Moab, Utah is known for its eye-catching, natural wonders.
Big, bold, colorful - the desert landscape and striking rock formations live long in the memory.
Perhaps it’s unsurprising then that this would be the birthplace of one of the largest and most unique mobile businesses we’ve featured here on Roll To.
Measuring in at 36ft long, weighing 35,000lbs and painted in that classic glossy yellow, the Stargazer Social Club’s school bus is very hard to miss, and even harder to forget.
Owner, Loren Rothman, has put a new twist on the Skoolie conversion craze.
Rather than living and traveling in his 1981 Crown Supercoach, he’s allowing event guests to book and make use of the vehicle as a mobile bar, photo booth, dressing room, bridal suite, or luxurious lounge on wheels.
Taking inspiration from several eras — Deco, Mid-Century, and Contemporary — Loren and his team are ready to bring the indoors to your outdoor wedding or private event in style.
When Stargazer Social Club joined Roll To, we knew that this was a mobile business we had to learn more about.
Thankfully, owner Loren was more than happy to shed some light on the operation as he works through the renovation and design challenges of such a one-off project.
If you’re pondering whether to go big with your mobile bar build or start off with something slightly smaller, there’s plenty of inspiration to help you get the ball rolling, and the wheels turning, below.
School is now in session!
"I pivoted to the idea of doing a mobile concept and fell down the skoolie rabbit hole!
Hi Loren, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I can’t wait to hear more about this mammoth mobile bar project that you’ve taken on! First, let’s take it back to the beginning, what's your background?
“I had been working in the corporate world doing project management, account management, and client relations, while also helping my wife with her wedding floral business for 5 years.
After moving from the extremely robust wedding industry in the San Francisco Bay Area to the small town of Moab, we quickly recognized how challenging it is to put together a full-scale wedding here, and how limited the venue options are.
With that in mind, I started brainstorming ways that we could serve the adventurous couples that want to get married in Moab and the Southwest, and how we could fill the gaps in the small but growing industry here.”
How did you land on the idea of starting a mobile bar business?
“I initially looked into acquiring land to build a venue, but commercial land here is extremely scarce and extremely expensive.
That's when I pivoted to the idea of doing a mobile concept and fell down the skoolie rabbit hole!
I wanted to use a vintage bus as the platform rather than a trailer, so we could have everything on board and simply roll to an event ;-) and roll away; no setup and no breakdown required.
That's how I developed the concept for a "mobile venue" that would be perfect for both large weddings looking for an elegant complement to their event and intimate weddings and elopements that need a comfortable indoor space for the guests but still want to celebrate in a natural setting.”
"I'm also a business process nerd and obsessed with client satisfaction, so I've spent a lot of time developing our operating procedures and processes."
What was the process like buying and building out your vehicle?
"I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect bus.
Crowns are the most collectible skoolies, and very few still exist in good condition.
I was fortunate to eventually connect with a wonderful collector in southern California that had one in unusually flawless condition, since it had been lovingly maintained by the school district long after its retirement from service.
I went out to see 'Regina' in person and it was love at first sight!
Not only is she in amazing shape, she also has some of the most coveted features such as the original 10-speed transmission and white bakelite steering wheel.
A very rare find, indeed.
Because of the scale and complexity involved, I decide to use a professional builder to execute the project.
I probably met with 10 or so builders around the country before deciding to go with a company that has many years of experience building mobile bars and food trailers, as well as expertise in vintage vehicles.
They do everything in-house, and they just seemed like the perfect fit for my project.
The buildout was a significant investment for sure, but it was very important to me that the execution was top notch and truly represented my vision for the concept.
The build is currently in progress and will be completed early this summer."
Awesome – we’re big fans of the guys at Hudson Trailer Co. and have seen what amazing jobs they do!
What have you enjoyed most about taking on this daunting build?
“I've honestly loved every aspect of building the business so far.
Developing the branding, image, and website was super fun, and designing all the little details and features of the bus has been an incredible experience.
I'm also a business process nerd and obsessed with client satisfaction, so I've spent a lot of time developing our operating procedures and processes.
We'll be doing our first events this fall, and I can't wait to see the smiling faces of our clients and guests when they experience all that The Stargazer has to offer!”
"I expect things to move quickly and fill up fast as word gets out about our one-of-a-kind offering!”
What has been your biggest challenge in launching and running your business?
“Because this is essentially a totally unique concept, I've had to really be creative in solving a lot of the initial obstacles and answering some of the major questions about how everything would work.
I couldn't just look to what others had done and copy that.
Simply finding the right vehicle to use for the build was a major challenge, but fortunately fate was on my side and I managed to obtain a truly special bus with amazing history and style.”
What are your upcoming plans for the business and what are you most looking forward to this year?
We're launching this summer with some community kickoff events, and we've already booked multiple weddings this fall.
One of the things I'm most looking forward to is the Solar Eclipse Party we're doing at a glamping resort in a beautiful remote part of the desert south of Moab.
It's going to be a totally unforgettable experience.”
Sounds incredible! What is the rest of your availability looking like for 2023/24?
We're open for booking primarily in the fall and spring, and right now we have a lot of open dates in 2024.
I expect things to move quickly and fill up fast as word gets out about our one-of-a-kind offering!”
Us too! Wishing you all the best with the build and your first bookings, we can’t wait to see the events you’ll be taking on!
If you’re searching for a mobile bar service that your guests will never forget, check out the Stargazer Social Club’s Roll To profile here.
Serving Moab and throughout southwestern Colorado, they’ll roll right up to your venue and act as a one-of-a-kind bar, lounge, photo booth or bridal suite for your event guests.
Submit your event details, keep in touch via the Roll To instant messaging service and secure this epic skoolie for your next big celebration!
Thank you to Loren for speaking with us today, and we can’t wait to see the final, finished build!