Chattanoogans will soon have a new way to deliver beverages to large crowds during a party, wedding, family gathering or any other event with the addition of the area's first Tap Truck Chattanooga vehicle.
The company was started in San Diego and Paul David "Moose" Smith and his wife, Rebecca Weant Smith, are the first franchisees in the market. They expect delivery of their 1962 Chevrolet C10 panel truck in the next three weeks or so.
Smith said it is being painted and outfitted with five taps, which means it can serve five different beverages or just one through five taps.
"I was at a [Tap Truck Nashville] event recently and they had one tap with Kombucha, two with beer and two with wine," he said. "It can be any kind of beverage - beer, coffee, Gatorade, whatever."
Party planners can rent the truck by the hour and they choose, and buy, whatever beverages they want served. Smith said he hopes to support local brewers and businesses whenever possible, but it is the customer who picks the beverage.
"We will pick it up and get it ready, or they can bring it to us," he said.
Planners can also hire their own servers, but Smith he believes he and Rebecca will be the primary servers at most events.
The company's website lists costs for things such as truck rental, fees for servers, mileage and add-ons including bottle water or mixers and garnishes. A cost calculator is also available on the site, and just for reference, a two-hour rental for an event will start at around $500.
She is a physical therapist and he has worked at Memorial Hospital's Cardiac Rehab facility for several years. He said the idea to do something like this came to him a couple of years ago.
"I like the truck and the entertainment aspect of it, and we wanted to start some kind of business and see where it might go. I think Rebecca is more excited about it than I am."
He said the guys at Tap Truck Nashville have been especially helpful answering questions and providing advice. He added that new owners who buy into the company can either choose to buy a truck from the company, or find their own, as the Smith's did.
In fact, Smith had so much luck finding his vehicle, as well as several others, he is now partnering with Tap Truck Nashville and Tap Truck USA to create a second vehicle, which he will use while looking for a new buyer.
"Not all of the trucks are the same," he said.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.