about

us

We’re Caroline & Claudia Williams. The Martini Service is the culmination of a thousand little moments that led us (and you) right here.

We were bit by the wanderlust bug at a young age and have our Grandma Carol to thank. After graduating from college, she spent 11 weeks traveling all over Europe and immediately knew she wanted to live abroad.

1959

After accepting a teaching job in Germany, she boarded an ocean liner out of New York City and set sail. It was at sea that she met our Grandpa Frank, a Major who was in charge of the ship. They spent 8 months falling in love, sipping martinis, and exploring Stuttgart together before getting married.

1962

The two married in Germany, then spent their honeymoon roadtripping and camping throughout The Alps. They later welcomed their only daughter (our momma) in 1965, moved back to states, and settled down in Illinois.

1963

Then there was our father, Bradley, who practically lived on an airplane traveling all over the United States for “work” as he called it. Work mainly consisted of business dinners at the country's finest steakhouses and the country's grittiest dive bars. Book a trip with The Martini Service, and you will undoubtedly visit a steakhouse and dive bar (or two).

1987

Then there is our momma, Cathy — the original travel agent. She worked at a travel agency in the 90s and taught us every trick in the book. We learned to read reviews on TripAdvisor before we learned to do our own laundry.

1994

Our mom put fun and travel before anything else. Her motto was you’ll learn more about the world by seeing it than you will in a text book. She taught us to always take the scenic route, book the houseboat over the hotel, and ask the locals for the best-kept secrets.

1995

We’ve always been known amongst our friends for organizing trips and giving the best recommendations. Caroline’s expertise is in cocktail and dive bars, sandwich counters, and next-level accommodations. Claudia’s got you covered on coffee shops, antique stores, and all things picturesque. The Martini Service is our way of helping you all see the world through a new lens, hopefully with a ‘tini in hand.