Meet Stefan Cosma | Mobile Bar Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stefan Cosma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stefan, how do you think about risk?
When the word “risk” pops up, I often think of a term I learnt in business school, which is “opportunity cost”. Every decision and action you take has an element of risk attached to it, but there is also an opportunity cost in deciding not to do something different. The freedom we have gained has cost us some short and medium term security, for example.

We are lucky in our business that we have two very different people that approach problems from two very different angles. This gives us the chance to think about our decisions in a multi-dimensional way and allows us to take risks that we are both comfortable with.

Ultimately, deciding to work for ourselves was a big decision but most of the big decisions in life are not as daunting as what they seem. Knowing that it is ok to change your mind about something makes it easier to accept risk, and although it isn’t always easy, the juice has certainly been worth the squeeze so far.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Mobile Mixer is a mobile cocktail bar service that operates around the Toronto and southern Ontario region. The original idea of a mobile coffee trailer came to us when we returned to the area after years away to find there was no place to get a good “cuppa”, but then we looked around at all the events happening in the area and decided to expand the service into mobile cocktail bartending, something we both had experience doing.

There were several initial challenges, both expected and unexpected. Insurance was and expected hassle, but perhaps the biggest challenge we had was simply explaining to people what our service was. Whilst we thought the novel concept was self-explanatory, the finer details also had to be communicated. We had to continually work at this until we decided to re-brand, adopting a far simpler, direct name. This has made a huge difference, allowing us to tell people who we are and what we do.

Our main focus has always been delivering the best possible experience for each of our clients. The way we achieve this is through establishing strong communication, and taking the time to get to know our customers. They just want to know that you care, and the best way to do this is to pay them proper attention.

We really love what we do and are lucky to have been a part of many special celebrations. We are excited about the opportunity to continue growing and be an integral part of all the celebrations in our area and beyond.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We live in the Niagara peninsula south of Toronto – there are lots of great places beyond the beaten path!

The most obvious first stop is Niagara Falls. An impressive natural wonder, there are also many great spots up and down the Niagara River. We love the natural world, and its wonderful to get lost in the Niagara Gorge for an afternoon. Further along the river, the Niagara Parkway is a great route to ride on a bike, leading eventually to the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where there are several options for a cocktail and great meal.

Heading back towards St. Catharines, there are several wine appellations that each deserve to be enjoyed. The NOTL region has many great spots, including wineries (Wayne Gretzky Estates) and breweries (Oasthouse, Silversmith). Another day could be spent riding around the Lincoln Lakeshore, visiting the wineries (Honsberger) and breweries (Bench) in that area. There is also great mountain biking available on the Short Hills Bench, and lots of great hiking trails (The Bruce Trail, Decew Falls).

St. Catharines is an exciting university town, with lots of great restaurants and bars. A cocktail flight from Pharmacii, authentic aussie meat pie from Dispatch, pizza from OddBar and literally anything from OddBird and well worth the effort. Several great breweries have popped up – Lock St., Cold Break & The Mansion Ale House are all great for a craft beer.

If the weather is hot, heading south to one of the Lake Erie beaches is a sound bet for a day in the sun. The water is safer than Lake Ontario, and it’s easier to find a quiet, relaxing spot.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Amanda and I would not be where we are today without the help and guidance from both sets of our parents.

Tony, Nadia, Andy & Fran have been constant sources of love, support, encouragement and help throughout the entirety of our venture. From forming the original business plan and fund raising, the initial start-up work, running around when we inevitably forget something for an event, and being wonderful sounding boards for new ideas or dealing with adversity, there is simply no way we could have achieved what we have achieved without them. There presence is deeply appreciated.

Aside from these 4 special people, we are fortunate to be part of a great community made up of many people who have all provided positive encouragement. It can sometimes feel stressful and lonely forging your own path, but knowing we have the support of our neighbors makes it possible to get the work done when motivation is low.

Website: https://www.themobilemixer.ca/

Instagram: @mobile.mixer

Facebook: @mobilemixerbartending

Image Credits
Photography – Rob Anzit @robanzit