Picture this! The allure of the beach, with its sun-drenched shores and refreshing waves, has inspired you to host a summer soiree with your closest friends. However, navigating the details of planning a beachside function has proved to be an overwhelming experience. Enter "The Beach Oasis," a beach picnic and cabana rental group; arranged by Cooper Hathaway and Katri Randall. Promising a customized experience, this innovative service ensures a pathway to a stress-free and delightful event by the shore.
While organizing seaside events through his other company Westside Volleyball, Cooper quickly realized how difficult it was to organize events on the beach. He recognized the chance to offer event rental services that streamline guests' event experiences and make them more convenient.
"We hope our guests feel a sense of ease and enjoyment after experiencing The Beach Oasis. We offer a turn-key experience so that our guests can feel and experience true leisure at the beach," Cooper said.
"We know that organizing events can be stressful, so we aim to do all of the work so that all the organizer and the guests have to do is relax and enjoy themselves."
Together with Katri, the COO & Co-Founder of The Beach Oasis, Cooper decorates and organizes various lounge options for individuals, couples, families, and groups celebrating in Los Angeles.
Beach enthusiasts can choose from several public locations, including Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Marina Del Rey. The Beach Oasis offers six different lounge options: The Cove (2-4 people), The Couples Coral, The Outing for 8, The Outing for 12, The Villa (12-16 people), and The Beach House. Prices for the spots range from $300 to $900 for four-hour events.
Each setup includes wooden beach chairs, umbrellas, blankets, a Bluetooth speaker, and a cooler. Customers can also enhance their experience with add-ons such as a felt letter board ($20), a hammock ($100), a corn hole plank ($100), and even a volleyball court pop-up ($100).
From playful to luxurious, a romantic date for two or a party for up to 26, the team makes their clients' ideas come to life. The best part? They assist guests from beginning to end; with a setup and take down service.
We caught up with co-founder Cooper to learn more about the inspiration behind The Beach Oasis, the community's response, and the planned expansion throughout Los Angeles.
What sets The Beach Oasis apart from other beach picnic and cabana companies?
CH: We like to think of ourselves as a hybrid concierge service and equipment rental company. Many of our guests choose to book through the website and add enhancements to create their custom experience, but other guests will email us back and forth to create an even more bespoke setup. We pride ourselves on putting our customers' needs first and being flexible to customization.
In the age of COVID-19, there's been a rise in pop-up picnic businesses. Was there a specific gap in the market you aimed to fill when creating this concept?
CH: We sought to offer a seamless solution for beach-goers who like to organize events. We also offer a lot of customizable options and work hand and hand with our guests to understand their vision and make it come to life. Although we are a high-end equipment rental company for the beach, when requested, we provide customization and go above and beyond to ensure our guests' needs are met.
What locations do you offer your beach picnic and cabana rental services, and how do you select these exclusive spots?
CH: My co-founder, Katri Randall, and I organized a list of our favorite beaches in Los Angeles and decided to offer these locations for our services. These locations include Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Marina Del Rey. We also offer custom locations from Malibu to Laguna Beach.
How has your experience been partnering with the community on running these events? Did you face any challenges?
CH: The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. The Beach Oasis is a member of the Venice Chamber of Commerce, and through the Chamber we have met and received support from so many other local businesses. Our biggest challenge so far has been figuring out the solution that we've started the business to fix, how to successfully and efficiently provide a luxury experience on the beach. When we figured out our process, we were able to optimize and provide faster and more efficient services for our guests.
Do you offer any special options for your beach picnic and cabana rental packages? How do you work with clients to tailor their experience?
CH: We offer six base packages that clients can work off of to create their custom experience. We also offer enhancements such as beach games, towels, sunscreen, extra lounges, and more. Some clients prefer to work closely with us, where we set up a call to discuss their vision, whether this be facilitating catering or doing custom decorations.
Can you share a particularly memorable or extraordinary experience that one of your clients had with The Beach Oasis?
CH: We set up The Beach House on the 4th of July for one of our guests and made sure they didn't have to do anything other than show up and enjoy themselves. We really went above and beyond for the guests to enjoy their holiday experience. Plus, they were able to host with none of the work of hosting. We made multiple extra trips to bring out catering, beverages, and other beach items to confirm their experience was nothing but leisurely.
Can you share any unique partnerships or collaborations that The Beach Oasis has worked on?
CH: We have had the pleasure of working with Ola Beach Tennis, a local beach tennis organization that hosts weekly events and monthly tournaments. Providing our cabana rentals for their tournaments brought another level of comfort and aesthetics to those who participated. Another partnership that we enjoyed was our event with Bumble for Friends. An ambassador reached out to curate an event for people to meet and greet on the beach. Guests arrived to a bouquet-making station in the cabana, and all the attendees got to take home the bouquet they made.
What are your plans and aspirations for The Beach Oasis?
CH: In the future, we plan to expand to new markets and expand our offerings to be on and off the beach. We are working toward more partnerships with local businesses and hotels. We are aiming to bring the convenience we offer to more people.
Are there any new services or locations on the horizon?
CH: We are working on launching a few new offerings. Since gaining requests for large events, we are developing picnic and cabana packages with more space. We are also expanding our offerings off the beach, with backyard movie nights coming soon. We are also looking to expand into new locations, including Orange County and San Diego.
