Sunraysia’s Dean Castleman has taken the idea of hiring a mobile bar to a whole new level, with the recent arrival of his “Kombi Keg”. Caitlyn Morgan chats with Dean about the new service available in Sunraysia. Picture: Carmel Zaccone
A SPONSORED advertisement on Facebook was the beginning of what would become Dean Castleman’s first business venture.
A year on, and Dean has recently arrived back in Mildura with his very own “Kombi Keg” in tow, ready for limited time to himself and weekends spent serving drinks from his 1983 Volkswagen split screen Kombi van.
“When I first saw it I just thought it looked so cool, so I did some research on whether there was anything like it in Sunraysia already but there wasn’t,” Dean recalls. “The main thing that initially attracted me was my love of classic cars, so to pick it up and finally see it in person was both exciting and a relief.”
Dean admits it felt like the process was quite long following his initial inquiry but worth the wait, with his Kombi van fully-restored by the franchise headquarters and fitted with six beer taps, a chilled boot area for wine or soft drinks and a TV.
“It had been such a long process – it was good to finally get it back here,” Dean says.
“Seeing it in person, it looked even better than I had imagined.”
It’s been less than a month since it’s arrival to Mildura and already the beautiful “Tiffany” blue Kombi has caused quite a stir.
“As soon as I picked it up, I had people asking me to pull over so they could get photos with it,” Dean says.
“People are just attracted to it as soon as they see it.
“Everyone has been pretty excited about it, which has been good.”
Dean says if the history of the company is anything to go by, the van will be a “huge hit”.
The Kombi Keg franchise was a dream of Kombi Van founder and co-owner of ‘Kombi Keg’ Phil Hoken that became a reality in 2015.
Phil first purchased a 1976 VW Kombi van from Surf St Port Macquarie, NSW, and that was the beginning of Kombi Keg.
Following the success of the first van, Phil began buying Kombi vans from all over Australia and restoring them for future franchisees.
Kombi Keg now has more than 35 franchises world wide, in Australia, America, South Africa, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, New Zealand and Indonesia.
While Dean’s current day job isn’t in hospitality, he does bring plenty of experience with him, his parents having previously owned a bar and restaurant and having worked in a bar while living in Melbourne.
“While it is a little daunting, it is also very exciting,” Dean says.
“I am definitely excited by the number of inquires we have already had.
“I am hoping it will keep me busy every weekend with every function needing a bar.”
Dean says one of the best aspects of the van is that it is suitable for all types of functions; from weddings, to birthdays, corporate events or even festivals.
“There are so many amazing properties and homes around Sunraysia and what better way to entertain your family and friends than showcasing your home with the Kombi Keg parked in your yard and if they don’t have the space there are five or six venues where it would be the perfect place to hire it,” he says.
“There are so many options and as long as it comes in a keg, we can serve it.”
To keep up to date with Kombi Keg Mildura, visit www.facebook.com/kombikegmildura.
