You have probably seen mobile beer delivery bars all across Texas. They are the latest trend. It is much easier for a company, community, married couple or anybody throwing a large or small party to contact the owner of a mobile beer delivery bar than it is to purchase and pass out beer among their guests. If you have been considering starting your own mobile beer service, you will need a Houston beer license and a few tips to successfully get your business up and running.
Mobile beer bars range in size from elaborate camper vans to bicycle pedaled vehicles equipped with a pair of kegs. You might have a couple different size vehicles so that you can handle big events or private gatherings.
Beer drinkers are much more knowledgeable these days. Drinkers no longer are faced with the same domestic and imported brands that have always been available. Now, microbreweries are all the rage and boutique beers are at the height of popularity. Every city has its own microbrewery or brewpub, and every brewpub is looking for its niche. Some go with seasonal offerings like pumpkin beer in autumn, bock beer and stouts in the winter, light pilsners in spring and heady lagers in summer. As a beer merchant, you have to stay abreast of what is current and popular in your area.
Some mobile beer bar owners keep it simple. They sell one or two of the American standards. Others want to have a wide selection of India Pale Ales (IPAs), wheat beers, lagers, pilsners, stouts and imports from Europe, Mexico, Australia and Asia. If you plan to handle a wide assortment of beers, you need to learn which types are best served icy cold, which types are best at room temperature and how to pour the foamier beers to give just the right amount of frothy head. Some owners even sell high-gravity beer, which is over 6 percent alcohol, but to do that, you would need a Texas liquor license.
Just like running a food truck, you will be your own boss, get to go to plenty of parties and work when you feel like working. However, you have to be a strict professional to properly run a mobile beer bar. If you have a one-person operation, you need to be the bartender. It takes many hours of prep work, knowledge and start-up capital to get your business off the ground.
A Texas beer license or liquor license is not too hard to acquire. Rather than dealing with the bureaucrats yourself, you can use Houston license services to do the filing and get you the correct state license. That takes all the guesswork and drudgery out of the process. These companies know what licenses and permits are required in the cities and counties where you will be selling your beer. You might need special event passes for places that do not have their own beer license, such as a reception hall.
Once your operation is legal and functional, you need to find clients. You can advertise your services, contract with communities to provide beer for their parades, summer get-togethers or New Year’s Eve bashes. Other mobile beer delivery bars may already be operating in your area, so you will have to find your own niche. You could be competing against a local brewpub, a hometown bar or another independent contractor like yourself. The key is not to compete directly with them. You have to eke out your own territory and clientele. You could concentrate on selling beer at wedding receptions, small events or block parties.
With some hard work, research and a few connections, you can turn a good idea into a steady source of income. Do not under-pour. Do not over-serve. Charge a fair price, and your mobile beer delivery bar should profit you quite nicely.