NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville occasion bus house owners say they’ve already had a number of cancellations for 2022 due to new laws on the way in which.
They are saying the brand new adjustments have some second-guessing a visit to Music Metropolis and that has an influence on extra than simply their business.
Parris McKinley Jr., who owns Excessive Expertise Nashville, solely simply began working the enterprise full-time in June however says enterprise has been booming since 2019.
“Excessive did very effectively and now now we have Nashville Shuttle too,” McKinley stated.
Now comes his largest problem up to now. Metro Metropolis Council voted to restrict alcohol consumption to solely enclosed occasion automobiles.
Metropolis leaders hoped by regulating these automobiles, they might reduce down on noise, congestion, and accidents.
“My complete coronary heart simply dropped as a result of that’s an enormous distinction to our enterprise and what we do,” McKinley stated.
He can convert his bus if want be however says friends keep away from this any probability they’ll. He’s had a number of cancellations for the top of the yr and the start of 2022.
McKinley says he hopes metropolis leaders perceive that these adjustments make a distinction for extra than simply these behind the wheel.
“So it’s not solely that you simply simply take one small a part of an organization. You’re taking away from numerous different individuals,” McKinley stated.
Recording artist Lindsay Lawler owns The Nashville Bachelorette. From the second you land to the day you permit, she books occasions to your complete keep.
She says nearly each consumer requests a celebration bus and that’s the place she turns to McKinley. She hasn’t had any cancellations on her finish however feels that now it’s solely a matter of time.
“To take that portion out of the itinerary, we’ll need to utterly reshape what we do,” Lawler stated.
From the eating places to bars and even T-shirt distributors they work with, it’s all a part of a Nashville community they hope goes nowhere quickly.
“Now we have all of the bars downtown. That’s not going away, however why not develop and thrive? Extra persons are coming to Nashville, subsequently we want extra issues to do,” Lawler stated.
McKinley would be the first to let you know that the expertise is safer than any bar crawl round Broadway. He needs metropolis council to contemplate that some bus firms already observe the foundations, however alcohol restrictions may put them out of enterprise.
Alcohol restrictions go into impact on December 1. In the meantime, different restrictions associated to being licensed with town take impact in April.