The Coop Luxury Picnics brings big city trends to Richlands

Story by Rebecca

When two sisters decided to start a luxury service business in Eastern North Carolina, they did not know it would start with a chicken coop.

Sisters Cully and Joelle Margus said that when they first started their venture they were looking for something unique to use. “We shopped at local thrift shops to try and find exactly what we were looking for. Being from Maryland and stumbling upon what we thought was an old crab trap, the coop was perfect but later realized that’s exactly what it was–an old chicken coop–which is also partial reasoning for our name,” the Margus sisters said.

The Coop Luxury Picnics was born out of a desire to help people create special moments in meticulous detail without having to do the work themselves.

The sisters bring experience from the wedding industry to design picnics that can be set up anywhere in Eastern North Carolina. Although chickens are not part of the concept, the “coop” in the name and the chickens in the logo are more symbolic of their family as a whole.

“We are sisters. Joelle has three children and that’s where the three little chicks in our logo come from as well. The one hen represents both Cully and Joelle as a family whole and business partners,” the sisters explained.

A luxury picnic is an opportunity to take picnicking to the next level. Coop Luxury Picnics offers gorgeous picnic tablescapes often in coordinated themes in front of scenic views chosen by their clients.

“We are creating the design and mood for any occasion, like a date night, anniversary or even a proposal. It makes things unique, fun and we have an eye for detail that makes every single one of our luxury picnics different but absolutely stunning,” the sisters said.

The sisters brought their business to North Carolina because they are beach people and think NC is the “perfect backdrop” for this kind of event. “Being close to the ocean and able to offer this type of experience is boundless,” they said. Based out of the small town of Richlands, N.C., the business is close to farmland and a lot of other scenic views that give it a hometown vibe. “Richlands doesn’t have a traveling business that will come directly to you for a birthday picnic, brunch, or any occasion. We thought our local community could appreciate this because we’re a small business in a small town. We do travel outside of our home base too,” the sisters said.

Though the sisters can make suggestions for picnic locations, they say it is ultimately up to their clients. They have set up picnics in hotel rooms, glamping (glamour camping) cabins, backyards, and the beach. “Anywhere we are allowed to set up, we’ll go,” they said.

Some of the special moments that Coop Luxury Picnics has been a part of include a lot of surprises: birthdays, anniversaries, and even proposals. “It’s an emotional experience even for us,” they said. “We take into account the little and extra details like decor colors and themes, and we are always going above and beyond.”

Going above and beyond can extend to micro weddings too. The Coop offers picnic-style seating for up to 25 guests and package addons for an all-inclusive experience including photography and offici ants. Coop weddings are designed to “make wedding planning easy and carefree.”

The Coop Luxury Picnics start at $200 and go up based on the num ber of guests, add-ons, and travel ing distance. A micro wedding with The Coop starts at $575. Services include a tablescape unique to the guests, all tableware, seating, pillows and blankets, a dessert board, water, a Bluetooth speaker, lighting, and signage. Lots of add-ons are also available such as games, infused water, bring your dog, and a hot cocoa bar. Picnics are set for a two-hour time frame but extra time can always be added.

As a growing small business, the Margus sisters have a lot of big ideas for the future, but their everyday goal is to better themselves based on client feedback.

“We continually work on what we can improve, add, or do to make our guests even more pleased with their luxury picnic experience. Our goals and dreams are big, and we