Pineapple Pedicabs gives riders a new perspective of Reno.
If you recently thought you saw a giant pineapple rolling through Downtown Reno, you weren’t dreaming. Pineapple Pedicabs are playful, zero-emission chariots that transport up to three people on five different tours that explore the city’s cultural, culinary, and libations scenes. Each excursion comes complete with its own personal pineapple driver who deploys incredible knowledge of the area.
“Reno has these hidden spots,” explains owner Jaime Chapman, adding that guests will “get to know some really cool information” while enjoying one of five regularly scheduled tours: A Night Out, Midtown Murals, Downtown Murals, Burning Man Art, or Brewery Tour.
Chapman says she’s most excited about A Night Out. Offered for a month at a time, it typically treats guests to a taste of three or four eateries and bars that correspond to a theme. For example, May’s theme was A Taco Night Out inspired by Cinco de Mayo. The three-hour trip included one taco and margarita (or mocktail) at each of the four stops — Estella at The Jesse, Cafe Whitney, Beto’s, and the La Barca food truck at The Eddy.
“I have so many ideas!” Chapman exclaims. “It’s crazy how many different types of food tours we could do: a wing tour, a burger tour, fried chicken sandwich tour …”
Creative Carrier
Chapman says she figures out which businesses to partner with initially through personal experience; she reaches out to owners of establishments that she enjoys herself. However, she only focuses on businesses that fly under the radar to provide new experiences for guests.
Each place also “has to be very Reno local,” Chapman says. “There’s nothing that’s not local on the tour.”
Each outing starts when a pineapple driver meets guests at the designated parking location. When guests arrive at a stop, they present an e-ticket that grants them a reservation and all food and drink for that stop. After 30 or 45 minutes, the driver picks guests back up and spirits them to the next location, where this cycle is repeated, until, eventually, the driver returns the riders to their cars.
Along the way, drivers provide details about art, eateries, and bars on the tours; Chapman meets beforehand with artists and brewers who are featured to capture this knowledge.
“I know a lot of the history, and I know why the [artists] painted [their works],” Chapman says. “I [also] meet with each brewer and learn all about how they make their beers. The driver trains and learns all that information.”
Ready to hop aboard? For details, visit Pineapplepedicabs.com.
Based in Reno, Helena Guglielmino is a freelance writer and bipedal explorer of local trails and eateries. Understanding food is a powerful tool of connection and culture, she writes to break culinary comfort zones and inspire exploration for the palate.
