Mad River Bar and Grille takes on parking and drinking and driving issues

By Kathleen Dayton
Staff Writer

A downtown restaurant that attracts a late-night crowd is taking the initiative to alleviate two problems that nightspots in the city continually battle: limited parking and intoxicated patrons.

“Give us the keys, please,” is the motto for a new service being offered by Mad River Bar and Grille on North Market Street.

The Market Street area is one of the most congested parts of the city and one that keeps going until the wee hours.

Mad River has partnered with Charleston Executive Limousine Service to offer transportation on the peninsula to and from the restaurant for its patrons for free.

“It’s already proven lucrative for my business,” said general manager Brian Strazza, who is director of operations for Mad River’s five restaurants. The restaurant’s other locations are in Baltimore, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

The beginnings of the transportation idea came when Strazza secured a reservation for a large party of guests by offering to pick them up for free in a 15-passenger coach van he hired from Charleston Executive Limo.

The guests, a group from the Medical University of South Carolina, were coming to downtown from various parts of the Charleston area.

Strazza offered them a free ride from a designated spot where they would all be able to park for free after dark. The free shuttle to the restaurant clinched the group’s reservation and established the first arrangement between Strazza and the limo service.

“It’s an expense, but it’s a strong business move, too,” Strazza said. “I don’t want to see anybody getting into trouble leaving my bar.”

Strazza hopes eventually to hire two or three vans from Charleston Executive, he said.

“It would be great if other bars would join in and make Charleston a little safer,” he said. “We’re just taking a shot at this. It could be a complete bust, I don’t know. I’m going to stick with it at least through summer.”

Scott Crowe, owner of Charleston Executive Limo, said he has approached a number of downtown businesses about the free ride concept in the past.

“I’ve floated it around to some people, but they can’t seem to make a business decision,” Crowe said. “I’ve seen it done in other cities and especially college towns. I don’t see it as a money-maker, I see it as a community service of two businesses that are compatible, working together, giving people an alternative.”

Crowe has one driver dedicated to serving Mad River’s patrons on weekends between 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. As the service becomes established, it could expand to other nights of the week, hours could change or the service could be extended to communities outside the peninsula.

Right now, Strazza is offering to pick up patrons at designated parking areas or metered spaces in the city where parking is free after 6 p.m. A free ride to and from Mad River Bar & Grille can be set up by calling (843) 345-LIMO.

Crowe said he is charging Strazza less than a regular charter service would charge for the shuttle.

“They’re contributing a minimal amount to cover gas and a little bit of expenses,” Crowe said. “A charter company would charge between $80 and $90 an hour and we’re cutting that probably by 75 percent. We just basically crunched some numbers to do it and offer it as a public service. Mad River thinks it’s good for business and gives their patrons a safe ride home.”

Other restaurants have occasionally run shuttles as part of special packages, such as symphony concerts at the Galliard Auditorium that start with dinner in a downtown restaurant.

Most restaurants will call cabs for patrons who don’t seem capable of driving home, but the patron usually has to pay for the cab. A few restaurants offer valet parking or have considered offering it.

Laura Bright, director of marketing for Maverick Restaurant Group, said parking is not as much an issue for her company’s restaurants, High Cotton and Slightly North of Broad on East Bay Street, because they are near parking garages and do not have late night hours.

“We’re not a late-night place. That’s when parking really can get bad,” Bright said.

“I have to applaud Mad River, especially because of the drinking and driving issue. They want to attract business but they also want to help people get home. It will be interesting to see if it works.”

Hearing people tell him they do not patronize downtown bars and restaurants because of the parking problems solidified Strazza’s decision to offer the service.

“The city’s done some good things. There’s lots of places to park, but you have to pay for it,” Strazza said. “You’re either going to get a ticket or you’re going to get in trouble driving out of there. We’re just helping these people get home and not getting themselves in a mess of trouble. I imagine after a while it will catch on and others will do it as well. We’re not trying to corner the free-van service. It just feels like the right thing to do.”

Kathleen Dayton is a staff writer for the Business Journal.