We caught up with the brilliant and insightful William Combs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

William , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I have over 22 years in the hospitality business and at the time I came up with the idea for a mobile bar business, Back in 2018 I was a co-owner of a restaurant called 913 Whiskey Bar & Southern Kitchen. We specialized in bourbon and whiskey from around the world along with craft cocktails and southern food. My role in the business was the beverage director. I curated hard to find bourbons and the creation of craft cocktails. Along with training our bar staff, I constantly, almost obsessively, fixated on creating new seasonal cocktail menus and whiskey tastings. I would also oversee offsite events for clients that wanted our expertise for their private events. One particular week, I had 3 different regulars come in, on different days, and chat with me at the bar. They wanted us to cater their private event. At the end of Saturday night, I along with my other bartender would go to a Sticks and Stones pizza to grab a slice of pizza and beer to unwind. As we were sitting on the patio, I started to think that there has got to be a better way to transport everything we use for these private events. Instead of loading everything up, setting everything up, breaking it down, and transporting it back, there surely could be a way to have a mobile bar. And that was it, that was all it took for my mind to go down a google and Instagram rabbit hole. The feeling was as if lightning had struck me with this idea that was such a simple solution but yet I could only find a handful of other mobile bar businesses in North Carolina. The opportunities were endless, and I could see potential everywhere for this business. So equipped with a bar napkin and this idea I started to google mobile bars. The first one I came across was an Airstream mobile bar based out of Oregon. I loved the aesthetic and nostalgic look of an Airstream but quickly realized it was out of my budget….for now. I then came across horse trailer bars and vintage campers. Funny thing was, most of the horse trailer bars I found were out of England with a few others here in the US. I liked the vintage Shasta campers, as well, so I started to sketch a few ideas down on the bar napkin. Fast forward a few days and I am already going to look at a few vintage campers and horse trailers. Unfortunately, being tall is not really an advantage with the older campers. I couldn’t stand in them without my head touching the ceiling. After 4 months I finally found the Horse trailer that would become our flagship mobile bar, The Elizabeth.

William , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into the industry when I was 18 years old working at a nightclub for two brothers, Joey and Matthew Medaloni. I started off as a bouncer and always wanted to work up to bartending when I turned 21. Growing up watching the movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise, bartenders were Rockstars. Even working back then at the N Club, the bartenders were like royalty…..plus, they made a ton of cash. Who wouldn’t want to do that, right? While working at the night club, I was also going to college. I transferred to UNC Wilmington when I was 19 and would continue to drive back to Greensboro once a month to hang out and bounce at the club. I developed a close relationship with the Medaloni’s along with some of the staff, and after all this time we are still close. The N Club was the best Nightclub at the time and people would drive hours away to come. While I was living in Wilmington, I always felt like I was missing out on the fun, which is kinda weird to say since Wilmington was an awesome college town with numerous bars and nightclubs. I actually learned to bartend at Chili’s, and one weekend when I came back to work to hangout with all my boys who worked there, one of the bartenders was immediately fired on the spot for showing up drunk. I remember our head bouncer, Big Matt, telling me Joey wanted to see me. I went out front, and he asked me what was in a Blue Motorcycle and S*x on the Beach. I answered and he said,”Alright, your up. Get behind the bar with Mike.” After that, it was the start of a 22 plus year career. This opportunity led to stakes in co-ownership of a few different bars, nightclubs, and a restaurant.

The entire time working for the Medaloni’s, we all learned to work together, stand together, and run a tight ship. It always amazed me the opportunities that arose due to the clientele who patronized these businesses. Some of the experiences that I was a part of don’t even feel real and if told, people wouldn’t believe me, but I have receipts lol. Back then I learned a very important lesson: the ability to listen to someone speak and know for the most part if they were honest with what they said or completely full of crap.

What made our group stand out more than anything was the ability to just get up and go. Make a decision and start attacking the problem and finding a solution. The service industry is notorious for grandiose ideas and future plans. We actually did it. Not sleeping till 1 or 2 in the afternoon but waking up like a normal 8-5 job and getting things done early. The attention to detail that was evident in all the businesses was what truly stood out to guests. It was to the point of OCD with cleaning, staging, the ambiance, service, everything, as well as catering to guests and making sure the person with only $10 to spend was treated with the same service as the person who spent thousands. You always treat people with respect; it doesn’t cost anything to be respectful.

What makes Proper Pour Events standout is the culmination of 22 years of fast paced, high stress environments. When something goes sideways, there isn’t a throwing in of the towel. It becomes,”What are our options and how can I fix this?” Quitting and saying no is easy, problem solving and providing exceptional service is what makes Proper Pour stand out. I have had clients call me panicking with last minute requests 2 days before an event needing this or that. No problem. There have been numerous nights I have stayed up unitl3 am, building a new mobile bar for clients or solving logistical problems. Heck, for the first event I ever had with The Elizabeth Horsebox Mobile bar, I was up till 5 am finishing the build out for the event that started at 2 pm the next day. I am the most proud when I see my clients’ reaction to seeing and experiencing our mobile bars in action. My goal has always been to over deliver to clients and to make sure they get more than ever expected. Yes, clients are paying for our services but what they are really paying for are the results. And let me tell you, our results are second to none.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I funded my current business after the sell of the restaurant but is started way, way before then. Since I was 13 years old, I have had some sort of job. Even in school, I would sell snacks to other classmates that forgot theirs. My mother started noticing packs of crackers and granola bars missing. I was taking them to school to sell to make money to buy things I wanted and other snacks kids wanted. I guess you can say that was my first business. While working at the nightclubs and going to college, I had waiter and bartending jobs. When I was 25, I started working in the corporate world working a 9-5 job. This never interfered with the nightclubs because we didn’t even go into work till 9:30 at night. So there were countless nights I would work till 3 am, go home, go to sleep for 3-4 hours, get up and go to my day job. I loved the excitement of nightlife and used my day job as the vehicle to fund ownership in future bars, nightclubs, and a restaurant. It took 12 years of working multiple jobs and saving money to be able to invest and be an owner.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Before starting Proper Pour Events, the years of working service industry helped build my reputation. I was part of, and part owner, some of the best go to nightclubs and cocktail bars in the city. From the hand crafted cocktails to mouthwatering food, I, along with my partners, became well known. I developed a keen sense of how to capture an audience and turn clients into regulars. It is easy to get an initial pop when you open a new place but the longevity of the business relies on regulars and them spreading the word. Marketing is good but the human interaction and referral is the best. I was fortunate to have a book of business and clientele per say before even starting Proper Pour but I still had to go out and get new business. Creating Proper Pour Events started as a leap of faith and has ended up being the most gratifying experience of my professional life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.properpourevents.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/properpourevents
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/properpourevents