Description: Started by veteran bartender and manager David Lotito as a mobile-bar business, One for the Road evolved earlier this year into a traveling party-central that aims to bring the nightlife to you. Lotito described his business as a “wedding tent on the outside, a nightclub on the inside.”
One for the Road “brings the party to you,” as its slogan claims, with tents, dance floors, sound systems, LED light systems and a bar. And this summer, One for the Road will let you to bring the party with you in its 12- to 16-passenger party bus, which allows customers to bring their party anywhere: local bars, restaurants, golf courses and more. Lotito has even gotten select local restaurants and bars to create specials for his customers.
“Don’t just have a party,” he said. “Have one for the road.”
History: “I first had the idea a few years ago when I noticed that people with backyard parties were in need of a bartender,” said Lotito. To meet their needs, Lotito built a six-foot folding bar and started marketing himself as a mobile bartender.
“People loved the convenience and not having to worry about supplies,” he said. The next issue he needed to address was the cost. He noticed that most people could only afford small tents and shelters for their outdoor parties. “I saw a market for entry-level tent rentals, and just went for it,” he said.
But he couldn’t leave it at that. A backyard tent was great, but Lotito felt it was overdone.
“Everyone was doing tents,” he said, “so I decided to do a nightclub.”
His nightclub themed parties include dance floors, sound system, laser lights, hi-top cocktail tables and lounge sofas. But that’s just one of the many themes offered by One for the Road.
This summer, Lotito is traveling in style; instead of a box truck to transport his equipment, his new party bus does “double duty” transportation of both equipment and passengers. He was also able to hook up with select local bars to eliminate cover charges for his customers and create special drinks for One for the Road.
“I make the claim of being the ‘wannabe’ PT Barnum of the bar business,” Lotito said. “Only thing I’m missing is the tipsy elephants!”
Favorite story: Lotito’s favorite part of the business is being able to transform a party from boring into a night to remember. He recalled one wedding in particular where the guests were stuffy, bored and not interested in partying.
He turned up the music, began making up shots and handing them out.
“By the end of the night, they were skinny-dipping in the bay,” Lotito said.
Anything else?: This summer, One for the Road is hosting Micro Golf Outings, where they partner with select local golf courses and restaurants to provide door-to-door service with concierge to handle the golf equipment. It will offer packages of nine and 18 holes of golf, dinner and a three hour open bar. There is also an option to include a spa visit with a 30-minute mini-massage before you hit the course.
Contact: One for the Road can be contacted at: (631) 790-1404. Its website is currently under construction, but its Facebook page is active.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
