It’s about time for us to FALL back into our Branch of the Month feature, and for the month of September 2024, we will be hitting the streets of Connecticut! Known for its natural beauty, rich history, and coastal charm, Connecticut is just the place for a vintage mobile bar like Tap Truck. So without further adieu, allow us to introduce to you, a branch that demonstrates the heart and tenacity of the Tap Truck family, Tap Truck Connecticut! We are honored, thrilled, and excited to highlight this family and veteran-owned branch as our Branch of the Month for September!
Under the hood of Tap Truck Connecticut is a dual threat engine: Bill and Chris Austin, two brothers who have combined their love for craft beer into a growing and thriving mobile bar business! In early 2023 Bill and Chris, like many others, were looking for a way to make money involving something they love. As they were searching for what they called, “a craft beer food truck concept”, they came across Tap Truck USA and knew it was a perfect fit for what they had been envisioning. Fast forward to today, and the Austin brothers are now making a name for themselves in the mobile bar industry, especially the Tap Truck family!
Bill and Chris grew up in New Haven, CT, and have lifelong ties with the community they are now a prominent part of. While Chris grew up and became a local business leader, Bill proudly joined the army as an infantry officer once he graduated college. After ten years of living in different states and traveling the world (including a deployment in Afghanistan), Bill came home to his wife and three children and is now living in Charlottesville, whilst he pursues his MBA at the University of Virginia.
Tap Truck Connecticut serves the majority of highly populated cities within the state, with some of the more common locations being Hartford, Stamford, Greenwich, and Danbury. We asked the Austin brothers what they were most excited about bringing a Tap Truck mobile bar to their community and they said, “We are excited to build the name and set the standard in the area as the go-to 'mobile' bartending solution. There are a lot of small mobile bartending offerings in CT, and our goal is to become the first one anyone thinks of when they are having a party!”. This is the excitement and motivation that we love to see from our licensees and illustrates the brothers' dedication to their success!
Bill and Chris’s trip with Tap Truck started with a 1942 Ford F3, named “Baloo”, which is equipped with all original engine and internal parts. Only one year into their venture, the brothers have already expanded their fleet with a second truck! “Rhonda” is a blue 1956 Chevy Panel truck that has all the upgrades allowing it to “drive like a gem”. When asked about their growth since they joined Tap Truck USA, they responded, “We’ve been doing this for a little over a year now, and have been really happy with the growth so far! Our season in the northeast is mostly May through October, so this summer has been our first full run and it has been nice seeing the momentum pick up. Our biggest challenge has been figuring out how to do marketing well and keep the lead funnel full, but we have been slowly getting better over time”. We are happy to see the Tap Truck Connecticut crew already seeing it fit to expand their fleet and we can’t wait to see where else the business takes them!
Since Tap Truck Connecticut hit the pavement in 2023, the Austin brothers have had the opportunity to build relationships within their community and partner with some influential businesses. Working alongside the New England Brewing Company and Two Roads Brewing Company has shown to be very popular during events. Bill mentioned that the Sea Hag IPA and the Fuzzy Baby Ducks IPA from New England Brewing are fan favorites! Alongside their beverage relationships, they have also built relationships with many corporations and event venues!
An aspect of the business that surprised the brothers was the opportunities that are presented to them due to the uniqueness of the Tap Truck business, noting, “One thing we didn’t expect was the opportunity to work with country clubs and caterers as almost add-on services. They may already have some kind of bar or bartending option, but they’ve contacted us to bring something special for their clients”. The Tap Truck CT crew has come to find that corporate events are their favorite because they allow them to build a strong partnership that fosters repeat clients. Notably, Tap Truck Connecticut was able to build a strong relationship with The Country Club of New Canaan as they serviced several successful events for them and greatly look forward to continue doing so. As their busy season is downshifting, the crew is eager to jump-start their outreach game to garner some seasonal events like pumpkin patches, Christmas tree farms, non-profits, and more!
A special aspect of joining the Tap Truck USA family is the resources that are available to support your growth and success. For Bill and Chris, the standout feature has been the ability to build relationships with neighboring branches, allowing them to reach out for advice and work together through both challenging times and moments of opportunity. Tap Truck Connecticut would like to give a special shout-out to the Tap Truck Hudson Valley team for always being a rockstar support system! We asked what advice Bill and Chris would give to anyone just starting in their Tap Truck journey and they suggested, “Put the focus on making sure the customer has a great experience, everything else will fall into place!”
As this Branch of the Month Feature reaches its last stop, we would like to congratulate the Austin brothers for their rapid growth and achievements thus far! We are honored to highlight Tap Truck Connecticut as our September Branch of the Month and we are excited to see what’s in store for the team!
To keep up with Tap Truck Connecticut's journey be sure to give them a follow on Instagram and Facebook! And if you're ever in the Connecticut area, be sure to give Chris and Austin a ring!
Want to start a mobile bar business with someone you love? Click here to start your own Tap Truck adventure and become a Mobile Bar Boss just like the Austin brothers!
Keep on Tappin’
Cheers,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------