We were lucky to catch up with Kodie Ketchbaw recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kodie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Oh, this is fun because I have a few! My Airbnb is known as The Hen House – partly because of our flock of chickens in the backyard and partly because of all the girls we have gossiping around here!
My boutique is called Ketch – part of my last name and it was my Dad’s nickname so I thought it would be nice to give a little nod to him because he was always pretty fearless when it came to starting new businesses. It’s located inside Painted Tree Boutiques in Northglenn.
BubbleBee Bars came about because my vintage Italian Piaggio Apé literally means “Bee” in Italian. And since she’s serving up flash-chilled bubbly more often than not, I thought BubbleBee Bars would be cute. Hunny is our 3 tap Prosecco Van but we also have Lil’ Buzzy, a portable mobile bar and Tipsy the Tap Trike, a 2 tap tricycle bar which makes an adorable addition to parties!
And K-Bar Events again stems from my family’s history. K-Bar was the name of our ranches in Texas where I grew up and since I started with a horse trailer bar, it just seemed like a perfect fit. I even still have the ranches brand which I have used on the trailers and even on custom ice cubes!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Even though I have more than one business, K-Bar Events and BubbleBee Bars are definitely my focus. My mobile bar business came about during the pandemic when I had too much time on my hands and spent too much time on Pinterest! I have always loved creating beautiful spaces and planning and executing some pretty spectacular parties so it just seemed like a natural transition for me. I bought an old, rusty horse trailer and got to work remodeling and designing it. I’m fortunate in that I have some very handy friends who brought my vision to life and helped make my dream a reality.
Clients most often come to me looking for a unique bar and/or bartending service but we provide much more than that. Generally speaking, the bar will be the most frequented location at an event. The bartenders will interact with every single one of your guests in some form or fashion.
I have been a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for 25 years and we are known for our legendary hospitality and our uncanny ability to entertain people trapped in steel tubes with cheesy jokes! We pride ourselves on being unflappable under pressure and adaptable to schedule changes, weather delays and cancellations – and still smile through it all. We also take pride in our next-level Customer Service because, well… we learned from the best!
In addition to beautiful, boutique bars and bespoke service from our top-notch bartenders, we also offer more inclusive packages creating beautiful seating areas and curated rentals such as champagne walls, whiskey barrel tables, lawn games, a photo booth and more.
Our bars can be set up as a Cigar Bar, S’mores Bar, Frosé All Day Cart, Lemonade Stand, Spritz Bar, Hot Toddy Bar or a Cold Brew Coffee Station to name just a few. We are also happy to offer Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic options as well.
Our slogan is Raise the Bar which is exactly what we aim to do with each and every client we serve. We don’t just roll up and sling some drinks. We’re bringing the whole VIBE and creating an experience that will be unforgettable for your guests!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’ve had to pivot multiple times and will still likely have to in the future. Not everything has been a success for me. I started Ketch as a full blown brick and mortar boutique and learned a painful lesson in failure, when to quit and/or scale back and reassess what I wanted my life to look like moving forward. When I started transitioning into the party/event/wedding industry, I just got so excited about working with people that are HAPPY and in LOVE and celebrating life! It lifts me up and inspires my creativity so I feel very fortunate to work within this industry.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It’s seeing the look on client’s faces when they see us set up at their party and hearing them talk about it! I really LOVE wowing my clients and bringing in special details to bring their vision to life. And if they’re not even sure if they HAVE a vision, I love creating one for them! It brings me joy to make people happy, to share in their celebrations and to connect with them by being of service to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.k-bar-events.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/k_bar_events
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/k_bar_events
- Other: https://www.bubblebeebars.com