A new attraction has been pedaling around the streets of downtown Knoxville in recent weeks. Maybe you have seen them? Trolley Pub Knox is the latest adventure in town. Owned and operated by Sudo Tiffany Patroiu, who is Asian American, and Mert Demirezen, a first-generation Turkish immigrant, this is their first venture together. This business is in 15 other cities, and its sister company Paddle Pub is in 17 cities, adding two more locations currently.
Tiffany grew up in Roan Mountain, TN, and has remained in the area for her professional career. As a manager of Mellow Mushroom in Gatlinburg, a realtor, and an ABC trainer, this makes career path #4. Her husband, Simon, a first-generation immigrant from Romania, is also assisting with this new adventure. The diverse backgrounds and travels of these three entrepreneurs brought them together with a mutual desire for our fair city to have more fun. Tiffany tells me they wanted to bring this to Knoxville after seeing them in Nashville and the fun people have pedaling around a city in the open-air trolley bike with friends and family for celebrations.
I know you’re thinking, “Oh no. Drunk tourists and loud music.” Not on these trolley tours. Not yet, anyway. While music is playing on each tour(you can even use your own playlist), there is no alcohol allowed on the bikes. Trolley Pub Knox supplies a cooler of water and soda, and you are welcome to bring snacks for your celebrations. They want to be clear that they are not affiliated with the party bikes in Nashville, even though they inspired them. Don’t let your impression of the trolley tours there be a deterrent to giving this company a chance to shine locally.
Tiffany spoke about her desire to bring this to Knoxville to give residents and visitors another fun way to see the city and to keep business in Knoxville. Why go to Nashville or Chattanooga when you can have that great experience here? Keeping the business dollars right here in town is one of her goals. This supports our local breweries and other food and beverage entrepreneurs to keep our economy growing.
The tours can accommodate a minimum of 6 people and up to 14. While you can pedal your way around town, there is a motor to help with hills or if a guest gets tired. The tours run Tuesday through Friday, 6pm-11pm, and Saturdays, 11am-11pm. The pickup location is next to Tupelo Honey, and they will take you for a 2-hour tour through downtown and the Old City. Along the route, you will have 3 stops of 25 minutes each. Those stops can be breweries, coffee shops, etc. (Customers are responsible for their purchases at these stops.) Their current favorite stops are Pour Taproom, Barley’s Taproom, and Marble City Market. Once the tour is over, they will drop you back off at the pickup location.
When you book your tour, you will get a contact to reach out and discuss your specific wants for your time. While they can accommodate some special requests, there are only certain streets the trolley bike can be on, and they do avoid rush hour downtown. Think creatively here. Birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, company team building, friends visiting the city, etc. There are many reasons a trolley pub tour could be the thing to make your night downtown more special.
Currently, there is only one trolley bike, but they have plans to add a second one painted in orange and white for our favorite college teams! Tiffany tells me, “We are excited to bring a new attraction to Knoxville, Tn. We felt this was exactly what this proud, spirited, beautiful college town was missing. We look forward to growing and becoming a fun staple in this beautiful city! Go Vols!”