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By MIKE REUTHER
Ally Miele enjoyed bartending as a college student.
So much so, that she eventually decided to make a business out of her passion for it.
"It was always something I enjoyed. It's fun. It's stress free," she said.
Miele used the money she earned bartending in those years toward her schooling to become a nurse.
And that's the career field she pursued, but she didn't give up bartending, choosing instead to do it as a part-time gig.
With her mother, Rebecca Hall, she decided to eventually launch BarCODE, a mobile bartending business based in Williamsport that does wedding receptions, parties, and other events.
"I had a lot of friends that got married in the last five to 10 years. I saw a need for it," she said. "A lot of caterers are getting out of the bartending end of it."
Miele said it's a lot of work, but they enjoy doing it and meeting different people.
"It's a nice service to offer," she said.
Overall, she said it's a fun business.
"We have about 10 bartenders. We travel any mount of distance," she said. The farthest we've done is about two hours away."
BarCODE has three trailers it uses that are transformed into mobile bars for events.
"We have stationary bars for indoor setups," she said.
Miele said her business has been busy mostly with weddings but is certainly not limited to those events.
"There was a hunting cabin in Cogan Station that had a 100-year anniversary. We bartended that," she said. "We did an event at Myers Tree Farm."
Most events for BarCODE are held on weekends, but the work for the business begins well before and even after the actual event.
It includes consultation with a client, planning the event, and scheduling it.
"My mom and I do all the consultations and prep work and doing the cleaning. There is a lot of beforehand and afterwards stuff," she said. "As of right now, bartenders are contracted out. I send out a group message to them and see who wants to do a job. We have been extremely fortunate with the people we use. They are invested in us and want to see us succeed."
Startup business costs included purchasing the trailers used for the mobile bartending, which Miele noted, "were not cheap."
Since launching BarCODE in October 2021, she is learning a lot about what it means to be a business owner and feels there is potential for growth.
"The business never closes when you own it," she said. "That was the most eye-opening thing."
Although it was her idea to start the business, Miele gives her mother all the credit for pushing her to make it happen.
"I had brought the idea to her. She was the driving force. She convinced me that we should do this," she said. "She has been a stay-at-home mom most of her life. It speaks volumes of her being the entrepreneur she is."
She feels the two work well together.
"We have a good business relationship. She is more creative. I take care of logistics," she said. "We have a good balance."
Meile foresees owning and operating BarCODE for many years to come.