When we decided to make a comeback, we chose the mobile route instead of another brick-and-mortar store to keep things flexible with our wild schedules. And Mondaes? She’s been doing her best to work around us, bless her aluminum heart. Olan and I are “cereal” entrepreneurs at this point—not just by choice but by sheer necessity these past 5-6 years. Like everyone, we’ve felt the squeeze both pre- and post-COVID.

 After a tornado flattened The Soda Parlor and Olan’s show Final Space was canceled and erased from existence, we found ourselves back at square one. Luckily for us, square one was Star Cadet. But even that took a hit when we lost the license to sell Final Space merch. So, by 2022, it was all hands on deck for a full rebuild: Olan diving into every role—creator, producer, writer, actor, comedian, filmmaker—you name it. The Soda Parlor was evolving into Mondaes. Star Cadet grew from a single brand into a full-fledged design studio, manufacturing, and fulfillment agency. It’s been a total page-one rewrite for the Rogers family. (Cue nervous laughter.)

I plan to write some deep-dive blogs on the Star Cadet side soon… (seriously, hold me to it, folks!). We’ve already dropped one about our biggest partnership yet with the paranormal pros, Project Fear—check it out in our last post if you’re into spooky stuff. But for now, here’s the long-overdue scoop on Mondaes!

September 25, 2023: Picture me and my father, cruising down the road, finally off to pick up the completed 1979 Mondaes Airstream. The build had more delays than an airport during a snowstorm—mainly because of our freezer. Yep, a freezer with a 6-month lead time thanks to supply chain issues (remember those?). So, 18 months after announcing our grand comeback, we finally got to see our shiny new trailer. She was perfect! The plan? Have our first pop-up by October while it was still warm. But the universe had other ideas. Our freezer decided not to freeze, the generator had a “character-building” moment, and the warranty claim felt like a sitcom episode. By December 9th, we were (finally) ready, praying for some mild weather. (Cue laugh track.)

December 9th: An EF-3 tornado touched down just blocks from Star Cadet HQ in Madison, TN. We could see the damage from our back door—that’s how close it came to hitting us AGAIN. (Yes, freaking again!) So, we had to push the pop-up event to the next day, when—oh, joy—it was freezing. The original date had been a perfect 60 degrees… until, well, the tornadoes crashed the party. The irony of a tornado swooping in the exact day we’re trying to bounce back from another tornado? Absolutely unreal. If that’s not Murphy’s Law, I don’t know what is. We turned the day into a “learning experience”—though it felt more like a trial by wind and frostbite. Despite a team of veteran Soda Parlor pros, there was still plenty to iron out. In the end, I’m grateful that our first venture was a “soft open” with a side of trauma.

April 28th, 2024: A spring pop-up event—emphasis on “pop” because it nearly popped us out of commission! With half the team juggling other projects, a few health hiccups, and a venue confirmation only a week out, we scrambled to make it happen. Turnout was light, but hey, at least we got some Mondaes operations ironed out. The biggest challenges? Manpower and, well… literal power. Those generators are beasts, and the noise is like trying to sell waffles next to a jet engine. So, we’re rethinking our setup for the future. We still dream of hitting the road (yes, even out of state!), but for next year, we’re aiming for a semi-permanent spot with actual power. I’ve got three local locations in mind—with two 50-amp RV plugs, because running generators 24/7 isn’t exactly the vibe!

October 26th: Just one day shy of The Soda Parlor’s 10th anniversary, we popped up at my top local spot—outside Nelson Drum Shop in Inglewood, TN—and it was a hit. This spot’s got everything: smack in the middle of a neighborhood with potential for serious local walk-up traffic. After losing The Soda Parlor, I felt the absence of community; I missed the regulars and the friendships formed over the years. Now, we’re joining forces with Horse Girl Vintage and All or Nothing Bagel, two other airstream businesses parked full-time at Nelson Drum. Excited to be back among fellow small business dreamers!

Well, that is all for Mondaes. In the next week, I’ll be winterizing the trailer till next year. I’ll keep you all posted on how this next phase develops!  Thanks for reading. =)  

- Rachel Rogers