We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Shay. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly below.

Holly, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

My mobile bar is an Italian Vintage Piaggio Apé, which is a mini truck. It has 4 gears and shifts on the steering handles. It has an original engine and can be quite temperamental. We were at an event where it would not start. Working in Florida, you can imagine how hot some days can be. It was probably close to 100 degrees. Although the Piaggio Apé drives and goes about 30 mph, we trailer it to most events and then drive it into the venue or wherever we will be setting up. This particular day, we couldn’t get as close as we would have liked, so we had to push it into the location where our clients wanted us. By the time we could get it there and set up, we were a sweaty mess and still had to try and look our best and serve our guests.

Holly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

While traveling in Italy a few years ago, my husband and I saw these adorable Piaggio Apé’s being used as coffee bars, flower bars and Prosecco bars. I thought it was such a cute and fun way to offer those types of services. Fast forward a few years later to when COVID hit. I was getting ready to move from Chicago to Jacksonville and re-evaluating my marketing career. At one point in my life I had owned a custom stationary shop and loved owning my own business but also working on invitations for weddings, birthdays and baby showers. I love the celebrations of life! I wanted to do something that got me out of an office environment and working with people face to face again. I started researching those cute little mobile bars I had seen in Italy and ran across Get Cozy Vintage Mobile Bars. They convert the vintage Piaggio Apé’s into Prosecco vans, Craft Beer and Cocktail mobile bars and have locations throughout the country. There was an opportunity to capture the Jacksonville market. I was hooked! What a great way to still let people celebrate those special moments in life when, as a country, we were just starting to feel comfortable gathering in groups again.

So Blossom, our Vintage Piaggio Ape, originally from the streets of Italy, was refurbished in 2021 into what is now our Bubbles & Brews JAX mobile bar. We are a unique option that can showcase draft service. With the ability to pre-batch cocktails in kegs, it allows for efficiency, cutting the long lines of guest waiting for a traditional bartender to craft one cocktail at a time… we simply batch, tap, ice and garnish!! We offer seven taps that can serve a variety of beverages ranging from beer, Prosecco, wine, Sangria, local cider, craft cocktails, cold brew coffee, Kombucha and mocktails. Bubbles & Brews JAX can serve as primary bar offering full bar service; secondary bar for indoor/outdoor events; or cocktail hour bar, greeting guests upon their arrival. We are considered a “dry bar” rental, which means you supply the alcohol and we supply the cutest bar EVER!

Our mobile bar can be customized for private and corporate events offering custom signage and full truck wraps for corporate activations and branding.

While big with personality, Blossom is small enough to fit in most interior spaces, so it is a great option for all seasons. Her measurements are 10.5′ long x 5.5′ wide x 6′ tall.

We have several packages that we offer, however we can customize a package that fits the needs of your party or special event.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

When my children were little, I wanted to be more available to them. I was a Marketing Manager for an international candy company. I decided to get out of the corporate world and purchase a custom stationery shop. I really didn’t know much about stationery. The small business already existed, so I wouldn’t be building it from the ground up. I needed to learn who my market was, what was the 80% that made up my business and what all I was getting when I was buying the stationery shop. I did research on types of stationery, brands of stationery, what events and seasons were where most of my sales came from. I also looked into the existing rental agreement that the shop was located in and if it made sense to stay there and find out if the client list I was buying was extensive and worth the price. I needed to learn about my competition in the area and how I would differentiate my shop from them. While a lot of work at the time, it was exciting to be venturing into this new career. I was also surrounded by amazing family and friends that helped me however they could along the way.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I owned the custom stationery shop for 6 years, before closing due to the onslaught of online stationery available on the internet. I didn’t want to transition into this aspect of my business because it removed the “face-to-face” interaction between me and my clients that I loved so much. During the time I owned my business, I started a local Wedding Walk.

I decided I wanted to market to a group of my customers that made up the 80% of my business and develop a marketing campaign that would bring awareness to not only my business but our town and other small businesses. We started an annual wedding walk that would bring in “brides-to-be” from all over the Chicagoland area. We met weekly to plan and execute the marketing, event and follow up for this event. It involved small businesses such as bridal shop, wine store, gift store, tuxedo shop, bakery, florist, photographer, stationery, videographer, hair salon, make up artist, event planner, dj, calligraphers and more. It was a huge success that brought hundreds of brides from the area to our suburb and into our small businesses. This Bridal Walk which was started in 2006 continued until 2020 when COVID shut all social events down.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://getcozybars.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bubblesandbrewsjax/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bubblesandbrewsjax/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-wilson-1191b19/

Image Credits
Photo 1: Balloons – Zig Zag Balloons Photo 2: no credits Photo 3: no credits Photo 4: Photographer – Bold Soul Photography; Venue – Pillars Castle; Rentals – Gather Rentals & Events; Dress – One Bridal; Florist – Soirees 4 Days Photo 6: Venue – The Bluff Venue; Photographer – Day Eight Studios; Balloons – You’ve Been Popped