Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Williams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been in hospitality for the entirety of my career. After years of jobs that were some hybrid of serving and bartending, I realized I had a knack for making fun drinks—and that I really loved the overall vibe of bartending more than floor service. So I started focusing on that lane, eventually moved into management, climbed my lil industry-relevant ladder, and then finally took the leap to do my own thing.
So, not necessarily a super profound origin story as much as a hopeful trajectory. I found the part of the industry that I loved, kept following it, and eventually built something of my own around it. I really love the flexibility and freedom that comes with working for myself, even if that’s also a bit of a double-edged sword when everything ultimately falls on me. But getting to shape what I do, how I do it, and what I want it to become has made that tradeoff incredibly worthwhile.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not always, but honestly, smoother than I anticipated in a lot of ways. The timing of starting and taking full ownership of the business happened alongside several pretty major life shifts, all seemingly back-to-back, so there have definitely been moments where it felt like I was figuring out everything at once.
There are the practical challenges—storage, money, logistics, the uncertainty of what the next season or even the next month will look like—and then all of the unexpected learning moments that come with owning a business for the first time. There are so many things you don’t realize you need to know until suddenly you’re the person who has to know them.
I’m also only about a year into fully owning the business, so I have no illusions that I’ve figured it all out. I’m sure there are plenty more lessons and curveballs ahead. But overall, it’s been a wild ride in a really rewarding way, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much has fallen into place as I’ve gone.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work lives somewhere in the intersection of bartending, events, and hospitality—which means it can look pretty different from one week to the next. I own and operate The Traveling Tavern, a Portland-based mobile bar company working across weddings, private parties, corporate events, pop-ups, and collaborations. Depending on the event, we can show up with the full horse trailer bar, a satellite bar, or simply a really great team of bartenders.
I’m also the PNW Operations Manager for Amaro Bartending, which has actually been part of my career since before I took ownership of The Traveling Tavern. Amaro works across many of those same kinds of events, but has a completely different aesthetic and identity, and I really love getting to move between the two worlds. Its owner, Dean, is also a dear friend, collaborator, and someone who has been an incredibly supportive part of my path in this industry. Amaro continues to be a big part of my work and has given me the opportunity to work with an amazing range of clients, events, and people.
Outside of those two worlds, I collaborate on pop-ups with other people and businesses around Portland and currently run a regular Cocktails in the Garden pop-up at Nostrana. I think that variety is actually a big part of what I love about what I do—and maybe part of what sets me apart. I’ve never wanted to pigeonhole myself into being strictly a wedding bartender, or a mobile bar, or a cocktail caterer. If there’s an opportunity to make great drinks, create a fun experience, collaborate with good people, or try something a little different, I’m probably interested.
I’ve also been in hospitality for my entire working life, and I think that shows up in how I approach all of it. As much as I care about making a hell of a good drink, the drink is really only part of the job. I genuinely love making people smile, whether that’s through a cocktail, a dumb joke across the bar, remembering what someone was drinking, or just making them feel taken care of.
I think what I’m most proud of is that I’ve built a career that leaves room for all of those things. I get to move between different styles, spaces, people, and kinds of events without feeling like I have to fit neatly into one category. At the center of all of it is still the thing I’ve always loved about hospitality: taking care of people and giving them a really good time.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think people are sometimes surprised to learn that I originally moved to Walla Walla for my expertise in hospitality—but not wine! In a place so synonymous with the wine industry, I was actually brought there for everything else that goes into building and running a successful bar program. Cocktails, spirits, service, systems, staff, and creating an experience around all of it were much more my lane.
Also, once upon a time I went to school for massage therapy, which feels like a completely different life now. Although, maybe there’s a throughline there—I’ve apparently always gravitated toward work that involves taking care of people. And despite the cliché that once you do something professionally you never want to do it at home, I still genuinely love making drinks for the people I love. Hospitality has never really felt like something I only turn on when I’m getting paid.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.travelingtavernpdx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingtavernpdx/
