Hartford City council members are considering bringing a pedal pub to the city. The vehicles — sometimes known as beer bikes or party bikes — are already popular in the South in several cities like Austin, Miami and Charlotte.
Pedal pubs, which act as a cross between a mobile bar and a street trolley, are manually controlled by up to 15 riders who sit facing a central bar area and pedal with their legs much like on a bicycle. The idea is riders can drink, eat, listen to music, and take in the scenery all while getting a little exercise. Under Connecticut law, bicyclists cannot drink while operating much like driving a vehicle under the influence. But pedal pubs are manually steered by a trained driver who remains sober to ensure they are street legal.
The vehicles also come with electric assist to make it a little easier for riders and to allow the pedal pub to move quickly in case of oncoming emergency vehicles. Pedal pub bikes are equipped with headlights, brake lights, taillights, blinkers, brakes and emergency brakes. The vehicles also come with five “cheerleader seats” where passengers who grow tired can rest and not have to pedal while enjoying their drinks.
Councilwoman Maly Rosado introduced the resolution for a pedal pub after she talked with local leaders about the success New Haven has had with its Elm City Party Bike. The resolution has now been referred to the Operations, Management, Budget & Government Accountability Committee for review before any council vote.
“The city of New Haven has seen the successful implementation of a pedal pub, an innovative and eco-friendly mode of transportation and entertainment, and has been well received by both residents and visitors for its promotion of local businesses and community spirit,” according to the resolution drafted by Rosado.
Pedal Pub, a franchise which operates in over 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada, markets the vehicles as an eco-friendly way to drive tourism and resident engagement while providing revenue to small businesses. The vehicle tours last around two hours and make stops along a dedicated route in a city’s downtown area. Pedal Pub recommends each franchise owner to purchase and operate two bikes, according to its website.
New Haven’s Elm City Party Bike, which has been operating since 2017, gives two-hour rides through the Downtown, East Rock and Wooster Square districts and makes stops at popular bars, restaurants and shops. The business, which is independently operated and not affiliated with Pedal Pub, was started in 2017 by Colin Caplan and Christian Bruckhart. Each ride costs $40 and private party tours cost up to $500, according to Caplan.
“We draw from all over Connecticut. Our riders are not from just New Haven but even people from Rhode Island and Massachusetts,” Caplan said. “We get a lot of people who are locals who do this every year. We get graduating students, birthday parties, bachelorette parties. It’s probably 80% state residents and 20% out of state tourists. We even do food tours, history tours, and ghost tours that are non-alcoholic.”
Caplan said the party bike has been a boon for the city’s economy as it brings around $300,000 annually in economic development to local businesses and shops with around 7,000 to 10,000 riders per year. Elm City Party Bike is also driven in neighboring Milford and is taken to various parades and events throughout the state.
“Our riders are having a very large impact on the local economy,” Caplan said. “They’re doing that through purchasing parking, purchasing alcohol from a liquor store, getting a hotel room, catching an Uber ride, and getting snacks and food. They’re also shopping and going into different businesses.”
The proposal for Hartford would include both alcoholic and more family friendly non-alcoholic tours in both the Downtown and around Bushnell Park, according to Pedal Pub’s Hartford plan. The bike would be operable from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
All passengers aboard alcoholic tours must be at least 21 years old. Riders must bring their own snacks and beverages on-board including beer, seltzer and wine. The company does not allow hard liquor or any beverages in glass containers.
Pedal Pub franchise owners Brenden and Janet Floyd along would be in charge of Hartford’s day-to-day operations. The pair, who live in nearby Bristol, said this is their first time operating a pedal pub bike. Floyd said that they hope to have the bikes on the streets of Hartford by mid-June and that individual ticket prices would be $39 and around $500 for private parties.
“We thought about West Hartford and Glastonbury, but we had a lot of fighting going back and forth. Hartford has really embraced us. We want to go to the city that really wants us,” Floyd said. “The last few years we heard a lot about the revitalization efforts going on in Hartford. So many new businesses, restaurants, and breweries that have opened so it became a no-brainer. Millennials are starting to move into the city. We realized Hartford is the place for this.”
One of the hurdles the pair has to overcome is the simple logistics of storing the bikes. The bikes, which are 10 feet high and 18 feet long, need special storage options that the city would have to accommodate. The bikes are too big to fit in most parking garages.
“They just don’t fit anywhere,” Floyd said. “We’re trying to work with the city to figure out where we could store them.”
But despite several city council members sponsoring the resolution, Council President Shirley Surgeon said she has not decided whether she is behind the idea or not. Council members John Gale, Josh Michtom, Amilcar Hernandez and Kelly Bioldeau have all expressed their support.
“I am waiting to get more information at the committee meeting to see if this business would be a good fit for Hartford,” Surgeon said.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com
