thePULSEApril Goddard
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, the world of business as we knew it came to a screeching halt. The last year has been a difficult time for large and small businesses, with many taking a large hit or even closing their doors for good. Longtime friends Melissa Costa and Julia Walderzak, whose respective small businesses had both been affected, used their prior experience and entrepreneurial spirit to venture out and adapt to what we now know as our “new normal”.
Julia, a kid’s fitness company owner, being an avid wine enthusiast, knew that she wanted to do something different. One night, she ran one of her self-described “crazy business ideas” by Melissa, a hairstylist and entrepreneur who would later become her business partner. The concept was in part a food truck-but not your average food truck. The business idea as a complete was a wine-one-wheels experience; and The Decanted Wine Truck was born.
When you think of a food truck, you might think fairs, but this elevated and chic Truck is so much more than just that- it’s an event, an entire experience, and frankly a whole mood- completely on wheels. When asked what makes Decanted Wine so much more than just a food truck, Julia said it best: “We think there are several reasons! Moms love wine!!! We are two local moms (with seven kids between us) so we are relatable and fun”.
Decanted offers served wine, beer, and will even create signature cocktails for your event when requested. Everything is served out of their beautifully redone Wine Truck, Winona. They are able to accommodate events large and small, and they offer a light and lovely catering menu. They recommend craft beer and cocktails, and even have a signature Winona sangria, which “…people go nuts for!”.
Julia and Melissa come prepared and ready to set up decor to suit your special event, and work with local breweries. They say: “Winona can simply be set up in your yard or driveway with her fun decor, or we can spruce it up with hightops, banquet tables, chairs, floral arrangements and even games! Our catering menu is a bonus”. They go above and beyond to uniquely customize events for their clients. “As I mentioned before,” says Julia, “We are more than a wine truck. We are an experience. People want to smile and laugh again. Melissa and I also care about our customers. We want to provide the best and most intimate experience possible”.
Decanted Wine Truck caters to a variety of customers with various needs: “We do every kind of event imaginable,” says Julia of Decanted, “Mom’s night out, birthday parties, anniversary parties, micro weddings, corporate events, baby showers, and bridal showers”. When asked what their favorite or most memorable event was thus far, they answered: “…a BC graduation party. We can’t imagine how tough it was for these students to experience such an awful senior year due to the pandemic. All of these young adults had hopes and expectations of what their last year in college would be like, and it was anything but. To see these girls and their families share laughs, tears, and most of all fun, was so heartwarming to us”.
They are expecting a huge wedding season in 2022, and thanks to their growing popularity are currently booked solid through the end of the summer.
So what can you expect when it comes to Decanted? A fabulous event planned in detail, and two women who are committed to their business and their customers. “Getting friends and loved ones together, and enjoying every moment is what puts a smile on our faces” they say.
Their motto when it comes to Winona, their beautifully redone Decanted Wine Truck is simple: “We always say you don’t need an excuse to book Decanted. Just grab a group of friends and order a wine truck!!”.
