Describe the business
Pubs on Wheels does exactly what it says on the tin. Having said that, when we decided to do this nearly two years ago we always knew it was a very crowded marketplace. There are a lot of mobile bars out there and we needed a USP – so the USP was always to be a mobile pub.
We have two 2.5 tonne trucks and one Land Rover, all ex-military. We go as far north as the Scottish Open, and we are doing events in Devon. We have a core team of just four of us and there is a lot of outsourced staffing.
What’s the difference between a mobile pub and a mobile bar?
I think my business partner puts it best – if you go to a bar at an event you are normally offered a choice of beer, cider or wine, but no choice of what beer, cider or wine you can have. We always carry a stock which gives our customers choice – that is a really important part of our philosophy.
What types of events do you go to?
In no particular order, we have done county shows in Surrey, Kent and Rutland, armed forces day in Guildford, the Isle of Wight festival and a Liverpool family fun festival. And we do quite a lot of corporate events where people will hire us to be their own personal bar for the day.
Are you pleased with your growth so far?
I am pleasantly surprised by the number of events we have done. We are way off our business plan but quite frankly our business plan was based on not enough knowledge. Some events we thought we would turn over £20,000, and actually that’s very difficult to do.
The thing I am most pleased about is having designed the trucks to do what they are supposed to do. When we originally sat down and talked about what we wanted to achieve, I never really believed that we could really do what we had talked about. Actually getting all the kit – from keg coolers to fridges, to fast pour taps, to a beautiful copper bar, to a platform that folded into the side of the truck, to a beautiful and clever logo – was all rather fanciful, but it was all achieved.
How important is your British branding?
The vehicles are built out of old MoD (Ministry of Defence) trucks, which is part and parcel of the brand. My business parter is unbelievably proud to be British, she is very keen on British culture and heritage.
How do you deal with seasonal ebbs and flows?
This is our first season, therefore we have done everything. Every event that comes up that’s been feasibly possible, we have done it. Some have been absolute disasters, others have been great. The Scottish Open was a great event, we ran out of beer four times. We are finding out what events to do and what events not to do.
Our season is funny, so by mid-October it will be done. We are looking at things like trying to get the trucks into a ski resort. We have been approached by a big brand to take one of the trucks to Ibiza.
The season starts in mid-April or at the beginning of May so we are also looking at skating rinks. A fixed site in the winter would be great – somewhere you can take it, set up, and leave it for three or four weeks.
What are you most excited about at the moment?
We are building an interactive marketing platform, so when people log into our WiFi at events we capture their data and this allows us to send them details about Pubs on Wheels. We are working with a company in Sweden to help us grow this part of the business.
What’s the most challenging part of running the business?
There are lots of hurdles to jump through, particularly with food, in terms of health and safety and risk assessment. There’s a lot of hard work.
What advice would you offer to other entrepreneurs?
You don’t need a big team but you need a team who buy into the whole thing and are prepared to go along with you.
David Watt is the CEO of Pubs on Wheels
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