Vintage flair with high-quality service

Emma Height and Jacob Hams are conquering the wedding and events world with their decked out mobile caravan bar and award-winning service.

Step into the world of the Havana Caravan Bar, where nostalgia meets innovation in a revamped 1970s Franklin caravan.

The team is dedicated to crafting unforgettable experiences, one cocktail at a time. With skilled bartenders ready to pour your favourites, every visit promises a journey through flavour and flair.

The pair purchased the business in 2021 after noticing there was a need for bartenders and bars in the events industry.

With events already booked, they didn’t have much time to find their feet before they hit the ground running.

“Next thing you know, we were headfirst in our first wedding season, that was two and a half years ago, and we’ve done over 150 weddings now,” Height said.

 

Business is now booming; bookings are four times higher than when they purchased the caravan, and they are taking bookings for events in 2026 with very little availability for the rest of this year.

“It’s definitely taken off a whole lot more than we expected it to, we really did throw ourselves in head-first and we had no idea what would become of it.”

Since purchasing the business, the co-owners have expanded, hiring a team of 15 and recently introducing three smaller mobile bars.

 

Height said it had been crazy to watch the business grow at such a rapid pace, as it continued to get bigger and busier each year.

Providing a quality service is a must for the team at Havana Caravan Bar, who are well known for their signature cocktail.

“We have a really high standard with our cocktails, we use freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice, and make our own syrups, we don’t use any cordials or anything like that,” Height said.

Creating a fun environment and bringing the good vibes for their staff and guests is also high on the priority list.

“We just try and keep things really light-hearted, we get to know the guests throughout the evening, so when they come back, we know what they’re drinking,” Height said.

She believes their ability to individually cater to all their couples’ needs is one of the things that makes them stand out.

“We’ve got so many different bar options for each event, people can really pick and choose what they want.”

The couple were in their mid-20s when they purchased the business, something Height says has been an advantage to them.

“Because we’re young and in the same age bracket as a lot of people getting married, we can relate really well to our couples, and I think that’s an added bonus.”

 

Unlike the majority of small businesses, COVID was somewhat of a blessing to Havana Caravan Bar, launching them into the industry after years of lockdowns.

“I honestly think it was the best thing that could have happened to the business,” Height said.

“There was a huge backlog of people that hadn’t been able to get married for years, so we just got slammed with bookings.”

Last year, the Havana Caravan Bar was awarded first place in the Wedding Industry Awards in the Caravans, Trucks, Carts and Bars category, voted for by their couples.

Height said she couldn’t believe it when they got the call and didn’t know what was going on.

“I just thought ‘Surely not, we’ve only had the business for a year and a half, there’s other businesses around Geelong with caravan bar stuff as well’, so I just didn’t expect it, but it was the best news ever.

“It was really lovely to know we have had so many couples that had supported us and voted for us and thought we were deserving of number one.”

The business was also recently announced as a finalist in the 2024 awards.

 

For Height, who had always wanted to own her own business, meeting couples on their wedding day and watching them so happy is one of her favourite parts of owning the bar.

“I’m one of those typical girls that has always dreamed of her wedding day, so I just love attending all the weddings,” she said.

“I’m just really blessed to be part of it, and seeing the family and meeting the bridesmaids, it’s just a lot of fun and I’m always really grateful for that experience.”

For more on Havana Caravan Bar, head to havanacaravanbar.com.au or follow them on Instagram @havanacaravanbar