to their partners here. It’s created a fun way for our clientele to follow along and continue to engage with our audience.

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, they are all forms of free marketing and advertising and can be a very powerful tool when used correctly, however it can be time consuming and you can get easily side tracked so time management and staying on tasks when using these platforms is very important.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When designing Lush Lounge I really wanted to create a place that was more than a bar; I wanted to created an experience, I wanted to create a VIBE. I have been in the industry since I was 14 years old and being a women in a male dominated industry it was important to me to create a space where women feel safe. If the ladies wanted to go out and dress up if they could or wanted to or dress down and go for a quick beer, either way it would be a good time. I’m always asked if I was worried men wouldn’t show up to Lush because it was so pretty, but I said men will follow where the pretty girls go and they are going to Lush. It’s been awesome to see how many men love the Lush experience with the wide variety of craft beer selection and surprisingly a lot of men enjoy a good glass of wine! It makes me happy to know I have created a space for people of all ages to be able to come, feel comfortable, and enjoy themselves. Lush offers something for everyone.

Of course, being an entrepreneur is never easy, opening Lush sure wasn’t a walk in the park but I will say the entire process I was never scared. I may have been stressed, overwhelmed but at no point did I think I was making the wrong decision. It always felt very meant to be and I believe I am finally in my element and doing exactly what I am meant to do. There were many times were I would just have to take a breath and a step back to evaluate. Whenever I am presented with a tough situation I try and either discuss options with my business mentors ( which I highly recommend all entrepreneurs have people they can confide in outside of their business with lots of years of experience to bounce ideas off of and learn from) and take time to figure out the best course of action.

I have learned so many lessons in just 9 months it’s crazy and a bit comical! The biggest one for me is no one will treat or respect your business the way you do. No one has put the blood, sweat and tears into the creation, Therefore remember that when you start to trust or delegate roles to employees make sure expectations are clearly laid out. They will perform at about 80% of what you do so you must always show up as a leader ready to set a high standard for your business and the culture you are trying to create.

I want the world to know that Lush is so much more than a bar, it’s a place where you can come and create life long memories, celebrate your milestones such as engagements, birthdays, bridal/baby showers, holiday parties etc. I want Lush to be a place where people look back on these big moments and smile. Lush is so much more than a bar it’s a Vibe.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start their morning off at Gilberts Coffee Bar it’s right on the water it’s tranquil and a great place to start your morning. Then I would take them to Osceola Cafe for a delicious breakfast, one of my favorites because they have gluten free options! The beach would be a must at some point during the day, there is a beach called rocks beach in Jensen that is usually pretty quiet and always a good time. For Lunch I would take them to Spritz another one of my fav spots, they have great cocktails, gluten free and vegan options which is always a plus for me, and their staff is always super friendly, and the food is extremely consistent. After lunch maybe a quick power nap and then a workout at CrossFit Jensen Beach! It’s a great gym owned by a local family with great coaching and everyone is super friendly there. For dinner I would have to take them to Riverwalk Cafe in downtown Stuart, they have amazing oysters, a great wine selection and even though they are known for their seafood I always get their Ribeye which is to die for. After dinner maybe a quick cocktail at either Sailors Return or Hudson, both on the water and usually have live music or a DJ and then of course finishing the night of with some dancing at Lush Lounge! Our DJ always brings the vibe 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to everyone that made Lush possible. It may sound cliche but there were so many friends/family members that stepped up and offered to help in the beginning just to make sure Lush was able to open on time. Especially Howard Bremer, truly without him we would have never been able to open as quickly as we did. I feel so blessed and loved to have had so much support and to have such a warm welcome from the local Stuart community.

Website: www.lushstuart.com

Instagram: @lushloungestuart

Facebook: lushloungestuart

Yelp: Lush Lounge

Other: google business: Lush Lounge

Image Credits
All photos were taken by me Amanda Bussett on my iPhone mostly for the instagram lol