New twist on life in the fast lane
By Brian Gomez
Ever thought about doing a keg stand in the fast lane? Happily—depending on your point of view—it’s now possible, thanks to the somewhat unconventional entrepreneurship of Corona del Sol High School graduate Bryan Kirch.
Although the 22-year-old Kyrene Corridor resident concedes he never has performed such a feat (at least, we assume, not at freeway speeds), his company does cater to a class of partiers who seem to enjoy this kind of contemporary spin on a late-night ritual that involves drinking beer directly from a keg—upside down.
Sort of a takeoff, in other words, on stupid human tricks.
Kirch owns and operates a bus company called Club Transit, which offers shuttle service for everything from birthdays to bachelor parties to weddings.
Perhaps the biggest draw in Kirch’s fleet is a
40-foot party bus that features a hot tub, flat-screen TVs, a massive sound system and PlayStation 2s. His 65-foot frat-house-on-wheels includes a circular rotating bar, fireplace, lounge and bathroom.
“You drink your beer and there are people doing keg stands at 55 mph on the freeway,” Kirch said, describing how some customers have enjoyed the free-wheeling party-bus experience.
“I was thinking that if I was going to do this, I had to do it better than everyone else. I had to do something that would really make it stand out.”
Kirch bought the buses from the city of Phoenix, and then refurbished them to look like other party buses. None of his competitors has a hot tub, though.
“The nightlife industry is about prestige, so if you’re going to be on a party bus, why not be on the world’s only hot tub party bus?” Kirch said.
“I’ve yet to be able to find any other party bus in the world that has a hot tub in it. It definitely sets it apart.”
Most of Kirch’s business comes from bachelor parties, but he also provides transportation for ASU fraternities and sororities, and high school students on prom dates.
For Halloween, Kirch offers haunted house tours, and during the holiday season, he gives Christmas light tours. He even has considered using the buses for funeral processions.
“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” said Kirch, who is studying marketing at ASU.
“But I didn’t think I would be doing it this young and this intensely.”
In the coming months, Kirch wants to start a free shuttle service that would provide transportation from a central location where partiers can park their cars and not worry about a designated driver when headed for Tempe and Scottsdale clubs and bars.
“I’m not against drinking, but I’m definitely against drinking and driving,” Kirch said.
Kirch sees his booming company as a supplement to his college education, albeit with keg stands.
“The things that I don’t feel like I’ve learned in the classroom, I’m getting in real world business experience,” Kirch said.
“I’m meeting a lot of business contacts and people who will be beneficial to me in the future. I’d like to see how far this can take me.”
Information: (480) 78-CLUBT or www.clubtransit.com.
