Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristine Mannino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kristine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea of Byrdie Bar was really birthed in the middle of Covid. I had just moved back to Michigan in 2019 after being in New York City for about nine years and I had taken a job bartending downtown in Detroit at Punchbowl Social. When Covid hit, our entire staff got laid off, and soon enough the bar filed for bankruptcy. It was the first time in my life I had been without a job and honestly I was so scared of what to do next. It also was the first time in a long time that I had so much time off, so I started looking into van conversions to travel in and went out to Colorado to visit a friend.

While in CO, my friends Lauren and Stephen were planning their wedding and in the mix of all things van conversions, they came across a mobile horse trailer bar they considered having at their wedding. I thought it was illegal for sure at the time as I’d never heard of a service like this, but the more I read up on it, I saw. it was legit and the mobile industry was starting to pop up all over the US. Michigan only had two at the time that were fairly new, so I decided to take the leap of faith and put everything I knew about Bartending from the last decade into mobile form.

I had a one bedroom apartment and cleared out the living room to literally painter tape my carpet to make this mobile bar come alive. I wanted to know if I was standing in “blue painter tape square one”, and my guests were on the other side of “blue square two” that would eventually becoming our serving window, how much space would I have behind me. Every little detail was mapped out in my apartment in tape form and eventually I found a company to build my idea in real life. I was involved in every single measurement, placement of each electrical socket, the type of wood we’d use for counters, and how many compartments I wanted in our service wells. etc. The company that was building it was overseas, so during the day I would plan, and at about 10pm our time, morning overseas, I’d start phone calls to talk about every detail of the build. It was a very long, time consuming, and honestly emotional process, but I was obsessed with how everything turned out in the end and seeing this idea come to life.

Kristine, 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?

Bartending life for me started in 2011 in New York City as a way to make some extra cash. I was working in the public relations industry as a career representing some big clients like Nicki Minaj and Diddy, but salary wise, I wasn’t making enough to actually live off of. I loved bartending from the very start. I had this very corporate 9-5 in the beginning of my day, and then jumping behind the bar at the end of the night was such a fast paced rush that I thrived off of. The money was great, I was good at the job, and I loved meeting new people everyday. I eventually moved careers and went into editorial, but I kept the bar job as I enjoyed it so much. But even prior to all of that, I grew up in my family’s award winning bakery in Sterling Heights, MI, so the service industry is pretty much embedded in my DNA.

In terms of life now behind the bar, I have seen a lot and learned a lot over the years so I love to take all of that experience and care for every single event detail for our clients and provide them with excellent bar service. Our team believes a good bar is the gathering point at any event, and it goes beyond the booze. Far too often, people underestimate the importance of high-level cocktail and drink service. We all have that one crazy uncle who promises he can whip up a mean margarita, but we’re big believers of leaving the bartending to us – it’s kind of our thing.

Byrdie Bar as a company is a mobile bartending brand that specializes in craft cocktails and luxury custom built mobile bars. We have a variety of custom built bars like The Byrd – our trailer bar, The Brew Bryd – our tap van, and The Baby Byrd – our pop-up mini bar. We also specialize in add ons like yard games, balloon garlands, edible cocktail toppers, and more. You can walk into any bar and get a vodka soda, but at Byrdie Bar we want you to have an experience, and that starts with a list of Signature Cocktails that even the pickiest guest will be sure to love. We work side by side with all of our clients to curate a perfect menu for their event that will be good for the masses to enjoy. We make all of our cocktails to order (no batching, here!) to ensure that any ingredient unwanted can be left out or substituted or we can make mocktails for those under age and non-drinkers alike. People are obsessed with the bars themselves, but our cocktails are what make a majority of our clients repeat customers.

Any advice for managing a team?

I am a huge believer of constantly asking my staff how I can do better for them. I make sure that they all have a seat at the table where decisions are made. They hated our original shaker tins, so we got new ones. They wanted a different type of latch on our trailer bar to keep the door open better, so we changed it. They have a voice in the uniforms we wear. Some of this might seem silly, but I think having a good team and maintaining high morale shouldn’t be rocket science – care about your establishment, care about your guests and clients, and most importantly care about your staff who show up everyday to help keep your business running.

I read something a few months back that we’re going to implement moving forward in the business at our next staff meeting. Everyone is going to get a worksheet that has some personal questions on it like their coffee order, and three places they like to shop. Now, on my way to an event, it’s easy for me to pick up their coffee as well as mine without having to text. Or when they go out of their way to help me or do something above what they were asked or it’s their birthday, etc. I have some of their favorite stores and can get them something they like or a gift card that they’ll actually use.

Staff like to know that you care about them more than just as a resource to your business. I don’t believe that everyone should be replaceable – you should be able to lead a team who wants to be there for you and who you should be there for in return.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn to be available 24/7. Coming from the corporate world in NYC I was so attached to my phone and emails and making sure I was responding within minutes of receiving a call or message. It didn’t matter where I was or what time of the night it was, I was readily available to my past bosses. It really took a lot to break those habits and set some boundaries. Now I have a calendar set up where people can schedule a call with me around things I already have going on, and with time slots that are set for within my working hours.

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits
Emforever Photography Jack Hoyle Photograhy