We recently had the chance to connect with Christopher Rice and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The hospitality business is about that-hospitality. You can have the best drinks/food or anything else, but if you aren’t trying to put your guests at the top of your business model, it will be built to fail. With that being said, it doesn’t mean the word “no” has to disappear from your lexicon, but it does mean that finding alternatives to give a positive guest experience is what we strive to do. Just like in life, mistakes get made in the workplace. It’s not about necessarily about making mistakes, it’s about how we recover from them. Do you acknowledge your mistake? Do you learn from them for the future? Do you communicate with the guest?
I don’t think these are forgotten about completely, but a lot of people think that they make the best food or drink item and that makes up for lack of hospitality. It definitely does not. A guest can overlook an undercooked burger to give your business another chance, but they will not overlook someone being rude to them or not listening.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Christopher Rice. I am the owner of Make it a Double. We are a mobile bar service in the great Denver metro area that has been around for almost 4 years. I also own Cool as a Cucumber, a one-of-a-kind mocktail company. We create non-alcoholic beverages with only fresh ingredients. My two companies work tangentially to bring better drinking (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) experiences to people in Denver and Colorado. While Make it a Double continues to grow and expand our mobile bar side (we currently are bartending over 300 events a year), Cool as a Cucumber is looking to find a home as we get ready to open up a family friendly restaurant in 2026 that focuses on mocktails and food for the whole family while also bringing great beer and wine options. With mocktails now becoming more known to the public, we differentiate ourselves by focusing on making our drinks from scratch with unique flavor combos (our cherry & sage is our most popular fall drink). We have recently won awards for our mocktails, including Denver Brunchfest People’s Choice for Best Boozeless Sip and Broomfield Area Bites and Brews best non-alcoholic drink. I plan to continue to grow both brands to offer great experiences in a restaurant setting, as well as weddings, office events and everywhere in between.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
This will sound cliche, but my wife! I found my twenties to be a time where I was trying to discover who I was. I had moved to San Francisco and started bartending. I wanted to make new friends and be different from who I felt like I was in and before college. I had so many great experiences, but looked up and didn’t really know who I was still. I then met my wife right before I turned 30. Not only is she my best friend, but for the last 8 years she has supported all the endeavors. From becoming an avid runner, to starting my own businesses, to moving to Denver; she wants to grow with me. To have a person who truly supports you and you them gives a piece of mind as I continue to create this business that I am passionate about.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
For the first year and a half of my business I did it part time along with a sales job where I was the sales rep for the state. I transitioned full time after that during our busiest time of the year (holiday season). Once I came out of that into the beginning months of the year I realized how slow it was. I hadn’t spent a lot of time networking and was used to people finding me through apps. By the time February came I was getting stressed because I only had 2 events booked for the whole month. I started going to networking groups for fellow business owners and getting out of my shell. It made me realize that you might have a great business, but if no one knows who you are, it will eventually fail. My wife and I had a conversation during that time and we talked about the idea of me going back and managing a restaurant. I told her I did not want to go do that after over 10 years and she said she trusted me. I look back and I think I was only a couple of weeks away from applying for jobs in restaurants again, but we made it through and have continued to grow since.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Getting better food/drink options for our youth. Food deserts are a real problem. Getting fresh fruits and vegetables as well as healthier options feels far away for so much of our population. They go to school and can get chips and sodas easier than some fresh foods. I don’t believe the current food and beverage model needs to be this way. I am currently partnering with some groups that’s mission is to make sure that kids aren’t going hungry. I want to take it a step further and make it so that the food they are eating and the drinks they are drinking aren’t with over processed sugars and preservatives.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
When I am at home with my kids. My son is turning 3 soon and my daughter will be 1 in a few months. When I get to be with them it takes a lot of the stressors of my day away. I currently have a hard time of being “off” anytime. Trying to get a restaurant open, expanding our mocktails as well as growing the mobile bar business does not leave a ton of free time. When I do have some I usually am still thinking about the list of things that I need to get done. When I am with them though, I can turn it off for that time. Whether it is reading my son books before bed or making him breakfast in the morning. When I get to be with my daughter as she is learning to crawl and gives me a smile when I get home. It’s a reminder of why I am doing what I do as well as making sure I have time for them everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makeitadoubleeventsconsulting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cool_cucumber_colorado/
