What exactly is a mobile bar and why you should hire one for your next event.
As a mobile bar owner, I get this question a lot. And it is totally legitimate! It’s not like mobile bars have been around for ages. A mobile bar can have many different meanings and in this article, I will dive into what a Special Event Mobile Bar is, what they provide, and how they can help you.
What is a special event mobile bar?
These are vendors that provide a beverage catering experience for your wedding, birthday, family gathering, or some other special event in your life. Much like hiring a caterer to coordinate, cook, serve, and clean up your food service - a mobile bar vendor is your beverage specialist.
Not only will your guests be impressed because you have an actual bartender mixing craft cocktails to order, but you can cross “bar” or “drinks” off your to-do list and focus on everything else! I tell my clients it’s like putting your bar planning on cruise control.
What do they provide?
Every mobile bar will have different services offered, but you can count on the following being included in services offered:
Planning all the details about your bar so you don’t have to worry about forgetting something important.
Elevate your event with a professional bartender (or bartenders) and bar setup.
Provide all the things needed when it comes to bar equipment, bar tools, cocktail mixers, beverage stations, and actual BARS!
On your event day, they will set up, execute, and clean up.
Why hire a mobile bar when you can just do it yourself?
Let’s imagine:
You are a bride to be with a wedding to plan. You have a Pinterest board full of inspiration and ideas that are amazing! Maybe you have hired a wedding coordinator or you are doing it yourself, but either way there is still a long list of things you need to cross off your list. You have a budget for each aspect of your planning and you are realizing just how quickly things are adding up. The stress gets heavier and heavier as you are trying to do all the things and make sure that everything is just as dreamy as that beautiful Pinterest board with your whimsical color scheme and perfect venue.
The idea of planning out the details of the bar is as daunting as ever! You don’t want to worry about how much ice you need, how much alcohol you should buy, what kinds of mixers you need and how much, cups, garnish, tables, coolers, ice scoops, making sure your bar matches your theme, not to mention who is going to set it up, maintain it, and clean it up after?
Enter: your bar vendor! Bye bye stress and hello, peace! Now you can go back to focusing on the bigger picture and actually enjoy being a bride.
Even if you are not a bride, you can imagine that planning a big event is stressful enough. There are a lot of little details that go along with hosting a bar and hiring a professional to do it for you can be a time saver, a stress eliminator, and not to mention - what are you going to do with all that bar stuff when your event is over?
Alternative Options
Hiring a mobile bar vendor is not your only option to have at your event. In fact, I would say, it is a luxury amenity! There are other ways to make a bar happen and you have to decide what works for you.
Self-service bar station; whether it is grab and go beer or a beverage dispenser with some refreshing pre-made drink options, there are some really creative ways to provide your guests a unique experience without a full bar service.
Family friend; maybe someone you know is a bartender and they wouldn’t mind manning the bar for you during your special occasion.
Check with your caterer; many caterers will provide wine service. Some of them even have a bar add-on. While their main focus is the food, it may be a cheaper option to add some alcohol service to your catering fee.
In The End…
I hope I have been able to provide some insight and answer some questions when it comes to what exactly a mobile bar is and why hiring one is a good idea. Basically, a mobile bar will help alleviate a lot of meticulous planning and stress. They will be able to do everything for you and provide all your bar needs. I absolutely consider hiring a mobile bar vendor a luxury and it may not be for everyone, but being a mobile bar owner myself, I think it is totally worth every penny!
