Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Kast.
Hi Alexander, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My wife and I started Vita Mielie in March 2020. I intended to compliment our parent company, Kast Events & C0, an event design, planning, and coordination business operating since 2015. We purchased the Piaggio Ape in 2019 from friends who owned an Italian restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC, which unfortunately closed. The cart was modest but needed work to fit our vision of an elegant and refined mobile bar experience.
We would later bring the cart to Charleston, SC. The interior was spiffed up, and installed the bar in the back was. It also underwent a rebuild of the engine and other items that made it drivable. We were thrilled with the look, and the event planning community quickly embraced the cart. Unfortunately, the timing was such that events were being put on hold due to Covid. So the rollout was much slower than we had wished. Fortunately, though, we were still able to book events for the future since there wasn’t much clarity on if there would or wouldn’t be large gatherings later in the year. Until August, we were present and in person for our first event!
Since then, its sales have continued to grow. We work with some of the finest venues in the Triangle, including The Bradford, The Barn of Chapel Hill, The Carolina Inn, Carolina Grove, Merrimon Wyn House, The Meadows, and more. Like any small business, it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the greater event community, including venues, planners, caterers, and all of the others who make these remarkable events possible.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has. Covid created a huge gap in actual events, but fortunately, we could still book events for future dates, with retainer fees helping cash flow. We wouldn’t want to live through it again, but when one has to put it in perspective, we are very fortunate.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our parent company Kast Events & Co, ‘s motto is “In Good Company.” We value relationships, whether that is with the client or the vendor. It’s all about teamwork and mutual respect with the shared goal of making truly remarkable memories happen. Vita Mielie is a mobile cart rental service that provides bar service for carts. We take great pride in hosting the guests as if they were our own. We hope our clients can find the best beverages we can source, as we are big supporters of local producers. We go out of our way to find what the client wants if it’s a unique beer or a rose hip cordial.
In terms of your work and the industry. What are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
As the Triangle grows, so does the events industry. We have been working events for over 10 years in this area, and the quality of venues, caterers, and other vendors has increased tremendously. I imagine the industry is maturing, and many start-ups will either find their way or move on to other areas. It is a very exciting time.
Pricing:
- 1000-1600 for rental services
- 600 for beverages
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vitamielie.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/vitamielie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VitaMielie/
Image Credits
1-6 Photographs by Kaitlyn Blake of Kaitlyn Blake Photography 7-8 Photographs by Graham Terhune of Anagram Photography
