When two Southern Belles, turned Las Vegas locals, decided to launch a new business, they made sure to do so in a way that combined their appreciation for Southern hospitality with their love of entertaining. We recently caught up with Chelsea Phillips-Reid and Christine Hudman Pardy to discuss how their backgrounds as performers play a role in their new business venture as well as the inspiration behind their desire to bring bubbles to the masses by way of their trusty trailer, Bonnie Blue.
What inspired you to create a mobile prosecco bar?
Christine first had the idea in 2016 while she was on a vacation in Europe. She was on a walk in the English countryside and saw a mobile prosecco bar. Christine realized Las Vegas didn’t have anything like this and wanted to bring it back to our city. She saw a girl online in upstate New York that had converted a horse trailer into a coffee bar and that’s when she had the idea to make a wine bar out of an old horse trailer!
What would you say was the catalyst for pulling the trigger and making your dream a reality?
Honestly, being in the entertainment industry for so many years and knowing that no matter how successful a gig is, every show eventually closes. We wanted a side hustle that wasn’t dependent on someone else giving us a job. Obviously, this is 3+ years in the making so it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to start it.
Why did you decide to focus this concept on prosecco in particular?
We chose to focus on prosecco because we wanted take something that seems fancy and festive and make it accessible. This is really the whole concept for our business. When you think of champagne, you think expensive. Prosecco is a great alternative because it’s less expensive and you still get the desired effect. Of course, we serve other alcohol, but we focus on prosecco because it is such a happy, celebratory drink. Who doesn’t love bubbles?
How did you come up with the idea for “The Back Porch” and the name Bonnie Blue?
We are both southern girls and the term “back porch” is just synonymous with being laid-back and sitting somewhere comfortable, beverage in hand, with your family or friends. We were thinking about the events that we would eventually book and how we wanted something for everyone. Since prosecco is a sparkling beverage that might scare some people away, we wanted to have a little area designated for anyone who might just want a beer. We created this area in the back of our truck called “The Back Porch” where we have self-serve beer.
Our business name, Gone With The Wine, is a play on the classic movie title. The little girl from the movie, Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler’s daughter, is named Bonnie Blue Butler, so we kind of knew from the beginning that we were going to name our trailer Bonnie Blue.
Honestly, the most challenging part of the process has been Covid. You spend several years and so much of your time and energy building something and preparing to put it out in the world only to have it all shut down. Our launch party was supposed to be March 28 and of course, that was canceled. We had booked weddings, birthday parties and several other events that were also canceled or postponed, so that has been incredibly frustrating but it’s very important to us to be a socially responsible company.
If you had to choose a prosecco brand to be your flagship, what would it be and why?
We love them all! But seriously, we aim to please and treat every party as a custom event. Whatever you want to drink, we will serve it, but we certainly have a favorite: Gambino Prosecco. Their sparkling wines hold DOCG status and they produce something for every pallet and budget.
What types of occasions or events do you envision being the best fit for Bonnie Blue?
You name it, we’ll be there to celebrate it! From birthday parties, baby showers, backyard BBQs, graduations, office parties, corporate events, bachelorette parties and even thank goodness 2020 is almost over parties. Bonnie Blue is the perfect mobile bar for any occasion.
What do you hope your customers will take away from their Gone With The Wine experience?
We started this company because we love to entertain. Our goal is to create unique, memorable events for every customer. We want our clients to feel like they’ve been treated as family. We are proud to bring southern charm to Sin City. Our intent is pure and simple, WE LOVE TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY!
How do you think your respective entertainment backgrounds benefit you in this new venture?
Between the two of us, we have over 50 years of experience in the arts. From Broadway shows and tours to theme parks and cruise ships, we have been privileged to travel the world and entertain. This passion for entertaining has given us a unique perspective, each event is like creating and performing in a show. Our mobile bar isn’t just there to serve drinks, we are creating an ambience and bespoke experience for every guest.
What are Bonnie Blue’s dimensions and what is the best way for people to book it for an event?
Bonne Blue is so cute! She’s 7’10” high, 7’ wide and 11’6” long from the very front to her tow hitch. Not to mention she features a crystal chandelier and custom color LED lighting throughout. Bonnie also sports 2 wine fridges onboard, holding up to 48 ice cold bottles.
