Fans in town for the Music City Bowl will be treated to free food from some of Nashville"s best chefs on Lower Broadway. PHOTO: WZTV FOX 17 Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Fans in town for the Music City Bowl will be treated to free food from some of Nashville"s best chefs on Lower Broadway.
Fans attending the pep rally at the Fan Zone on Friday morning will be treated to grilled chicken, steak, burgers, and more. The chefs are doing it all for free as a treat for ut and nebraska fans in town for the Music City Bowl.
James Hermsen said the best part of pedaling a pedicab on Husker gamedays is meeting people.
That seems odd, when you consider most of the time his customers only see his back.
Well, you lean back and you can talk and visit and find out why theyre in town, what they want to see and how much they love Nebraska football, said Hermsen, who has been pedaling his pedicab for five years.
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More people than ever want to ride the pedicabs to Memorial Stadium, to the bars and back to their hotels and their parking place than ever before.
Hermsen was one of the first, and now there are almost 40 pedicabs available in Lincoln on Friday nights and gamedays.
Dan Warren has seen his pedicab business grow from one bike to 10 and now to 25. Hes considering buying 10 more of the $4,000-$5,000 bikes that can carry the rider and up to four passengers. His Pedal Pushers business is in operation almost year-round.
He got started in the business when he asked a pedicab driver in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, if he could take over pedaling. He came back to the U.S. and started up pedaling in Lincoln almost immediately.
A week ago, he had seven of his pedicabs take a wedding party from 40th Street and Sheridan Boulevard to the Country Club of Lincoln.
"When Pinnacle Bank Arena opened, I decided to expand, and we keep growing, Warren said.
Hermsen has taken his pedicab to Sturgis, South Dakota, for the big motorcycle rally and to the College World Series in Omaha. We really dont have to sell much once people see us and hop in, he said. "I think people want to have fun. Travel in a different way, travel in style. Sometimes, for the older folks, its a great way to get from The Cornhusker Mariott to the West Stadium.
The pedicab pedalers stake out corners in the Haymarket, and at Ninth and O streets, 13th and Q, and 12th and P.
Theres competition, but its not cutthroat, because there is plenty of business for everybody, Warren said. New York City, now there is aggressive competition. Here, weve all got enough to go around.
A lot of the business comes from word of mouth and some from repeat customers. Warrens Pedal Pushers take reservations (402-610-6227).
We get a lot of reservations, and once in a while, weve have the group of guys who just want to tour Lincoln and ride around for five hours, stopping at hot spots and see the sights, Warren said.
Hermsen, who sells eyewear for Spokiz (glasses for kids without ears) as his full-time job, said even the long days of pedaling 600 to 800 pounds of people and biking up the hill from the arena to the stadium is fun.
You have to be in shape and you have to really love it, because you start in the morning and you finish after midnight, he said.
The pedal masters work for tips.
Warren said tips are usually $10 to $20, but occasionally there are the ride-and-dash customers.
But they appreciate a good ride, some conversation and a time to relax and they come back the next week, he said.
There is music available in some pedicabs. Hermsen has a device that you can plug in earphones and he brings a blanket.
The pedicabs are insured, and for Warren"s Pedal Pushers, the pedicabs are leased for the day to the different pedalers.
Everybody in the business needs to be a bike guy, be able to ride those 50-mile rides, at least, or its going to be a short day, said Warren, who works for Aqua Systems during the week. I love riding the bike and most of the guys I hire are bike guys.
Hermsen said since most of the pedalers are bike-experienced, they know how to stoke up on carbs during the day, stay hydrated and maybe take a break to let the lactic acid wear off.
And the best thing is when Nebraska wins, Warren said. You feel good. The fans feel great and everybody feels like partying and having some more fun.
