Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Goularte.
Hi Andrew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Have you ever had an idea just pop into your head and it refuses to go away? Where it seems like the more thought you put into it, the more reasons you have to convince yourself this idea just might work? Well, that happened to me at a wedding back in 2017.
I ordered a margarita, and I got a glass of tequila topped with margarita mix and a tired lime. Everyone around me was enjoying themselves and enjoying their drinks. While I found myself staring at my drink wondering “Where’s the love in this cocktail?! Why can’t the bartender have some basic stuff like simple syrup, mint syrup, ginger syrup, or fresh-squeezed citrus? Why can’t people be served drinks similar to what they receive at their favorite cocktail bar?” I was done for. I couldn’t shake the thought and I just knew that I would have to be the change that I wanted to see. I called my uncle Joe for advice and to see what he thought. He said, “Dude, we’re building a f**kin’ bar.”
At the time, I was bartending at Polite Provisions. This is where I was introduced to the craft side of cocktails and the beautiful chemistry of making a solid drink. I met so many awesome bartenders and titans in the industry, and I owe much of what little success I’ve had to my 5-year stint at Polite. After my closing shifts, I would be buried in my notebook drawing plans, writing down ideas, and brainstorming the next steps, often until the sun came up. Basically, any money that wasn’t for bills, went into funding this new obsession of mine. Every weekend Joe and I would meet up and we eventually built our first bar. No blueprint, no game plan, we just had a sketch and a rough idea of what it should look like. We didn’t even have any leads, potential events lined up, or even a real business plan, but that didn’t slow us down.
Fast forward to now, I’m 5 years in the game and we’ve built 4 mobile bars that are all in rotation. What started as a potential once or twice-a-month weekend gig, turned into a full-time job. I used to pack everything into the back of my Nissan Frontier, and now we have two full-sized trucks with two enclosed cargo trailers to pull gear. From setting up our first mobile bar at a friend’s Super Bowl Party to signing NDAs when bartending for celebrities or business executives. I get to be a part of so many special and unique celebrations, that it’s nothing short of a dream job come true!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s been a few struggles along the way, all the usual struggles that come with a startup; but nothing as big as my upcoming challenge.
There have been many valuable lessons from working behind the stick, and there have also been quite a few skills I’ve never really had the chance to practice in a professional setting. I had to teach myself how to sell a product over the phone. Practicing in the mirror wasn’t helping so I had to learn in real-time with actual clients! (I’m still working on this by the way). Learning the art of the cold call (hint: it’s to stop making cold calls), and how to sound like you’re smiling over the phone. Learning email etiquette is new, considering I only had an email to log into social media apps and sign up for other forms of mindless entertainment. Learning that certain materials are too damn heavy for a mobile bar, which is why our new bars are framed with aluminum instead of wood.
My wife and I are expecting our first child in March. I have a good feeling my biggest hurdle yet will be balancing life with my wife, a newborn, and career.
As you know, we’re big fans of Progressive Pours. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We’re a mobile bartending service that actually cares. We care about how professional the bar looks, so instead of us setting up on a fold-out table and linen, we went the extra mile to build our mobile bar from scratch (we even installed tin rinsers on the bartop). We care about how our drinks taste, which is why hours are spent squeezing citrus and making syrups to provide cocktails kin to what is served at local craft bars. We care because clients put their trust in us to deliver, no matter the occasion.
What do you think about luck?
Luck has definitely played a part in both my life and business, both good and bad. What’s unique about bad luck is if you give it enough time, you’ll eventually start to see the good that came out of it.
It was good luck that I worked at Mad Dogs Café. My friend’s mom (the owner) knew one of the owners at Barleymash. This helped me land my interview and eventually led to my first industry job as a barback. Bad luck would see it that I get fired from Barleymash, but that eventually led me to be hired at their sister bar, PB Tavern, where I met my wife. It was good luck that I saw a friend of mine the day before he was getting fired from Polite Provisions. He told me if anyone should have his position, it should be me. The next day I showed up at Polite without an interview and got the job. Bad luck struck again when bartenders were laid off in the fiasco of 2020, but that just gave me more time to focus on my business. The fact that I’ve gained traction with a small business, I’m steadily improving sales, and I have the opportunity to share my story with you is luck in itself (and a lot of hard work).
Contact Info:
- Email: andrew@progressivepours.com
- Website: progressivepours.com
- Instagram: @progressivepours
Image Credits
Julianne Shearer
