Arlington Trolley Pub Coming to Clarendon Streets

Clarendon’s latest pub will be on wheels.

Owners of the Arlington Trolley Pub, as it will be called, are hoping to debut their mobile pedal-powered pub in April, provided that they secure all the necessary permits in time.

“The market is really good there and a perfect sort of place for what we do,” said co-owner and managing partner of the Trolley Pub company, Kai Kaapro.

The trolley is a 14-seater trolley powered by the passengers (with help from an electric motor). The conductor steers and breaks the trolley.

Onboard, it’s bring your own beer and wine. No hard alcohol or glass is allowed.

Kaapro started the company with his business partner in 2011, after he encountered the “trolley pub” concept in Amsterdam. They took the idea to Raleigh, North Carolina, last April.

“I thought it was such a cool concept,” Kaapro said.

[Read a first-person account of the trolley experience in North Carolina]

While the question of legality comes to mind, Kaapro said that trolley is exempt to public drinking laws.

“It’s essentially the same as a party bus or limousine,” Kaapro said. “There’s a statewide exemption on the open container law when you are paying someone to transport you.”

“We met with county officials. They haven’t said there’s any reason why it can’t work as long as we get our permits,” Kaapro said.

The company will announce their opening date on their Facebook page. The trolley will be available for rent on two-hour long tours through the Clarendon area. Specifics on the route are still being sorted out. Patrons can rent out the trolley for about $30 a person.

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