From late nights to open trunk tea taste tests, businesswoman Olivia Datusch found herself at a for-sale sign in downtown Acworth; now, Datusch spends her days at the increasingly trending Dockside Nutrition tea and healthy shakes shop. With a passion that bloomed years ago — and strengthened as she moved into motherhood — Datusch hoped to create energy drinks that do not harm her customers’ bodies, but rather fuel their nutritional needs. Due to Datusch’s sweet persona and adoration for her customers, the Acworth community thrives off of her handmade drinks, whether after a lake day or for a quick afternoon pick-me-up.
“I have gone to Dockside multiple times, and what keeps bringing me back is not only the delicious drinks, but the fun environment of the shop. I love the decorations and the way it has such a homey vibe. As well as how welcoming Olivia is, she truly makes you feel like her best friend as soon as you walk through the doors,” senior Keating Ball said.
After discovering her fondness for loaded teas while working overnight shifts as a nurse, Datusch realized she needed a change of lifestyle — nurse life ultimately did not fulfill her heightened desire for happiness. Joining forces with her husband Sean, Datusch quit her job and focused on bringing her dreams to life. With an end goal in mind and a heart ready to pour into her community, she eventually began mixing together different flavors of teas to build up her business. Datusch also started phoning friends at other tea shops to gain inspiration for her future menus. Silly enough, this spark motivated her to sit in Kroger parking lots with her car trunk wide open, asking shoppers to try out freshly crafted drinks. While a myriad of people may have felt wary of trying out her drinks in the back of her trunk, this experimental period launched Dockside Nutrition far throughout her community.
“What led me to Dockside was everyone posting it on their social media and the way everyone was hyping it up. My favorite drink was called the pink champagne. I liked the way it was the perfect mix of sweet and sour,” Ball said.
In about a year, Datusch and her husband purchased Main St Suite C and renovated the place from top to bottom. After jumping through a deal of government hoops to open up the shop, Dockside Nutrition’s official grand opening landed January 23, following Datusch’s soft launch during the first weeks of January. This monumental moment filled Datusch with awe and excitement for her future accomplishments.
As the two-month mark since the opening of Dockside Nutrition nears, Datusch reflects on her wins and battles, such as when her ice machine unfortunately stopped functioning. These moments allow her to determine what she can improve in the upcoming month to adjust sales while simultaneously motivating her to build enhanced menus that customers will adore. Famously, Datusch’s Valentine’s Day menu enlightened the eyes and taste buds of her frequent and new visitors.
“I decided that I wanted to be a nurse. So I went to nursing school and started getting jobs and working in the nursing field. And then COVID happened. And I just got burned out and was sad. So then I worked nights, and when I was doing nights, I found loaded teas like these, and I fell in love with the product, and we were drinking them all the time, and they were at our house all the time. And I just didn’t like my job anymore. So I just looked at my husband one day, and I was like, hey, I quit. I don’t want to be a nurse anymore. And he was like, all right, cool. Happiness is way more important,” Datusch said.
Without a doubt, Dockside Nutrition hit the Acworth and Kennesaw communities like a storm, with high schoolers from NC, Kennesaw Mountain High School and Harrison High School sweeping by nearly every day. Although Datusch runs the shop like a one-woman show, she hopes to hire employees in the near future to help grow the business. This shop catches the eyes of passersby, especially with the easily noticeable window mural outside, increasing sales day by day. No matter the week, Datusch’s uplifting spirit invites new friends in for a tasty shake that will likely change their perspective on energy drinks.
