Lucy’s Bar, with its bounteous décor, has been a recognizable Caroline Street fixture since it opened in the fall of 2021. But as word spread, the tiny bar developed what can only be described as a great “problem” to have: More people wanted Lucy’s than could fit inside the cozy premises.
“We frequently get inquiries to book Lucy’s for private events, but the biggest concern is our capacity,” says co-owner Lucy Rivas. “So we thought, ‘Why not bring Lucy’s to the customer instead?’”
While attending a friend’s wedding, Rivas and her fiancé, Lucy’s co-owner Zach VanEarden, saw an opportunity to bring the charm of their beloved bar on the road. After falling in love with mobile bars while traveling overseas, they saw what the right mobile bar can do when, at the wedding reception, a tiny but attention-grabbing one sat in the middle of the ballroom, with beer, Champagne and wine taps for guests to enjoy. The cart was a hit and had everyone posing for photos all night. “Seeing it in action at a wedding sealed the deal,” Rivas says. “We were sold.”
Fast forward a year and the Little Lucy’s Mobile Bar was ready to roll. Sporting a mahogany wooden backing and antique brass touches—adding to what Rivas calls its “elegant Titanic feel”—its first gigs were a wedding and baby shower. At colder-weather outdoor events—Chowderfest, perhaps?!—the bar can even serve hot beverages such as coffee and hot cocoa. (The bar’s four taps can serve beer, wine, seltzer, cocktails and mocktails.)
Since the seasonal covered ceiling and stand-out entrance décor are part of the DNA at Lucy’s Bar, the look of Little Lucy’s was hugely important. “Zach personally customized it, and [co-owner] Kelsey [McPartland] and I hand-picked every feature to make it both photogenic and iconic, which is something we obviously take pride in at Lucy’s,” Rivas says. “This is a mobile bar that will elevate any event!”
