This article was originally published in February 2020 on Jacksonville Business Journal.
A franchise that offers patrons a chance to drink and ride is now up and running in Jacksonville, and the owners are already hoping to expand their operation.
Pedal Pub Jacksonville, co-owned by Theresa and Rick Pontieri and Eric and Amanda Blocker, began operating on Feb. 1. Although they haven’t yet held their grand opening – an event slated for March 1 – Theresa Pontieri said they’re already hoping to add a third bike to their franchise due to the concept’s popularity.
“It [the reception] has been overwhelmingly positive,” Pontieri said. “I think everyone is really enjoying the tours – we’ve had really positive feedback.”
While Pedal Pub already offers tours of downtown, Springfield and Riverside, Pontieri said she’s hoping to add San Marco in the near future. Further down the line, the group hopes to add tours of Jacksonville Beach and a tailgate-themed tour for Jacksonville Jaguars games.
“We’re in negotiations to add a third bike already, we’d like to have it down here by March,” Pontieri said. “We’ve also had a lot of requests for San Marco and a lot of inquiries about the beach.”
Additional routes aren’t the only incentive for adding a third bike – each of which costs around $80,000 – Pontieri said she’s also received numerous requests for larger groups of people. With an increase in bikes, Pedal Pub will also need more “pilots,” the operators of the bikes.
“Right now, we only have three pilots and we’re hiring,” Pontieri said.
For Pedal Pub’s immediate needs, Pontieri said they’re hoping to hire at least two more people – but in the long run she anticipates requiring at least eight.
Although the concept combines the somewhat unlikely trio of bike riding, tours and drinking beer, Pontieri said a surprising number of passengers have signed on even though they don’t drink.
“They just want the experience and want a tour around Jacksonville,” Pontieri said.
For their grand opening, scheduled for March 1 at Bold City Brewery’s downtown location between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
“It’s kind of a promotional giveaway – we’ll have a raffle, give away merchandise and we’ll be working with Bold City to give a discount for Pedal Pub Lagers,” Pontieri said.
Pedal Pub is also working to strengthen their ties with the local craft beer community. Starting in March, the first Saturday of each month will feature a fundraising event for Jacksonville’s Rail Yard District. Pedal Pub will hold a cornhole tournament and tour, hitting areas such as Lemonstreet Brewing Co., Tabula Rasa Brewing and Engine 15. Half of the tickets will go to the Rail Yard District Business Council and the winners of the tournament will receive brewery and Pedal Pub merchandise.
The Pedal Pub franchise itself originates from Minnesota, and Pontieri said she stumbled across the concept while scrolling through Facebook. Tickets for tours sell for $38 a person on weekdays and $42 a person on weekends.
