Meet Rachel Miles Bree Schlegel | C0-Owners The Bison Bar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Miles Bree Schlegel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel Miles, how do you think about risk?
Why not take a risk on a dream? The worst thing that can happen is you fail. So what! Pick yourself back up and try again. What happens if you don’t fail? You never know unless you TAKE A RISK. Starting a business during a crazy pandemic was a GIANT risk. Many businesses were depleting, struggling, and closing. But the passion and faith we have for our business is what drove us to succeed. We both believe wholeheartedly that we will be the difference in bar services and truly, nothing is easy. You have to fail, learn, and adapt to succeed. We weren’t going to give up. In 2020 when we decided to start renovating the Babe, there were so many people telling us that our idea was going to just be a “Money pit” and “Who would pay for that.” You can’t let that get to you because no matter what there is always going to be someone trying to persuade you differently. All you can do is take the risk and prove them wrong.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Upon attending Concordia Saint Paul University, Bree had to develop a business to base a few assignments on to obtain her business and marketing degree. Scrolling through social media, she found a bar business out of Texas created from a two-horse trailer. Bree thought perfect, she had bartended on planes as a flight attendant. After talking to her husband’s family friend, Rachel, who has lots of bartending experience working at a country club, pushed Bree to believe they could succeed and that this business is worth investing in. Bree’s parents brought her childhood two-horse trailer to Colorado, and Ty and Rachel started a complete renovation. Our business is our passion. We honestly have the best job out there, we get to be apart of some of the happiest days of peoples lives. We are a mobile Bartending service that represents part of the western lifestyle. We have completely revamped two two-horse trailers into fully functioning bars. From the custom milled bar tops to the cooling systems we are able to bartend for hours without needing to even leave the trailers. Creating the Bison Bar Brand is having the ability to make the vibe of ANY event a great one. You can truly see in our eyes that we believe in our business and we will do what it takes to make the day be one you and your guests won’t forget. Our trailers can be dressed up in various decor options and can be placed almost anywhere. A distant dream turned into our reality and no it was not easy. Every event taught us something new and we have had some hard hurdles to overcome. The biggest lesson we want any future business owners to know is there is nothing without communication. If something bugging you let your business partner or team know. Don’t hold anything back because they are your team and if you want to be successful being on the same page is key!

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?
Both of us, Bison Bar Gals, live outside of any significant town. We agree that the city of Glenwood, CO has a lot to offer for when our family and friends come to visit. First, we would book a room at the Hotel Colorado, an 1893 Italianate structure and one of the oldest hotels in Colorado. Then we would head out to have lunch at the Slope and Hatch. It is a tiny hole-in-the-wall place that has delicious tacos and hot dogs on the menu with a fun drink menu that we love to order off of every time we go. Brewery and pub hopping is always on our to-do list. The Glenwood Canyon Brewpub and Casey Brewing and Blending are our favorite spots. If you’re interested in more adventure and family fun, we suggest taking the gondola up to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. There you will find caves to explore along with numerous other attractions. We would end our time with dinner at the Grind for a gourmet burger and shake, or we suggest The Italian Underground Restaurant. No trip is complete, of course, without a dip at the Iron Mountain Hot Springs. They offer many natural mineral pools at different temperatures, a fresh family pool and jetted spa, a bathhouse with luxury shower products, and a Café.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would like to give our Husbands a shoutout! Tyler Miles and Joel Schlegel are the backbone of why we are where we are today. Not only have they done all the work to the trailers, they come to a lot of the events and help. They just fully support us and make our visions come true. Whether it be building a backdrop for a bridal show, or breaking down and rebuilding parts of the trailers, modeling for pictures, or just filling up the ice bins when we ask. They are there for it all! They are amazing!

Website: www.themobilebisonbar.com

Instagram: the.bison.bar

Facebook: The Bison Bar

Image Credits
Angela Hays Photography, Claire Coldling Photography, Vintage Violets Photography & Kaitlyn Diana Photography