Clarendon Trolley Pub Launches as Pub-Crawl Vehicle

The Trolley Pub started making its way through the streets of Arlington this weekeend—but the business model is a little bit different than originally planned.

Arlington Trolley Pub owner Kai Kaapro told Patch Tuesday, "Our first weekend was fantastic. Our tours all had a great time and we were very pleased with the route and the support we've gotten from local businesses."

The trolley is a 14-seater vehicle powered by the passengers (with help from an electric motor) with a conductor at the steering wheel.

The Trolley Pub was supposed to be a mobile pedal-powered pub where adults could enjoy beer and wine onboard (BYOB). 

Due to some questions about Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (VABC) regulations apply to this new mobile business, the Trolley Pub is starting out as a pub-crawl vehicle with no alcohol served on board. 

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

However, the VABC is taking a harsher stance. Kaapro's attorney's are working on sorting out the issue and released this statement:

The Virginia ABC informed us ... that, as it interprets Virginia law, the consumption of alcoholic beverages by passengers is prohibited in any privately chartered vehicle other than charter boats. Needless to say, this came as quite a surprise to us, as the practice is commonplace in limousines and aboard chartered buses taking passengers to sporting events or on farm winery tours. Apparently, the ABC now considers all of these activities to be illegal. Our attorneys are attempting to sort out the conflicting interpretations we've received from ABC and other state law enforcement agencies, and we hope to have the confusion cleared up shortly. Until then, however, we will have to ask that our customers be patient as under the ABC’s current interpretation of the law we must prohibit our passengers from consuming any alcohol aboard the trolley.

More on the Trolley Pub from Patch:

• Arlington Trolley Pub Coming to Clarendon Streets
• Arlington Trolley Pub to Launch April 19
• Arlington Trolley Pub Auctioning Off First Ride