Something we always love learning about here at Roll To is the special place mobile bars hold within their local communities.
By their very definition, trailer bars, tap trucks, and converted campers are constantly on the move, taking the party on the road, rolling from event to event, and pitching up to serve new groups of clientele.
It would seem, then, that building brand recognition within their local area would be one of the hardest things to do.
In theory, a successful mobile bar is never in one place long enough to see the same customers very often!
Cool Beans Wilmington is a mobile business that defies that school of thought.
Having launched their coffee trailer in 2021, Dacia Zimmer and Johnathan Vaughan's blue and white RV has become instantly recognizable in their corner of North Carolina.
Whilst weddings and corporate events aren’t off the table, the pair have mostly found success in serving at local community functions, farmer’s markets, outdoor concerts, churches, schools, and sporting events.
And if you can get locals shouting out the name of your business as they drive past, we think you’re doing a pretty good job!
Co-owner of Cool Beans, Dacia, was kind enough to provide more insight into their community-driven approach to running a mobile business.
Check out the full interview below, and if you’re planning an event in North Carolina, send them a message!
Hey Dacia, thank you for chatting with us today! Going back to the beginning, what’s your background and what inspired you to start a mobile coffee business?
I have over 18 years of restaurant and hospitality industry experience.
The idea to create a mobile coffee trailer came from living in Spokane, WA for 5 years and working with many small and mobile coffee businesses.
I have always dreamt of owning my own coffee company and sharing a product I love with others.
By combining my passion for traveling and trying food and drinks all over the world, I am able to share my knowledge and experiences with the people of Wilmington.
My goal has always been to delight others with my specialty coffee and drinks.
My sweet boyfriend helps me out with large events so we can get guests taken care of quickly and efficiently!
It feels amazing when people see us and yell "COOL BEANS" because they know and love our coffee!
Your trailer is super distinctive. I love the baby blue and giant coffee bean paint job! What was the process like building your mobile bar?
We serve our coffee from a converted 1990 Sunchaser RV.
We did all the renovations ourselves, so we know every inch of the trailer and tailored it to our needs.
For example, we designed the trailer to have a drive-through capability, making it more convenient for folks to grab their favorite coffee.
We gutted the trailer down to the frame and rebuilt it with plenty of shelving, storage, and space to move around without bumping into one another.
The original AC still works and is a blessing during the summer heat!
Haha I bet! It’s crazy to think that 1990 was 30 years ago! I guess that makes this an (almost) vintage trailer? Either way, I feel old now!
What makes you most excited about running a mobile coffee business?
I am most excited about this upcoming year, which is our third in operation now.
We have a steady schedule of events, and the calendar is filling up.
We’ve worked hard to build up a good reputation in the community and we have been asked back to all the events we did last year which is a great feeling.
It feels amazing when people see us and yell "COOL BEANS" because they know and love our coffee!
What has been your biggest challenge in launching and running a mobile coffee trailer?
Building trust and awareness of where the trailer will be and to have it actually be in those locations consistently.
Once people became familiar with where we were going to be we started to generate a following.
It can also be hard to compete with other food trucks at events.
We have integrated mini cakes and snacks so we can be a spot where people can grab food as well as drinks which has helped us a lot.
What are your upcoming plans for Cool Beans and what are you most looking forward to this year?
We decided to add snow cones to our menu for the summer season!
I am super excited to have more people recognize us and our aim is to double our sales from last year.
Eventually, I would love to get a slushie maker, but I have to save up for that thousand-dollar purchase.
We are booking up fast this year but have mostly weekdays and some weekends available for events!
For anyone reading, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know your details!
Thank you, guys! It’s been great to hear more about your approach to the world of mobile bars.
And we are definitely wishing you all the best in the pursuit of that slushie maker - 2023 goals!
If you’re looking for a distinctive, mobile coffee trailer to serve at your next event, whether private or public, check out the Cool Beans profile on Roll To and reach out to discuss details.
Now serving your choice of coffees, teas, pastries, cakes, food and more!
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Just send the vendor a message, discuss logistics and book - simple!
For more information not he booking process, check out our FAQs page.