BUFFALO, N.Y. — In a world of socializing at a safe distance, the days of going out for a few drinks with a bunch of friends has all but gone belly up.
But fear not, party animals of WNY, some of your enterprising good neighbors have a solution.
Say hello to "Buffalo POD" or "Party on Demand."
It bills itself as Buffalo's original portable bar bringing the good times to you by way of a rented shipping container with all the trimmings of a proper pub.
"It's a bar in a box. And what's better than wine in a box? A bar in a box, right?" said Brian Dibb.
Brian and Julie Dibb of Hamburg are the ones tending to this bar-on-the-go.
Brian is in the beer business and Julie works in insurance. This side gig originally started because the Dibb's thought they build a better tailgate experience, but in the age of the coronavirus, their budding business plan really kind of came into its own.
"We were doing research and were trying to figure out a good time to launch and then COVID hit in March and I thought we were going to give up and then," Brian said; Julie jumped in, "With COVID it was perfect timing so we could plan this while we were working from home but also figure out how we can social distance so that everyone can have a good time and bring it to the location where they want it."
The "Buffalo POD" is set up for everything from girls night to game night, baby showers and bachelor parties and Brian and Julie went all-out on transforming the old shipping container so they could provide the ultimate experience for everyone to share.
"We did certain things, you know, well being a guy I wanted the biggest TV possible so it gave me an excuse to go out and buy a 70-inch TV and we talked to some friends and behind us is an Instagram wall so when people rent it they can take pictures because that's the trend...that's what's happening now," Brian said.
If you want to bring the "Buffalo POD" to your next event, it is $200 an hour and there is a 2 hour minimum. However, that hourly price decreases the longer you rent it.
"To be honest, on social media everyone is so positive. They are so happy they are so excited. They're saying it's such good idea so it's amazing for us," said Julie.
Brian added, "Now it's time to rent it because if we don't rent it, I'm going to be living in it because she's going to kick me out!"
You can find more information, including "Buffalo POD" rental on their Facebook page or their website here.