Mad Bacon Golf Carts: Selling & Living the Dream of the Florida Lifestyle

Golf carts have become a part of the dream of the Florida lifestyle as more and more people in St. Johns are using them to visit friends, go to the pool, or just take a ride through one of the many beautiful neighborhoods. Cruising the neighborhood is a fun experience for the whole family.

Locals Kristy and Craig Riley are experts at making that dream accessible. The couple, who live with their family in St. Johns Golf & Country Club are the founders and co-owners of Mad Bacon Golf Carts where they help people purchase a golf cart, deliver it to them, and provide at-home repair services.

Kristy and Craig have always had a simple goal in mind. “To spread happiness on four wheels by offering the joy of the golf cart experience.” As Kristy says, “It is such a fun way to get around!”

In the beginning, back in 2017, Kristy and Craig started selling refurbished golf carts out of their garage. They were talented and they understood how to build relationships with their customers and the business grew. Then, in 2022, the selfdescribed ‘serial entrepreneurs’ jumped at the chance to expand even more. When a retail location became available less than five minutes from their house, they opened a full showroom. Conveniently located less than 1/4 mile west of I-95 on County Road 210, they are located right next to Starbucks.

Both Kristy and Craig are not new at owning a business, having run several successful businesses over the last 20+ years, everything from private label sales on Amazon to a camper rental business to landscaping and of course, selling golf carts.

“One common element in every business we've run is stellar customer service. At the end of the day, the customer is who we report to and we have a solid track record of positive customer experiences.”

At the St. Johns showroom customers can test out Royal EV golf carts. As one of the best golf carts on the market, Royal Electric Vehicles come standard with many upgraded features such as lithium batteries, plush seats, custom rims and tires, extended roofs, headlights, tail lights, turn signals, top speeds of 30mph, and more.

Signature customer service combined with an ideal price point, same-day delivery, and onsite mobile repair in your own driveway, offers a seamless, five-star experience that customers value and rave about.

For Kristy and Craig, Mad Bacon Golf Carts is a family affair, a local mom-and-pop type of golf cart dealership, and their whole family is involved in the business. “If we're not at the shop, you can find us at a ball field most any night of the week! Our kids are very active in multiple sports and play alongside the kids in the St Johns community,” said Craig.

Have you ever wondered where they got their funny name? As Kristy and Craig explain it, when they tell people Mad Bacon is named after their kids, there is usually a pause. “Our kids are named Madeline, Baylor, and Connor AKA Mad Bay-Con,” and then there's an aha! moment. “People love it and it's a name they will always remember. This means we have to be on our A game at all times because if we screw up people will also not forget, haha!” And if you were wondering about those cute dogs in the pictures, they also got cute names. They go by "Motley" and "Crue,” a nod to Craig’s high school days when he looked like a member of a hair band.

Kristy and Craig agree that the best part of their job is doing deliveries. “It is typically a whole event for the customer, the neighbors all come outside and everyone gets excited waiting for our truck to show up! Cart envy is definitely a thing, and frequently neighbors start thinking about trading up when they realize they can get a brand new cart with a 3-year warranty and lithium batteries with prices starting at just under $10K."

Mad Bacon is a one-of-a-kind local business that truly sets itself apart with an amazing product, stellar customer service, and the family-owned vibe that characterizes everything they do. A fun fact about Craig is that he was so popular in high school he had an actual fan club. Meanwhile, Kristy in high school was a band nerd who actually went to band camp! Their popularity disparity has since evened out a bit.

To learn more about Mad Bacon Golf Carts visit the showroom at 1745 County Road 210, St. Johns; or go to www.madbacongolfcarts.com