Uprooted: Traveling Boutique Is Going New Places

Two local nurses have uprooted the clothing industry and are taking it by storm — or by truck — with their traveling boutique.

Brittany Sudbeck and Stephanie Drueke officially announced Uprooted: The Traveling Boutique last week on Facebook and already are the area’s most talked about new business.

“The sky is the limit,” said Sudbeck, who is a graduate of Orchard High School. “Everything has surpassed our expectations.”

The best friends, who are both nurses at Avera St. Anthony’s in O’Neill, debuted their boutique at the Antelope County Fair in Neligh on Friday and were barely open before shoppers started beating down their doors.

While there’s nothing new about two friends opening a boutique, the way they went about it is unique. Rather than selling online or at a storefront, the pair bought an old bread truck, renovated it and hit the road selling fashion from the four wheels.

The quirky blue bread truck is almost busting at the seams full of fashion. Both ladies admitted their surprise at how quickly their business has grown from the ground up.

“A few months ago I saw a bread truck for sale on a swap shop, so I personal messaged my husband and her and said, ‘Let’s start a boutique!’ ” Sudbeck said with a laugh. “She said, ‘I’m game!’ But the men weren’t quite on board.”

It didn’t take long for Sudbeck and Drueke to convince their husbands that their idea could sprout. In just four weeks, they remodeled the truck, loaded it with inventory and were off to the Antelope County Fair.

Of course, they pair made it Facebook official to announce their new venture. Now with about 6,500 members in their Facebook group, it’s safe to say the ladies have outgrown their earliest expectations.

“We are already booked out every weekend through November and have 56 people who want to book a party and in the 20s booked,” Drueke said on Friday, about 30 minutes into their first official show.

Uprooted: The Traveling Boutique was chosen as the name “because we’re going to go places,” Drueke said. They offer a variety of styles and accessories inside the truck, which also has a dressing room. Right now they offer about eight different labels and are looking at different brands daily. But what you won’t find is a lot of each item.

To ensure the don’t saturate the area, they only buy a couple items in each size. There may be more colors, but Drueke said when they sell out of a specific size, they won’t offer more. When it’s gone, it’s gone, she said.

As working moms, both ladies said having the truck will be key to their success. Gone are the days of women having to clean their homes to host a clothing party.

“You don’t even have to clean your house for this. We just come to your drive way. Just sweep your drive way off and call it good,” Sudbeck said.

​Drueke added, “Put out a cooler and some chairs, and we’ll pull right in.”