Whether you’re on the go and need a quick, locally sourced cup of coffee to jumpstart your day or a vendor to serve high-quality cocktails at your special event, Birmingham’s newest mobile beverage experience, Pour, has you covered.
The idea for Pour appropriately stemmed from a casual conversation over cocktails among three friends and Birmingham locals. In their vintage, 70s-style camper, you’ll be able to find them around Birmingham this summer. I had the opportunity to chat with CEO Ashley Smith, CFO Becki Dutton and COO Rebecca Posey to ask a few questions about their up-and-coming business. Here’s what the team at Pour had to say.
CEO Ashley Smith
As an experienced entrepreneur, Ashley brings years of experience and insight to Pour, where she will be responsible for overseeing general operations, marketing (including social media) and inventory.
Q: Where does your passion for coffee and cocktails stem from?
A: Both coffee and cocktails bring people together. Coffee and cocktails are what the friendship between the three owners was built around. There were many mornings where we would meet over a cup of coffee and compare notes on motherhood and share what was going on in our lives. We also love to celebrate our friendship over cocktails on a good girls’ night out. My “passion” for Pour and what we are trying to accomplish stems more from wanting to bring people together while promoting what I call “mompreneurship.” I love my team and the way that we support each other in pursuit of this new business, but also as woman, and as mothers. Becki, Rebecca, I are more than just friends who started a business together. We are women who truly support one another.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a good coffee and a good cocktail?
A: Good coffee starts with great beans. We are proud to be partnering with local roaster and coffee cafe, Seeds Coffee Co. Seeds is a coffee shop that places emphasis on having a social consciousness and that vision pairs well with what we want to do. So, good coffee is quality beans, perfectly roasted, and brewed with care. We also plan on using housemade flavored syrups for lattes to make our coffee drinks extra special. Likewise, a good cocktail starts with quality ingredients. We like to think that we are bringing our guests a garden-to-glass experience. This means that our focus for cocktails will be on freshly squeezed citrus, fresh simple syrups, and beautiful garnishes. What truly makes good coffee and a good cocktail is the company that comes with it. We want to provide more than just good drinks. We want to provide a beverage experience.
Q: What kind of services does Pour provide?
A: We provide a coffee shop experience on the go from our camper. Soon, you will be able to find us around town, brewing high quality coffee, and serving amazing lattes. Pour also provides special event services– this is where the cocktails come in. Special event clients can rent our camper and beverage service. We will provide ice, glassware, mixers, garnishes, and everything needed to create a unique beverage experience, and the guest provides the alcohol. (We do not sell alcohol.)
Q: What big plans are on the horizon for Pour?
A: Right now we are working on redesigning our 1970 vintage Tag-a-long camper, and focusing on research and preparation to prepare for launch, which will be this summer.
CFO Becki Dutton
Becki holds a B.S. in Psychology and has experience in restaurant and retail management, as well as real estate, that has prepared her to excel in her role as Chief Financial Officer at Pour.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about Pour’s partnership with local businesses such as Seeds Coffee?
A: We went into this strategizing about how we, even as a small start up business, could give back and support the local culture, people and businesses of Birmingham and the surrounding areas. One of our first chances to do that was through our search to find the best local coffee. We found really great coffee, but we also found really great people who share the same goals of giving back locally and globally. We are so proud to partner with Seeds Coffee and love their passion for travelling the globe to support farmers and ensuring that their beans are sourced ethically.
Q: Are there any plans for a brick-and-mortar location for Pour, or is the camper here to stay?
A: The mobile coffee and cocktails camper is our passion and focus right now. We are so in love with this concept, and the value and uniqueness it brings to the Birmingham event scene, that it has our main attention right now. But who knows? Maybe the future will bring on more exciting things for Pour.
Q: What are you most excited about regarding this new business?
A: We are so excited about so much of it that it’s hard to pin down one thing. But I will say that the focal point is our reimagined vintage camper. It is pretty amazing. It is a beautiful, special touch for any event. It can easily fit and transition from event to event easily, from upscale and elegant to casual and laid back.
Q: What sets Pour apart from similar businesses in the Birmingham area?
A: Even though Birmingham has such a great, diverse and innovative business assemblage, Birmingham doesn’t really have anything quite like Pour. And we love that we are able to introduce something new to the area that we think is distinctive and will bring a lot of merit.
COO Rebecca Posey
As someone who has served in several organizational capacities in her professional and personal life, Rebecca has the operational skills necessary to fulfill her role as Chief Officer of Operations for Pour.
Q: How did the Pour team meet? Were you all friends beforehand?
A: We love to say we met through our love of books and cocktails! We all met through book club and we have been friends ever since.
Q: How does Pour’s special event services work?
A: If someone wants to book Pour for their special event, they will schedule a complimentary consultation with us. In that consultation we will determine which package best meets the needs of the event. We can prepare specialty cocktails, or serve beer and wine, or all of the above! We provide not only a specialized drink service, but an Instagram worthy backdrop. Our beautiful camper is something your guests will be talking about for years.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind the vintage 1970s camper?
A: We love the shape and style of our vintage camper. It combines an eclectic, vintage feel with a classy modern touch. We have designed it so that it will work with the decor style chosen for the event. It is versatile in that it can be more low-key for a casual cookout, or it can be dressed up for a fancier wedding.
Q: What would you say to readers regarding the importance of supporting local businesses?
A: Especially during these times of a pandemic, the support of local businesses is so important. While it is tempting and sometimes easy to use the large box stores and companies, local businesses are struggling lately. Supporting local businesses was our strongest force when selecting our partnership with Seeds, and it will continue to be our driving force in other partnerships we undertake in the future.
For more information about Pour, check out their social media and newly launched website!
Website: https://www.pourbirmingham.com/
Instagram: @pourbirmingham
Facebook: @pourbirmingham