Last Updated on May 10, 2024 by Marybeth
Ever heard of a Truckpreneur? Boutique on wheels? Caravan kiosk? Maybe you haven’t heard them described as such but I bet you’ve seen them at local art fests, First Fridays, farmer’s markets: attention-grabbing vehicles from back in the day all fixed up and offering you an experience beyond the ordinary.
There are so many cool businesses in Florida run from roving vintage vehicles we’re bringing you a second installment. Read our first article, full of photo booths, sangria/spirits/prosecco/craft beer, clothing & accessories, and more: Vintage Vendor Vehicles: Doing Business in Florida from Classic Campers and Restored VWs.
Is there a science behind why we’re so fascinated by vans, buses, and squat little cars from bygone eras? I actually typed in “why people love old cars so much” and one of the first articles that popped up started with “Old cars are rubbish” (didn’t click on that one!) but the best list of reasons came from Hemmings. If you’re an old car enthusiast you’ll know Hemmings: famous auctioneers of classic vehicles and publisher of Hemmings Motor News (the largest and oldest publication of its type in the US.)
Among the reasons Hemmings listed are:
“It’s a looker!” (Even saying the word “looker” out loud makes me feel old… my dad used that term… ) The lookers “posses the power to stop us in our tracks to just stare at it.” Yes.
“The First Car.” Absolutely, nostalgia. Though funny enough, while doing research for this article and talking with the current-day business owners of these classic vehicles, I found that most of these ‘kids’ were born 20-50 years after their vintage vehicles!
Important to note: Some vendors are able to travel beyond the counties listed and may require a travel fee, and not all vendors travel to each county we have listed for each territory. Contact any you are interested in to get specific travel details.
Florida state laws prohibit bartending vehicles from providing the alcohol; you who are in charge of the event must provide alcohol.
Vendors are listed by region, alphabetically.
NORTH/PANHANDLE
Walton County
Serving the best donuts on 30a!
Type of business: Donuts, muffins, coffee.
Vintage Vehicle: Formerly a Sunbeam Bread truck converted to donut truck.
Backstory: Disabled veteran owned and operated, Charlie’s has been serving donuts for over ten years.
Locations: Click the link above to see current locations.
Memorable experiences for life’s unforgettable moments!
Type of business: Mobile beverage service with a digital/video photo booth with instant share.
Vintage vehicle: 1975 Serro Scotty camper. Stay tuned for a new trailer to be added to the fleet this summer!
Backstory: While planning their wedding in 2018 Dannon and Christopher discovered the mobile beverage industry and realized there was nothing like it in their area. Event planning and business management being their background, they knew this was a perfect industry for them. They tackled the Scotty’s renovation themselves – check out their photos of the progress on their website. It only took 5 months of weekend-warrioring!
Some FAQs: What is your service area? We are located in Pensacola and service the entire North Panhandle. We are willing to travel for a good time, but if your event is more than 30 miles outside Pensacola there will be an additional fee. What logistical requirements are there for our venue? We have partnerships with many local venues and know exactly what to expect each time. However if your event is not at one of our partner locations we may need to do a site visit. Flat ground is required. If you don’t have access to electricity a generator can be added to your package.
CENTRAL/CENTRAL EAST
Orange County and beyond
A mobile bar experience
Type of business: Mobile bar for beer, Prosecco, you name it! And coffee if you choose.
Vintage Vehicle: 1992 Italian Piaggio Ape, named Luci. You can also book Luci’s sidekick Giuseppe, the 3-wheeled tap bicycle.
Backstory: Luci endured twenty years of boring milk, bread and occasional newspaper delivery before owner Allison found her via an email from a friend.
Some FAQS: What is your coverage area? We serve a 25-mile radius surrounding the 32831 zip code, but no event is out of reach. Contact us for details. What beverages do you serve? Local craft brews, tap beer, wine, premium wines and Proseccos as well as non-alcoholic bubblies. We can also provide tap soda, cold brew coffee and Kombucha.
SOUTHEAST
Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties
Where fashion and traveling collide
Type of business: Eclectic mix of brands and one of a kind pieces; clothing and accessories; luxe-bohemian style.
Vintage vehicle: 1972 Airstream sometimes called “DreamStream.”
Backstory: The Airstream was purchased in New York and needed a year’s worth of renovation. The whole thing was gutted and only the shell, belly, and some original windows were kept. Inspired by a love for fashion, traveling, and most of all creativity, Brittany Reilly brought her experience working as a personal shopper and stylist in Manhattan, and a degree in Fashion Merchandising and Business to the design of her mobile shop.
Type of business: Specialty coffee on wheels with a charismatic heart and soul.
Vintage vehicle: 1972 VW bus.
Backstory: The bus took about 2 years to be restored. The entire design, color, exterior, interior, logo and name were created by the owner and the build was completed by a professional restoration team.
CENTRAL WEST
Manatee, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties
Mobile boutique + brick and mortar store
UPDATE: Ashe Couture Boutique is now located at a brick-and-mortar location: 1027 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL, 33705. Visit them there! I’m leaving in the Airstream info so you can see where it all began.
Type of business: Apparel, shoes and accessories.
Vintage vehicle: 1963 Airstream named Lucille.
Backstory: Originally from CA, Lucille spent most of her early life roaming around the country packed full of motorcycles. A trip that should have taken only 2 hours to get her home took 4 because of a dragging underbelly. Lucille needed anti-rust treatments, leveling, new sub floors, flooring, paint, and all the fittings to transform her into a boutique.
Discover the easily self guided paddle trails at our launch site and enjoy the many service enhancements unique to the Suferbus
Type of business: Kayak and paddleboard rentals for the Robinson Preserve, 9800 Manatee Ave. West, the main aquatic entrance.
Backstory: This vintage vehicle is a 1979 77-passenger school bus for Manatee County. Anyone who attended school during its 12 years of service may have fond memories of this bus. Now serving over 100 people a day.
Your best pour decision
Type of business: Rolling beverage bars.
Vintage vehicle: In this case there are three! Beginning with Willow, a transformed horse trailer with a live edge hickory bar top; Bence (above) who is a 1972 Citroen HY originally from France, then England where he served as a bar for a hotel; and Maybelle, the newest member of the family, another renovated horse trailer with two live edge bar tops for extra serving space.
Some FAQs: If we’re not having alcohol at our event can we still use the trailer? Absolutely! We have many mocktail recipes, or we can service a lemonade stand, tea, coffee, hot cocoa, or anything you desire. Where are you located? The Tipsy Trotter is based out of Seminole, FL, and we travel all around the Tampa Bay area, surrounding counties, and Central FL. Our first 30 miles are free of charge; visit the website – click the name above – for more details.
Officially open for bubbly business!
Type of business: Boutique mobile bar.
Vintage vehicle: 1978 horse trailer.
Backstory: As a graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design with a major in Interior Design, and restaurant industry experience of over 15 years, owner Jill Martini married these skills and designed the restoration of The Wandering Whale herself.
The coolest mobile rentable beverage service eva!
Type of business: One-of-a-kind rentable beverage service that travels to customers for weddings, private parties, promotional events, samplings, photo shoots, and more in the St. Petersburg area. W.O.W. can provide a space for a coffee/dessert bar, bridal lunch or small buffet as well.
Vintage vehicle: 1962 Airstream trailer.
Backstory: What began as a joke between friends – the adult equivalent of an ice cream truck is, of course, a wine truck – and with a background in marketing, sales, and with food & beverage experience, Melody Maria made the ‘joke’ into a reality. Melody renovated the Airstream herself. So many creative fixes, including a bowling alley floor! The mannequin on top was originally a Jantzen swimsuit model recreated as a mermaid by Melody’s brother.
Some FAQs: Do you serve more than wine? Yes! We can serve beer, wine, craft cocktails and mocktails. Where do you go? We serve the Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg area that includes a 50-mile radius. Anything outside of that we will need to charge a little extra.
SOUTHWEST
Collier County
Book these eye-catching mobile bars for your event!
Type of business: Mobile bar.
Vintage vehicle: A blue 1963 Piaggio Ape truck and a white 1965 Innocenti Lambro 200.
Backstory: Piaggio Apes were originally created in 1947 by the inventor of the Vespa. These hard-working minis were named for their work ethic: “ape” (pronounced AH-pay) means “bee” in Italian. We can see why now how they could – and still do! – buzz around the narrow streets of Italy. The Innocenti company in Milan was located next to the Lambro River, hence the name. Owner Patti Genko is a professional voice actor, runs a PR and Marketing firm and now brings the mobile bar business – for weddings, corporate events, festivals and more – to SW Florida.
What stood out for us the most as we talked with all of these hard-working entrepreneurs was how friendly everyone was! The kind of people we’d truly want to get to know better and hang out with. While researching and crafting this article took a long time (and our precious pet squirrel trotted over the Rainbow Bridge during the process) I never felt like the time dragged. Everyone was so gracious, warm, and often funny. Perhaps owning your own cool/unique business housed in an old-school vehicle that has been dragged from the edge of oblivion and made bright and welcoming makes you more lighthearted and neighborly.
Thank you to all you vendors who put up with me not remembering if I’d asked you certain questions, and whether they were via Instagram comment, DM, or email. Kudos to you all.
If we’ve forgotten any vintage vendor vehicle businesses in Florida, between this article and our earlier one, please let us know!
