The Voice

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Wildcard

Big Ten Burrito Party Bus driver Todd Eschenburg collects singles from a group he just dropped off at a bar. A ride on the bus to anywhere in town costs $2 a head-far less than standard cab fare.

Media Credit: Chris Asadian A group of Michigan students take advantage of the free-wheeling atmosphere on the Party Bus before being dropped off on Main Street in Ann Arbor.

When The Washtenaw Voice caught up with the Big Ten Burrito Party Bus, it was doing everything it normally does except smell of French fries, as it's been known to do. That's because she was running on diesel this Friday night after there was a little problem with the veggie pump.

Veggie pump? Yes. It's what gets the 1996 Ford E350-a 14-seater and former airport shuttle-up and running after it got a vegetable oil conversion to run people all
around the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area, all on grease that comes straight from the burrito fryer.

"We were talking about starting a green company that could promote the restaurant," said Rishi Narayan, 27, a co-owner of Big Ten Burrito and its point man on the Party Bus operation. "We were going to do a petty cab, like a rigshaw, but they're illegal in Ann Arbor. So I started to do research on vegetable oil conversions, we had an opportunity to get these old vans (the other is a 2001 E350) and it's been a labor of
love ever since."

The conversions cost about $5,000 per van and require a special mechanic to give care to these special vehicles, and problems with running in veggie oil are, according to Narayan, very infrequent.

Originally viewed as a shuttle bus that would have a set nightly schedule, the operation has morphed into something of a cab service, taking pick-up calls from groups of friends who are either already too plastered to drive-or plan on being so at some point that evening.

Only this cab doesn't keep the meter running at stoplights, and you can get on and off for just $2 a pop. And, oh yeah, since the Party Bus acquired a state limousine license, one can actually drink alcohol on it, getting a head start on the way to the bar.

"We would never take a cab over this," said Harry Warden, a 22-year-old University of Michigan student sipping on a 40 of Bud Light while he rode on the Party Bus with a posse that reeked of pot. "This is cheap and it's green. What's not to love?"

Todd Eschenburg is the driver tonight. He said that even though many of his customers are drunk at the time, they're mostly well-behaved.

"Sometimes you'll see a couple of idiots try and start a fight, or someone will think it's a good idea to run off without paying, but that's really it," he said. "I don't see stuff that's too crazy. No sex on here or anything like that."

He notes that because of the great weather, it's very slow for a Friday night. A lot of people are opting to walk and get the fresh air, leaving his bus with no customers for big chunks at a time. On a good night-which is probably when the weather isn't so hot -the two buses have been known to serve more than 4,000 combined in a single night.

On the way to a pick-up at the Sheraton Hotel that gets canceled, a crowd of people shout "Woooh!" at the bus.

"I like that - we get it all the time," said Eschenburg. "People see us and holler all throughout the night, just because they see that party bus they heard about that runs on grease."

The novelty of the veggie engine is not lost on anyone. Narayan admits when the bus debuted this past fall on the weekend of the Michigan-Michigan State football game, there were more people taking pictures and pointing at the thing than riding it - but it's become a practical thing to do.

The rare solution for people looking to save money and have a good time, the bus can be rented out by groups who wish to ride it not just around town, but all around the state.

Alex Yastrow is another UM student who's already a Party Bus aficionado, using it constantly. He recalled a time in February that he and friends took it all the way up to Grand Rapids for a Rascal Flatts concert, was waited on by Eschenburg (then in his first night on the job, he said) for the duration of the show, and then taken back all for a round-trip fee of just about $40 a person.

"We had a keg in here, beer bongs, everything," Yastrow said. "It's not much money for what you get, but even so it's a great way to spend a night with friends. You can't put a price on that."

Narayan said that although it's been hard to see a direct correlation of more business at Big Ten Burrito restaurants since the Party Bus has been up and running, it has sustained itself as its own business and been profitable against labor and maintenance costs-impressive since he admits to operational "hiccups" with the vehicles being old.

As word keeps getting around and business grows, they hope to add more buses in addition to running the glorified cab service. In fact, there could be a BTB shuttle running between downtown Ann Arbor and Depot Town in Ypsi as soon as this summer.

For now, Narayan and his partners are proud at how quickly positive reviews have spread about the Party Bus and what it's done not just for the environment, but for the roads given that they can offer such an enticing alternative to those who may otherwise get
behind the wheel when they should not.

"We've got a cool concept here - very unique," he said. "We're going to keep expanding for the community and enable people to have a good time and have it safely."

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