Charcuterie boards and grazing tables and classes, oh my!

Rich Palzewic

Staff

September 22, 2025

APPLETON – To expand the range of The Bonack Board Company offerings, Owner and Founder Mandi Bonack said she recently introduced a mobile charcuterie cart.

Mandi said adding the mobile cart gives her Appleton-based business – known for its handcrafted charcuterie boards and grazing tables – more flexibility in how it serves food at events, expanding beyond traditional board and table setups.

“The mobile cart brings the experience directly to your event,” she said. “Whether you’re hosting a cozy girls’ night, planning a wedding, organizing a corporate event or just want to treat yourself or a loved one, I’m here to help.”

The addition of a mobile charcuterie cart expands the company’s offerings, Mandi said, which now include:

• Custom charcuterie boards/to-go boxes
• Grazing tables for events big and small
• Mobile charcuterie cart rentals
• Holiday and seasonal pre-orders
• Corporate gifting and workshops

Finding a space that works

As she navigated the challenges of launching a new business, Mandi said she began searching for a space that would fit her vision for The Bonack Board Company.

The Coop in downtown Appleton, she said, immediately stood out.

“[It] called my name,” she said.

Working from The Coop’s shared kitchen space at 400 N. Richmond St., Suite G, Mandi said suits her business well.

“I am one of the many tenants there where we have all the appliances, equipment, storage, utensils and everything we need,” she said. “It’s really a great place for different food-related businesses to get started and then go from there when they outgrow the space. You simply look at the [availability] calendar for The Coop and reserve space. There are probably 15 other businesses that operate out of there.”

Mandi said because The Bonack Board Company is “just getting started,” and The Coop makes things “very easy,” for the time being, she’s simply focused on growing her business and getting The Bonack Board Company’s name out there.

“The Coop is really nice – it’s also a much more affordable option for small businesses getting started,” she said. “It makes these leaps of faith more possible.”

Mandi said The Coop is also a great place to collaborate with other small businesses.

Currently balancing The Bonack Board Company work with her job as a stay-at-home mom to her four children, Mandi said “I just do it on the side for now.”

“I fit my business in how I can fit it in – this is a nice gig for me,” she said. “[But], I hope to get busier with The Bonack Board Company.”

As the sole operator of The Bonack Board Company – “I am a one-woman show” – Mandi said it allows her to schedule what works around her kids’ functions.

Though many businesses in The Coop are looking to possibly break out on their own with a storefront, Mandi said she doesn’t see that happening with The Bonack Board Company – at least for now.

“I don’t really foresee a time when I would outgrow The Coop,” she said. “There is a lot of potential there. The fact they have a walk-in cooler alone is so nice. I have all the space I need for my big events. Another option is to make smaller to-go boxes so customers can come and pick them up there. The location is also great in downtown Appleton.”

How it all began

The Bonack Board Company, Mandi said, has been in operation for about two years, beginning informally with boards for friends and family before growing into a full business.

“It started because I have a love for hosting and gathering people, and I enjoy being in the kitchen,” she said. “I feel I also have good attention to detail and an artistic eye – perfect for what I do with The Bonack Board Company.”

Mandi said the idea to start her business came largely from encouragement by friends and family.

“They finally said, ‘People will pay you to make them a charcuterie board,’” she said. “It just comes naturally to me.”

Mandi said she also got a little help from one of her friends, who owns a business themselves.

“My friend wanted to hire me for some business events, so then I thought, ‘All right, I need to make it official, come up with a name and do a logo,’” she said. “It took off from there. There wasn’t much more thought to it than that. Again, with renting space at The Coop, it’s allowed me to keep my costs down. I’ve been at The Coop for just more than a year.”

Once she got into The Coop, Mandi said she started advertising more and was ready to book events – expanding more into grazing tables.

“I also love doing grazing tables,” she said. “Picture a wedding or an event where they hire me to prep everything in the kitchen space and then go on site and set up the big, beautiful display of food. I also do to-go grazing tables, where it’s all assembled at the kitchen space in a big, flat bakery box. Customers are able to pick them up or I can deliver them. That has been a really popular request.”

Adding the mobile cart option

Mandi said she introduced the mobile charcuterie cart option at the end of June, inspired in part by seeing similar setups on social media.

“The people I saw were out of state, but I didn’t know of anyone locally doing it, so I wanted to provide that service to the Fox Valley,” she said. “It allows it to be more of an interactive, customizable experience for people at their events. I can help [customers] make a memorable experience.”

Mandi said there are 12 different food options available on the cart – all of which are “completely customizable.”

“Guests are given a cardboard boat and get one choice of meat, two choices of cheese and then three extras, whether that’s olives, nuts, grapes, etc., and then they all come with honey and crackers,” she said. “They’re handed their own personalized serving of their charcuterie.”

Though she’s only done a few events with the mobile cart, Mandi said her vision behind the idea is to do more private events.

“A good example would be a wedding,” she said. “Being booked for weddings was my main vision for it. I have some weddings booked, but they haven’t officially happened yet.”

Mandi said she prefers focusing on private events over ongoing public ones, such as farmers’ markets, which often demand a season-long commitment – one she can’t make while balancing motherhood full-time. 

“Because I’m a full-time mom, I’m personally not looking to commit to every Saturday morning,” she said. “Being a mom is No. 1 for me. I’m looking at those public events more like an opportunity to advertise and get my name out there.”

One more option

In addition to charcuterie boards, grazing tables and the mobile cart service, Mandi said The Bonack Board Company also offers charcuterie workshops at The Coop.

“They are open to whoever signs up,” she said. “I’ve also done them for private events – for moms at a certain elementary school or a team building for a certain company, stuff like that. This is a lot of fun. At the end [of the workshop], they leave with their wooden board with the food on it and feel like experts.”

For more on Bonack Board Company, visit its social media platforms.