#San Francisco Party Bus Rental

[pottermorgan]

San Francisco Party Bus & Limo Rentals | Luxury Fleet

Experience premier San Francisco party bus and limo services with our diverse fleet, including sedans, stretch limos, SUVs, and party buses for up to 56 guests. Ideal for weddings, corporate events, wine tours, and more, our vehicles feature amenities like wet bars, premium sound systems, and plush seating. Serving the Bay Area, we ensure punctuality, professionalism, and a memorable journey. Book now to elevate your event with our top-tier San Francisco party bus and limo rentals.

[venturelimo]

Premier Party Bus Rentals for San Francisco Events

Venture Limo provides top-tier party bus rentals in San Francisco, perfect for any celebration. Our spacious, stylish buses are equipped with modern amenities to keep the party going while you travel. Ideal for birthdays, weddings, or group outings, we ensure a fun, safe, and memorable experience for all passengers. Visit Us: https://www.venturelimo.com/city-limo/party-bus-rental-san-jose

[bnglimousine]

Travel in Style: BNG Limousine's Chauffeur Service for San Francisco Airport

Looking for a chauffeur service that combines sophistication, convenience, and reliability for your travels to and from San Francisco Airport? Look no further than BNG Limousine's Chauffeur Service. Experience the ultimate in luxury and comfort with our top-notch service. #ChauffeurService #SanFranciscoAirport #LuxuryTravel

When you choose BNG Limousine, you're choosing an elevated travel experience. Our professional chauffeurs are dedicated to providing a seamless and stress-free journey, ensuring you arrive at the airport on time and in style. #ReliableTransportation #OnTimeArrival

Step into our fleet of luxurious vehicles, meticulously maintained to offer the utmost comfort and elegance. Sink into plush leather seats, enjoy the spacious interiors, and take advantage of our modern amenities. #LuxuryOnWheels #ComfortableJourney

With our Chauffeur Service, you can relax and enjoy the ride while we navigate the city's traffic, taking the most efficient routes to get you to your destination promptly. #EfficientTransportation #StressFreeTravel

Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, our Chauffeur Service is tailored to meet your specific needs. We prioritize your safety and satisfaction, offering a personalized and attentive service. #PersonalizedExperience #CustomerSatisfaction

Don't settle for ordinary airport transportation. Choose BNG Limousine's Chauffeur Service for San Francisco Airport and experience the difference of traveling in luxury and style. Book your ride today and make a statement with your arrival. #TravelInStyle #LuxuryTravelExperience

[nationwidecarservice]

Bay Area Party Bus Rentals is the Best Option for Party Transportation

A Bay Area party bus rental is the practical choice for fun, secure, and convenient event hosting and group outings. No matter your plans, if you’re plan to venture out on the town in the Bay Area party bus rental offers practice transportation to whatever destination chosen. While cabs and personal vehicles are always there, one option isn’t dependable, and the other poses risks for groups…

[cheaplimoservicenearme]

Exceed Prom Transportation Expectations with a Party Bus Rental in San Jose

Upgrade your prom game with a party bus rental in San Jose to make the transport efficient, secure, glamorous, and paramacular!

Prom should be a special time in the lives of teenagers. As students dress in formalwear, snag dates with the crushes of the moment, and practice dance moves that aren’t too embarrassing, they are probably also concerned about the transportation for the night. With a party bus rental San Jose, you can easily step up your prom game with timeliness, security, and glamour included.

Efficiency to Enjoy as Much Prom Memory-Making as You Can Handle

Prom is just one night, so teens feel quite a bit of pressure to maximize the experience. Whether you plan to attend prom only or a whole passel of prom-related parties, party buses of San Jose can help make the experience jam-packed with fun, even during the ride. Our drivers are familiar with the city, use an updated navigational system, and take your plans on as the instructions for the ride. Having faith in this level of supplied expertise comes through provisions of drug tests, background investigations, and extensive training. Allow us to make prom night unforgettable!

Travel Arrangements to Keep the Ride Secure during Prom Night

Whether deserved or not, prom has a reputation of being filled with potential hazards. The pressure to conform and perform is intense; alcohol often flows freely; and teens may have difficulty doing what they’d like instead of what’s expected. Chauffeured service in San Francisco limo service provides security. While the provided driving increases safety, our fleet of vehicles is also kept to a high standard that encourages safety. With comprehensive licensing, bonds, and insurance coverage, our vehicles may be different in regard to rider capacity and style, but they share a common impeccability that is fully deserving of prom.               

Glamorous Travel for a Special Prom

Imagine how your prom memories would be affected by the level of luxury, for either good or bad. Glamour is partly the machine provided, but it also extends to the accommodations chosen and the treatment received. Allow our 24/7 customer service staff to treat you well. Whether you need answers, solutions, or accommodations, we will happily oblige whenever possible. In addition, we allow you to personalize, make bookings online, and request service at the last minute. Are you also looking for affordable Limo Services Near Me?

You can rely on us to provide you with quick, straightforward billing and spectacular transportation services. Make your prom ride reality reflect your prom ride fantasy. We offer transportation that is detailed and focused on you, and we have the type of practiced and proven elements of travel needed to deliver exactly what is needed to make your prom remarkable. CALL US NOW AT (800) 942-6281

Source: https://limoservicedallas.blogspot.com/2023/04/Exceed-Prom-Transportation-Expectations-with-a-Party-Bus-Rental-in-San-Jose.html

[cheapartybusdc]

Surefire Method for Planning a Capital Trip with Party Bus Rental DC

With the beginning of the school year, many educators may be considering taking on the task of organizing a school trip to Washington, DC. During an election year, this trip is especially effective because you can connect the experience with reality for the students. Organizing such a trip may seem like too much, but with DC party bus rental services, you can delegate the logistics and focus on making the event possible.

Brainstorm Sites to Experience

With the abundance of options available in the capital, you may have a difficult time choosing the sites to see. Choosing among the numerous museums, memorials, houses of government, and monuments to historical figures will start you on the way to creating a schedule for your trip. If needed, we offer the services of an on-site coordinator to help guide your crew, and party bus in DC will help take you efficiently from each place to the next.

Plan Out the Finances

For a trip such as this one, you must create a financial plan. Luckily, many of the sites in DC are public, but you do need to keep in mind the costs of accommodations, transportation, and food. For this step, you’ll also need an expected number of attending students and chaperones. Consider the time of year that you plan to visit since prices fluctuate according to demand. Once you have an estimated total cost, the fundraising can begin!

Get the Money Together

Anytime that an educator plans a trip, money is a concern. Fundraisers conducted by the students, donations by parents or companies, and other sources form the basis for funding. Whether you use crowd funding or bake sales, the money shouldn’t be a factor as long as everyone participating does their part to raise the funds.

Reserve Services

Whether you’re booking your hotel or transportation, the early bird generally gets the best deal; however, be sure of your plans before reservations are made and research fees for cancelled services. Being unable to recoup funds if cancellation becomes necessary would be unfortunate. If you need a San Francisco Party Bus Rental or a charter for larger groups, our online booking can be done with little notice required.

Organize this trip with a plan in mind. The effort is worthy it, and your students will remember forever the experience at the capital with you, their favorite teacher. Call: (888) 748-4929

Source: https://cheappartybusdc.blogspot.com/2019/11/surefire-method-for-planning-capital.html

[partybussanfranciscorental-blog]

Plan for Your Wedding Way Before the Actual Date

Nothing can spoil the wedding spirit and fun like the last minute hassle of making the necessary arrangements. You might tend to work better under pressure but take our advice and don’t risk leaving such things till late. Plan for your wedding way ahead of time and make sure you have everything ready beforehand, especially the party bus rental in San Francisco to take you to the wedding venue.

9-12 Months before the Wedding Date 

Plan your budget and make a list of things you want about 9-12 months before the wedding. This will save you from the last minute shopping sprees. Make a Pinterest or bucket list if you want and also keep an eye out for the vendors and service providers you want to hire later.

6-9 Months before the Wedding Date 

Start shopping. Make sure you keep your significant other as well as the bridesmaids of groomsmen involved to. If you are planning to dress in sync, this phase will need time and some ideas. Decide the venue and menu and order the wedding cake too.

4-6 Months before the Wedding Date 

Finalize the deals and details with the vendors and start working on the rehearsals. You will also need to keep a check on the small requirements, such as props, during this time too. Start working on the make-up and hairstyle trials too and most importantly, book your SF party bus rental

If you are looking for a San Francisco party bus rental, book one at Party Bus Sanfrancisco Rental. Give them a call at 888-308-3767 and talk about their party bus rental company in San Francisco.

[hirecharterbuses]

A San Francisco Charter Bus is the Best Way to Get Around the City

A San Francisco Charter Bus is the Best Way to Get Around the City

Experience all the wonderful sights of the Bay Area while riding in style.

There are many different ways to get around the San Francisco Bay area, and for groups of any size, a affordable charter bus rental is the most comfortable and convenient way to do it.

Many people on family trips or in any type of small group don’t often think about relying on a quality bus rental in San Francisco. That’s…

[pottermorgan]

Luxury Party Bus & Limo Rentals in San Francisco Bay Area

Discover top-tier luxury with San Francisco Party Bus & Limo services. Whether for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, or a night out, our fleet of stylish limousines and party buses ensures a memorable experience.

[venturelimo]

Ultimate Party Bus Experience for San Francisco Events

San Francisco Party Bus Rental offers a thrilling way to celebrate in style. Our luxury buses come with vibrant lighting, premium sound systems, and comfortable seating for a memorable experience. Perfect for birthdays, bachelorette parties, or any special event, we ensure a fun and unforgettable ride through the city. Visit Us: https://www.venturelimo.com/city-limo/party-bus-rental-san-jose

[sprinterlimorentalsanfrancisco]

Have a Comfortable and Luxurious Ride by Hiring Sprinter Limo Rental San Francisco

Whenever we hire a limo service that means we are hiring a comfortable and luxury ride as it makes our mind fresh and satisfied with outstanding services because there is no other ride that can compete to its comfort and performance. The limo service is referred to as mostly used and best service on demands by having estimation and reviews of customers. A person can’t make a count of its good habits rather than others count them and that is the real feature of yours so as same the customer’s reviews make the agency and it's service good and wonderful. Once you have its ride you will always wonder and want to have the ride of the limo and if you hire Sprinter limo rental in San Francisco for your ride to attend any ceremony or especially your meetings and conferences than you will never want your ride to end as it is so wonderful and outstanding featured car in fact limo service.

Not all the cars or limo service are well-serviced and clean as some agencies just need the money and they have no care about the customer’s desires and needs. the customers are also helpless as because of their needs they have to book the cars and have to compromise on the services of the car and cleanliness. Now you don’t need to be compromised for more as there is an agency that can make your compromise converted in loyalty towards that agency because cars are so clean and efficient and also there are various models and colors of cars that can make your ride even better and memorable and you will feel justice towards your budget and money that you are spending for its rent and usage of features. The luxurious cars are the demand for everyone, so if you hire Sprinter limo rental in San Francisco you don’t have to face any problem and you can easily enjoy the ride.

As the cleanliness and the service of cars is not an important factor for every agency same as to hire a limo is not in the hand of every person as it is expensive and can’t be afforded by everyone but if it is available in packages and the packages are affordable than everyone can take its comfort and benefit that is a positive effect of the agency. In limousines there are all kind of facilities that a person or a customer wants as these cars are fully air-conditioned, serviced and contain a bar in it that you can use for your joy to enjoy the ride also the chauffeurs are so trained that you will not feel any inconvenience. All the chauffeurs are trained and experts.

If you want that your ride be the best so you can hire Sprinter limo rental San Francisco and for this, you can have contact to Presidential Limo CS. A name is enough to reveal its image because they are not like the presidents only by name also by their services.

[nationwidecarservice]

Exceed Prom Transportation Expectations with a Party Bus Rental in San Jose

Upgrade your prom game with a party bus rental in San Jose to make the transport efficient, secure, glamorous, and paramacular! Prom should be a special time in the lives of teenagers. As students dress in formalwear, snag dates with the crushes of the moment, and practice dance moves that aren’t too embarrassing, they are probably also concerned about the transportation for the night. With a…

[sanfranciscopartybuscompany-blog]

Renting A Party Bus - San Francisco Party Bus Rental Company Near Me.

Party bus rental San Francisco is ideal for both formal and non-formal events. You can use for that special night out on the San Francisco, CA town, proms, weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and even company events.Great Rates & Largest Fleet in San Francisco. All inclusive rates, reliable & on time, satisfaction guaranteed. Contact Us to Book Today!

Name: San Francisco Party Bus Company Address: 601 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 Phone: 415-874-0566 Business Hours: Mon-Sun 07:00-20:00 Website: https://www.limofind.com/ca/san-francisco-party-bus-rental/

[thesavorysecret-blog]

An Interview with Matt Parker of Grillbird Teriyaki on How To Start and Grow a Thriving Restaurant

Nate: Hello and welcome. You’ve found “The Savory Secret’’ where we talk to and learn lessons from founders on starting and growing a thriving restaurant. I’m your host Nate Ver Burg. Our guest on the show today is an artist and designer who had a dream of opening a restaurant, but he had a problem. He didn’t have any money. What’s worse, he opened his restaurant just months prior to the statewide COVID-19 mandatory dining room closures. Today we’re gonna learn what he did to obtain the initial money needed to start his restaurant, and whether his recession-proof planning prior to starting his business would enable them to endure the forthcoming pandemic response. Matt Parker, it’s great to have you on the show today.

Matt: Hey Nate.

Nate: Hey there. So let’s start at the beginning. Tell me a little bit about where you grew up and some of your upbringing.

Matt: Yeah, for sure. So I grew up in a little town called Half Moon Bay, which is in Northern California, just south of San Francisco, so really idyllic, wonderful town, a little beachy town. And back in the ’80s, it was just a really cool place for a kid to grow up. We had the beach. We had mountain biking. And as I got older and kind of grew up a little bit and started to form, you know, my own identity, the town, I kind of outgrew that town. So I moved to Palo Alto and went to high school out there and kind of finished off my school in Palo Alto. You know, I grew up with my grandparents as a kid and then moved back in with my mother who was a single mom and we had a great relationship and she was really supportive of me growing up and being kind of whoever I wanted to be and, you know, allowing me to sort of experiment and explore who I thought I was or wanted to be.

And so I had a pretty eclectic childhood. I was really…I tried out a lot of different things. I tried a lot of different arts. I was always involved in theater and in visual arts. And I got to…you know, I did Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was a teenager and I went to San Francisco and hung out with friends on the weekends and just got to do a lot of fun stuff that I might not have been able to do if I had a more traditional upbringing. But my mom was pretty laid back and really trusting and kind of let me be who I was. I worked, from the moment I could get a job, I worked.

So at 14, I got a job at a movie theater and loved that job and fell in love with cinema and old movie theaters. And I think that was sort of the first…my first kind of introduction into what it feels like to be taken out of reality and put into something more fantastical, I guess. And it started to, you know, heavily influence my love of design and my love of eating out and just sort of being immersed in something aesthetically different and beautiful than the real world.

And so that all kind of transitioned into me working in restaurants, going from movie theaters to then working in cafes and then into restaurants and then just sort of, you know, falling in love with the, I guess the sort of magic of dining, but also the environment. I’ve always been sort of aesthetically-guided and so I love what it felt like to eat at nice restaurants and what it felt like to be served by professional servers and what really good food played it up in a really interesting way felt like.

So that’s something from a very young age I was always inspired by. And you know, that all kind of you know, led me to go to art school, right out of high school, which didn’t really work out for me. I was a little, you know, 18 years old and I didn’t really have any stories to tell and I didn’t really know myself and I didn’t really get any good work done. So I kind of tried that out for about a year and then I moved back home and kind of went to some community colleges and of course just kept working in restaurants. And then when I was about 20, I decided I needed to leave home and grow up. And didn’t really know where I was wanting to go, but I knew I just couldn’t stay at home anymore.

So I bought a bus ticket to Seattle and came up here about 20 some odd years ago and stayed in a boarding house for a couple of months and, you know, just hit the streets every day looking for work. And finally got a job at a little cafe in Belltown, which is no longer there, but that’s kinda what started it all off, at least for me in Seattle. And then my culinary sort of journey and art journey as well.

Nate: Yeah. So tell me, like you mentioned the movie theater experience. What was it that captivated you so much?

Matt: In Palo Alto, there’s a series of vintage movie theaters. And so as soon as I turned 14 and was able to work, I got a job at one of these movie theaters. And these were landmark theaters, so they showed foreign films and independent films. And at that time I was obsessed with cinema. I was obsessed with foreign films and, you know, just unique independent cinema. And I fell in love with these old movie houses that were built in the ’20s and the ’30s. I just love the architecture. I love the feeling of being in them. I loved all the fun, the weirdo movies that they showed and it just really influenced my art and my creativity at the time. I mean, back then it was all I thought about. It’s all…I was obsessed. I was literally obsessed about movie theaters and old ones and I just loved being in those rooms.

And so when I worked, got to work for one, it was like such a great job. And I had so much fun and I got to, of course, I got to work with adults. So which I had always loved working with, you know, being around older people. So I get to work with the cool kids at the time and kind of find myself through them. I get to work in these old movie places and bop around the catacombs of these spaces and find tons of ephemera and of course just like feed my desire for film. And so films and going to bookstores and magazines, those are all like the way that I fed my creativity at the time. You know, obviously there was no internet.

So this is just how, you know, I learned to identify, you know, with myself and who I wanted to be or who I thought I wanted to be. But yeah, that was really like the escapism part of it was fantastic. I mean, back then I would think that I lived in a different time. I would consider that. I was like, I lived in my own movie of my own creation. And that was like some me, like in Paris in the 1920s, like that’s sort of how I identified at 14 years old. And yeah, it just really kind of set me on, you know, this creative path.

Nate: You know, you started to get into restaurants and things like when you moved up to Seattle. How did you take that creative mindset and start applying that into the restaurant space?

Matte: Well, I didn’t at first. I mean when I moved here I was, you know, an artist and I was a visual artist. I was a painter. But I also loved working in restaurants and I had done some restaurant work back in California. And so that’s just where I naturally fell into. And so, you know, waiting tables or busing tables back then that, you know, paid the bills. But I of course, I loved the energy of it. I loved the hours. I loved all the people you end up meeting. I loved the sort of debauchery and the chaos of it all. And it worked perfectly as a creative person because you’re just also surrounded by creative people all the time and the hours are great. You know, you’re up late, you have your days free.

So they were pretty much separate for the next 10 years. So I kind of made a move to be a creative person in Seattle. You know, I worked as an artist. I created some events and produced art events and did group shows. And then I also worked in restaurants and waited tables and just…and bopped around different restaurants over the next decade. And so they were all fairly kept separate for most of my 20s. And it wasn’t really until my early 30s that I actually merged them together after, you know, just a kind of a series of bad life choices had kind of brought me to kind of a new…kind of starting over, I guess. And part of that starting over was to kind of tap back into my creative side and merge my love of food and art together.

Nate: So what did that look like, merging those two things? Like in practical ways, like what was that all about?

Matt: Yeah, so you know, the restaurant business is, you know, it’s very fun, but it comes with a lot of consequences. And so for me, I developed a drinking problem in my 20s, and by the time I was in my early 30s, it was, you know, kind of…I pretty much exhausted all other outcomes of positivity. So I had to change my life. And so I quit drinking to end up saving, you know, my relationship with my girlfriend who’s now my wife, but at the time. And through that process of quitting drinking, not working, getting rid of all of my friends and basically self-quarantining myself at home in order to kind of break the shackles of those old habits, I kind of tapped back into this creative side that I hadn’t had in years. And that manifested into a new business where I was starting to…I did event design.

And so in the beginning, nobody really would hire me to decorate their party. They all wanted catering. So I would cater their event totally illegally. Like out of my apartment. I would just make all this food. And then on my own time and my own dime, I would do all the decorations. I designed the little menu cards and design the little tablescapes. And again, I had no money. So everything I started making was like out of folded paper and cardboard and recycled materials. And I just kept doing that. And I just, you know, in the beginning it was just one party at a time and one party a month. And I would go out and hustle for business and I’d go to friends’ little boutique shops and ask them if I could do a window display for them or I’d go to the rental company, the event rental company, and ask them if I could do a tablescape for them. And then I would do it, I’d photograph it, and then I’d send it to blogs and wait for someone to respond to it.

And so I just kept doing that. And eventually I would get hired. Eventually a friend hired me to do their birthday party and I would decorate their party. And again, I had no money and they didn’t have any money. And so everything was made out of cardboard and, you know, these…and trash basically. But one client after another, you know, started to kind of build into this little business where I started to kinda make a little bit of a name for myself and every event I would shoot it and send it off to blogs. And every once in a while, a blog would post the story and then I’d get a lot of attention and then I would kind of get on the radar of different editors of wedding magazines or whatever.

And so then I started to kind of be a little bit more enrolled and involved in the wedding industry and in the event industry. And so I started getting hired more and more. And the things that I was trying to do differently was I was trying to just create these kind of immersive, all encompassing events that were really creative and not typical sort of decor. So I always talked about how my events always kind of looked like an anthropology window display. Like they were really over the top and they were…kind of used a lot of recycled materials and that’s kinda what I did. And I did that for a good year or so.

But the thing about event work is… And also that kept me close to sort of the food world and the restaurant world. And I had done so much catering in my 20s and so much restaurant work. So it was always connected, the event world and the restaurant world were always sort of tied together and it kept me close to that world.

Nate: So all these events that you were doing, were you still being forced to cater these, like from home, like you’re talking about or did you eventually just transition that to just do the design side?

Matt: Yeah, yeah. Like within like three or four events, I stopped cooking out of my apartment and just was beginning to get hired just to do design work. So that was great. That wasn’t gonna be sustainable. And so then I, of course, I started working with caterers and working with event planners and working with others in building out these events and doing pieces if not the whole event for them. And so I did that for a little while, like a year or two years. And each time getting a little bit more attention, each time, getting a little bit more press. And it was great and it was…and I was like just cruising. I felt so good about myself, you know, I was like a year sober and I was just like so excited to be not thinking about my old self. Like I was totally rewiring myself through creativity. And that was really great.

And that year I got married and you know, I was like starting off my life with my wife and we were moving and it was just fantastic. But, you know, event work is sort of like freelancing. I mean, you just don’t really know when the next paycheck’s gonna come. It’s like months and months away. So I would work three months on a job and of course I didn’t know how to charge appropriately for it. So, you know, I’d make a little money and then I’d run out of money and then I’d wait for the next job and it would just be…it just wasn’t sustainable. I mean, I really didn’t know how to run a business at all.

So eventually through that, my wife got pregnant and we needed obviously a little bit extra money. And so I started…I got back into the game. After a few years off of restaurant work, I started working for Skillet. And Skillet obviously was that food truck in 2007 that Josh Henderson started. And by 2009, they were about to open up their first diner in Capitol Hill. So I opened that shop with that opening crew and that was a…it was a great part time job. You know, I already had, you know, a decade and a half of experience under my belt. So I came in with a handful of other people knowing how to run a restaurant and how to work that restaurant real well. And that was great. It was a really fun job. But at the same time, I started to do some graphic design for the staff.

I think it started with me doing like a business card for one of the managers. And then Josh saw it and asked me to do a flyer for one of his…some little pop up or something at the time. And so I did a flyer and then he liked it. And then I did another flyer and he liked it. And then I got this idea, I was like, oh, I think I could start to do this more. I had always done graphic design, but never really professionally. So I went to Josh and I convinced him to let me take over all the creative at Skillet. And Skillet was about…you know, it was a couple years old but had just started to kind of break through with this brick and mortar space and they had this bacon jam food line and they were thinking about opening a second store. So they were kind of like growing up. And so I convinced him to let me take over the sort of brand identity and let me kind of rework some things and clean it up and kind of make them, you know, play with the big boys a little bit more.

Of course, I had no idea what I was doing. I just would go home, learn about, you know, read about what a brand guide was and then copy that and then come back and talk to Josh and convince him that I knew what I was talking about. That’s exactly what happened. And I took over Skillet’s brand and started to kind of rework logos and you know, come up with new brand identities and new menus and just all the graphic design elements and merchandise that went along with Skillet in those first couple of years. And that kinda got me on this designer path with him. And then by the end of that year, Josh was, was like, ‘’Hey, I’m kinda done with Skillet. I’m cashing in my chips. This isn’t fun anymore and I’m gonna start a new restaurant group to tell new stories and I want you to come with me.’’

And so he grabbed me and the chef and our PR lady and the four of us basically started Huxley Wallace Collective. And he had a new business partner. And right out of the gate, we had three projects. We had three restaurants to build. First one was Westward, the second was the Hollywood Tavern. And the third was a collaboration-partnership with Cone and Steiner. And so he tells me to show up at this architecture meeting to talk about what Westward is gonna look like. And so I went…that’s basically how I started my restaurant design career is I just showed up and then learned everything I could learn about how to design a space.

And so then I designed Westward with Josh and it was so fun, you know. It was like such a labor of love and it was our first sort of flagship restaurant we were gonna be debuting with this new restaurant group. And it’s just…there’s so much energy behind it. And we had this amazing space on the waterfront and we had such a great story to tell aesthetically. And I just poured my…everything I had into that restaurant. And you know, half of it I made and designed and painted myself and the other half we had collaborated with artists on and it was so, so much fun. And then we opened Westward and it was so busy and got… It was just great energy. I love that very beginning of that space. But that’s really what kind of got me started in doing restaurant design.

Nate: Wow. And how long were you with that group building those restaurants?

Marr: I would think I was with Huxley Wallace for like five or six years. And almost to the end, in a way, they…you know, once we started building, we never stopped building. So we did 13 restaurants together in five years.

Nate Wow. That was a lot. So, and you were involved with the design side of all of those?

Matt: For sure. So, you know, and I just kept inching my way up the ladder to where I’ve learned some more things and then I would convince everyone that that’s the role I needed to be. So I kind of sort of self-proclaimed myself the creative director as a way for me to kind of oversee all creative and aesthetic decisions for the business. So not just designing the interiors and the exteriors of the restaurant and obviously working with architects to make those happen, but the uniforms, the coasters, the website, every piece of copy, every Instagram message, every ad, every tote bag. I mean, everything visual that the guest would see, including the staff, I had a say in.

Nate: Did you ever deal with that imposter syndrome of feeling like, like who am I to be doing what I’m doing? What was going on in your head at that point?

Matt: Yeah. I mean, most of everything I do is I just make it up as you go along. You know, I mean, you’re just faking it. And I would just, for so many months, there would be…I literally wouldn’t know what I was talking about. But I’d go home and learn about it and work it out, practice it, and come back the next day pretending I was an expert in it. And so I did that a lot, but then it just…but it just gets easier and, you know, it feeds off of itself. So, you know, with every event I was doing, or every little, tiny creative project or little editorial I do for a magazine or photo shoot, you know, I just would learn more and more about how to put things together and how to build events better and how to design better.

And of course, once you start building restaurants, you start working with architects and contractors and project managers and all these meetings, you know, they just inform you and you just listen and pick up on what they’re talking about. And so the next time you know how to talk the talk. And so of course every job just got easier that way. And I found, you know, I just would quickly learn about what I liked and what I didn’t like and how to make those things that I wanted happen. But I just, I always think of like my 20s as sort of being in a fog just because of kind of partying too much and just not being focused and not being the man I wanted to be and being frustrated by that. And then once I gained some clarity in my early 30s, everything got easier. You know, everything’s starting to fall into place.

You know, I started to have a family and, you know, work was working out and I just had a lot more opportunities and, you know, just, I just have better luck after I stopped screwing around. Yeah. I mean, you know, I still…you don’t really…we get older and we know some things, but, you know, we really don’t know everything. And, you know, I just had a birthday a couple of days ago and it still feels like I’m 20 years old. You know, I still feel like I have the same big questions. I’m still searching for the man I ultimately wanna be. I’m a lot farther along. I’m way more processed, but, you know, we’re still like children sometimes in our minds and we’re never satisfied with who we are. Ultimately, I think, you know, we could always be better.

I’m certainly proud of myself and I’m proud of, you know, my accomplishments and how far we’ve come. And I’m so proud of my family and my wife and everything she’s worked so hard for, for us. It’s amazing. But yeah, at the same time, it’s like, I do feel like we’re just faking it. We’re getting away with something we shouldn’t be. Like the world’s gonna catch on. They’re gonna catch on that I’m a fraud. We’re gonna see it. But I, you know, I mean, I don’t know. It’s like you just, just try to be truthful all the time and keep going and we’re…you know, be persistent. Don’t give up and just keep working it until it works.

Nate: Yup. That’s good. Well, let’s take just a moment and introduce our sponsor today. It’s a company called TableTop. Are you familiar with them, Matt?

Matt: No, I don’t think so.

Nate: Yeah. So TableTop is leading in the restaurant industry as a low-cost, easy-to-use, all-in-one front of house and back of house restaurant solution. So they include everything from POS and inventory management and supply chain, legitimate AI forecasting, automated ordering, and now a mobile ordering with TableTop ToGo. So whether your restaurant needs a commission-free mobile ordering platform that’s completely turnkey and can be set up quickly or you just want to become more profitable, TableTop empowers you to take back control of your brand and the customer experience from beginning to end. So a question for you, Matt, TableTop, they’re always developing new products to help restaurants become more profitable and solve real problems, what have you seen over your years in the restaurant space that if you had a tech team that worked on your behalf that could tackle a problem that you’ve seen, what would you have them go after first?

Matt: Yeah, I mean I think the big picture is that technology and hospitality, you know, are more intertwined now than ever and will continue to be so. As we figure out ways to meet the customer where they need to be, you know, technology is gonna be our friend and partner in that. Especially for me as somebody who’s doing a fast casual counter service, all-takeout restaurant that does online ordering and eventually delivery, you know, I’m always searching for new ways to connect with customers wherever they are, and it’s usually through their phones. And so certainly we’re in such a fun space right now where restaurants have at any scale can have access to millions of people really quickly. And, you know, thank goodness, for our mobile life.

And as we continue to be more autonomous and requiring less service but still having high expectation, you know, this is where kind of where we’re gonna need to be headed. And so for me, I’m always looking for those new platforms or channels to reach customers in really new and interesting ways that’s still…and I can still convey or I can still share the warmth, the intimacy and this passion that we have for food and sharing food together. So I think that’s definitely something that I’ve been thinking of now more than ever with corona, you have to really rethink like, what is the future of dining and you know, how are we gonna navigate this new normal moving forward. So yes, some interesting stuff going on there for sure. And it’s pretty much everything…all I’m thinking about right now

Nate: For sure. And actually right now TableTop, to address the whole COVID-19 situation is offering a 60-day trial of their mobile ordering platform. So restaurants can start accepting online orders directly commission-free. So there’s no more need for all the delivery tablets with the high commissions, whether you can put all those commissions back into your own pocket. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees, no commitments, just low-cost, easy-to-use, smart restaurant management tools to make your life easier. You can check out, TryTableTop.com and see for yourself.

So Matt, you were just talking about how you, you know, you’ve done all this in this restaurant design world and you know, obviously involved in those restaurants as they were getting going. What was it that created that spark in you to wanna go out and create your own?

Matt: Right. I mean, you know, it’s something I’ve, I think I’ve always had the dream for. I’ve have lots of dreams and lots of passions. And of course, having my own thing is something I’ve been thinking about for decades, right? But you know, I’ve always been in service to others and to other dreamers and that’s sorta how I learned, you know, how to do what I do. You know, like having a child, it’s…you never really think the timing’s right, but you do it anyways and then you just kind of push through it and find yourself on the other side, a decent parent. Same with running a business or opening a business, I mean, it’s almost like there’s never a great time. You just have to take the plunge.

And so, you know, for me, I was not working at Huxley Wallace anymore. I moved on and I had worked for a year or so for some corporation designing some retail spaces and not a big fan of that work environment. Then I was freelancing and doing a lot of freelance work and designing and doing creative strategy for entrepreneurs and other restaurant owners around town and around the country. But again, like freelance, like I was telling you before, it’s so inconsistent. And so I was like applying for jobs at, you know, corporations and nothing was really working out and I just knew I was like, this is not for me, like I am not cut out for office work. I’m getting a little old and tired to be waiting tables. So what else?

And, you know, being a creative director for a restaurant group is, you know, kind of an impossible job. Like nobody’s ever really hiring for that. I certainly invented that position for myself, so I know that it just doesn’t exist. So I didn’t really know. I was like at this place where I was like, I don’t really know what I should be doing. I don’t know how we’re gonna be making any money, but I need to get out of the house and I need a place to go. I need something to do. And so I started to think about the dozens of restaurant ideas that I’ve had and was like, well, what would a restaurant look like that doesn’t require a lot of people to work at it? It could fit into any size space. It wouldn’t cost a lot to open. What would that look like? And one of those ideas, that was teriyaki chicken. It was something that I was like, well, what is something that we all eat but we never talk about? What is a truly Seattle dish that has never really been anointed as such, but what is accessible, what is affordable? And that’s where teriyaki chicken… And who hasn’t made a move on it in years?

So that’s where I kind of landed on chicken last year and I was like, okay, I can…I think this is what I wanna do. I also had a feeling that this year we would be in a recession. And so I had no idea about a pandemic, but I did have a feeling that there might be a…2020 might be a recession year or 2021 might be a recession year. So what would a recession-proof restaurant look like? And it was small. It was under $15 a plate. It was counter service and all take out. Of course, it was in a neighborhood that didn’t have any competition or was in a food desert. It wasn’t supported by Microsoft or Amazon locations or employees.

And so that’s kind of where teriyaki chicken started to really get exciting for me. And I started to kind of start looking for spaces. And keep in mind, I have no money. I have no real savings. I’m just like dreaming at this point. But I’m dreaming and I’m looking at properties and I’m searching around the city looking for little spaces and starting to talk to my colleagues and my friends in the business and getting some support and some encouragement from them and getting some ideas.

And so we’re driving around… And I’m looking at everything outside Seattle because at this point I’m still like, I’m just done with working in Seattle. It’s not the best place to run a small business. And I’m just, I’m more and more convinced that the suburbs is like really where I should be. I need to be where there’s parking lots and where there’s mommy’s and little league teams and that kind of, that density. And I’m not gonna find it in South Lake Union. I’m not gonna find it in Capitol Hill or Belltown or any place with like really high rents and really like sort of punitive permitting and long permitting wait times and all that stuff.

So, but anyways, I live here in West Seattle and I’ve been driving around the city like I normally do, and I keep passing this building every week. And then the light bulb goes off, and I see this building that I’ve driven by hundreds and hundreds of times. And I’m like, oh, I think that might be something I can work with. So there’s this old Pizza Hut that had been vacant for almost a year and just collecting graffiti and looking pretty tired and boring, but it’s on a corner and it has a parking lot and it has an old fashioned big sign on the corner. And it’s a pretty decent sized space and there’s nothing going on and it’s surrounded by housing. So I look into it and it took me about…it took me about a week to find the owner and the broker and I finally get in touch with them and, you know, start to work out a deal. And then the next thing I know I’m like signing paperwork and looking to raise money.

Nate: Wow. So did you go to people that you knew or how did you start raising money?

Matt: Yeah, so I wrote a list down of like 33 people, friends, colleagues, family that I all thought had more money than me. And I wrote a business proposal and I built a deck, a creative deck which I was really good at making at this point because that was kind of my graphic design bread and butter. So I created a really beautiful, slick deck, sent it out, asked for, you know, asked for money and/or possible investors. And I got out of 33 people, I got 32 nos and one yes. And that one, yeah, that one yes was a substantial investment for me at the time, but it certainly was only like maybe a quarter of what I needed. But that got me started. And then the rest I just put on credit cards.

Nate: Wow, you really took the risk and just did it.

Matt: Yeah. And so that investment plus a lot of credit cards and you know, obviously it’s something I don’t recommend everyone doing, but I knew I needed to work really quickly and I knew how to build restaurants cheaply. I was already… I had done… After all these restaurants we had built, every one of them became more and more expensive. You know, it started off at…you know, they would be like million dollars and then $2 million and $3 million and then $3.5 million restaurant build outs. And those are just crazy numbers and you just…I just, at this point, I was like, I’m done with that. Like, what can we do? How can we open a restaurant for like $100,000? Like, what would that look like?

And so we certainly tried that. And you know, this space came with a walk-in cooler and a hood. And I thought I was like, great, but of course, you know, these projects just, they reveal so many more problems than you ever expected. And this was, you know, surely the case too. Like, you know, there’s so many issues and so expensive. But you know, ultimately we, you know, we got this place opened in like four months, four and a half months, and we made it happen and we did it for not a ton of money and not a lot of investors or anything like that.

So, you know, I think West Seattle is such a special community. I’ve lived here for, I don’t know, 11 years now and I love it here. And I think people who live here love it here too. And we’re all very nosy and we’re all very interested in what’s going on in our neighborhoods and when anything new comes along. So even…like right from the beginning, there was eyeballs on the project and the community knew what was happening and was anticipating it opening. So when we opened, we opened really strong and was, right out of the gate, was super busy.

And I had no idea what I was doing. Even though I’ve been doing this my whole life and I’ve been running restaurants and operating them in different capacities and different roles, there’s just…every restaurant I’ve ever opened has been…it’s just different and they’re really hard and they come with so many challenges. And this one was no different except that it was just mine. But we just kept hustling and we just kept failing and getting back up and opening again. And maybe we closed for a day or two and…oh, we closed so many times in the first couple of weeks because we would literally just run out of food and we didn’t have any…I didn’t have enough staff and I didn’t really even have a prep schedule. I didn’t have any of my recipes written down. They were all like written down on like different scraps of paper. And so every day… There was no schedule in the beginning. It was wild.

And we all just worked so many hours, like we were just here from morning, noon and night and then overnight just cooking just to keep up. And so that went on for like a month. And then sort of after that first month we were starting to…you know, I’m going through some people, like I need some better people. I’m listening to some smart people help me out here and there. So things are getting a little easier week by week, but then coronavirus starts to come down and become a much bigger deal than I certainly thought it was. But then something kind of remarkable happened, which was nothing changed.

Nate: Right. So you stayed open at that time for takeout, correct?

Matt: Yes. So we have a small dining room. It had five tables in it. Nobody really ever sat in them except just to wait for their food. So it wasn’t really even being used anyways. All of our food was already coming out in to-go ware anyways, even if you ordered it for here. So we didn’t really have to do anything. I just took those five tables and chairs out, removed the water pitcher and the tea maker and all the to-go ware and put some signs in the window and put in a, you know, a Purell machine and we got hooked up online for online order pickup, for curbside pickup. And that was it. And it was like no lapse in anything. Yeah. And so that’s been kind of how we’ve been rolling this last month and a half through the grace of God and just, you know, this community. We’ve been so fortunate to stay open and to stay steady and, you know, I get to keep nine guys employed with jobs and, you know, we get to make food every day. So all very grateful for that but I have…you know, but I think that we also checked off a series of boxes that needed to be checked off by the consumer in order for that to be an easy choice.

And so that’s kinda like where we’re at, at the moment. So from the very beginning, forming a truly neighborhood community experience was like the most important thing. And so in the very beginning, in the first three or four weeks, I would spend minutes talking to every single customer in line, just getting to know them and asking them where they’re from and are they close and all sorts of stuff. And people would wait for like 30, 40 minutes, you know, for food here and…because basically I just never stopped talking. And I did that for two reasons. One, of course I wanted to meet my customers and introduce them to me and our story and let them know that we’re neighbors too and my kid goes to their kid’s school and all that, but at the same time we were so busy that I needed to sort of slow down how fast people were ordering and give my kitchen some sense of a break in the tickets because the tickets were just coming out of the machine, dropping to the floor and it would just be like nonstop. And so people would just have to wait for forever.

So it was a little bit of a two-pronged strategy there. And I’m sure I think a couple of people got upset with that, but you know, it is what it is. And so I think that’s part of our sort of charm and one of our little secrets to our success right now is just that I just truly deeply care about people and especially the people that come to Grillbird. I’m truly interested in their lives and I want them to be fed and I wanna take care of them. And so from that perspective, it’s like it’s just super crucial that we, that Grillbird is synonymous with local and community and West Seattle neighborhoods. So that’s a huge part. I think our food is super tasty, but I also think it’s priced right. And even though folks still have to wait from time to time a little longer than they expect to, I do think it’s quick and we fall into that kind of fast casual kind of fast food, but good fast food kind of vibe that I think people are into.

Nate: Right. I think it’s pretty remarkable that you first of all had the foresight to see that there could be an economic downturn, but the fact that you designed your restaurant with that in mind and then here to have this happen and you’re still going strong in the midst of this while many other restaurants who were just business as usual, they’re…many of them are closed and obviously some are offering takeout, but they’ve seen such a huge decline. And meanwhile, you just moved a few tables away and you’ve, you know, you’ve still got your core business there. That’s pretty incredible.

Matt: Yeah, I mean it’s bittersweet for sure because, you know, some of these people are some of my closest friends and they’ve shut their restaurant down and they’ve laid off people or they’ve been laid off. So it’s not something I’m proud of in the way that I’m trying to gloat about that. It just is what it is, you know. But yeah, I don’t know. I mean it’s just a right time, right place, right sort of series of dials that were turned and believe me, some of it was intentional and some of it just happened the way it happened.

But now I’m certainly convinced more than ever that for me at least in Grillbird and the future of Grillbird or the future of any restaurant I’m doing, you know at this point it’s gonna be more like what we’re doing here. It really won’t involve tables or chairs. It’s really gonna involve fast takeout, automations, use of technology, delivery, drop off zones, kiosk, like anything that however I can meet the customer wherever they are gonna be now or in the future is what I’m interested in. And how to do that with a great experience of course, right? How do you make…how do you create a great take-home experience? Well, I’m asking myself that question right now, so I’m working on it.

Nate: Wow. So tell us those who are not in the Seattle area, how can they learn more about you and your restaurant? And those that are in the Seattle area, obviously you mentioned your West Seattle, how can they find you and when they do show up, what are your favorite couple of things in the menu they just have to try?

Matt: Sure. So you know, for those not living in Seattle, teriyaki chicken is kind of a thing here. If you’re a longterm Seattleite, you’ll see a teriyaki shop in every neighborhood, every half mile or so. They’re everywhere. There’s hundreds of them. And, you know, it’s for me it got me through my 20s when I was poor. It got me through my 30s. Now I feed my…you know, it feeds my kids. So it’s a thing that I think that we all…we’re all familiar with. It’s generally really affordable and you get a lot of food. And so you know, just like every city has a dish that makes their city, their city, I think Seattle teriyaki is specifically Seattle and it’s certainly done a certain way up here with char grilled chicken and a much sweeter teriyaki sauce and it’s lots of food for a good price.

So that’s kind of what Grillbird’s all about is great value, but also we’re doing a few things differently that others don’t. And, you know, I love the shops. I love all of those shops in town. They’re all good, they’ve all taken really good care of me. So I have nothing bad to say about those guys, but I knew that there’s a few things that we could do differently to meet the modern customer. And one of those is that our sauce is gluten-free. So it’s no big secret. We just use tamari and not soy sauce in the restaurant. So it’s wheat-free tamari and that’s what makes it gluten-free. And you know, we have gluten items on our menu. We’re not a gluten-free restaurant per se. We just happen to have quite a few options, and certainly when I’m designing new items now I’m considerate of our gluten-free and celiac community.

Our chicken is Halal-certified and we can do whatever we want. And so we have some really…I think we have some interesting stuff. Like for instance, we do a pork shoulder teriyaki, you know, which is just a slow, low braised pork shoulder that we finish with teriyaki on the grill. We also do a pot roast teriyaki. Again, another slow, low braised meat dish. Our steak, we sous vide and then grill. And so it’s a really high quality steak. We have a fried cauliflower, which is gluten-free and served with a nori ranch dressing, which I love. So I think we’re trying to stay pretty playful and just kind of doing our thing the way we do it. I wouldn’t say we’re even comparable at all to any of the regular teriyaki shops. It’s just gonna be different. You know, it’s just made by different people. I have a Western style kitchen, I mean, and that all kind of comes through. And ultimately it’s just sort of my food and my style, and I just wanna make yummy food at a decent price for neighbors. I mean that’s it.

Nate: Excellent. Well, Matt, it’s really been great to have you on today. Again, I’m gonna mention our sponsors TableTop, they’re offering a 60-day trial of their mobile ordering platform so you can start accepting online orders directly, all commission-free. Again, there’s no contracts or hidden fees or commitments. It’s just low cost, easy to use, smart restaurant management tools that’ll make your life easier. Again, you can visit TryTableTop.com to activate your 60-day trial today.

Well, Matt, it’s been so great having you on today and I really appreciate you sharing everything you have.

Matt: I really appreciate meeting you, Nate. Thank you.

Nate: Thank you again for joining us today on “The Savory Secret.’’ I’m your host, Nate Ver Burg. We invite you to click subscribe to receive all of the latest interviews from founders as we discuss lessons they’ve learned on starting and growing a thriving restaurant. Until next time, enjoy some delicious food and we’ll talk to you again real soon.

[niall-is-my-dream]

You & Me - Part Eighteen

2600 words

19th November 2017

Standing backstage waiting for the winner to be announced of New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards was one of the worst things you had ever done. 

In the build up to it, you had been to the loo at least five times. When you were nervous you had a constant need to pee. You had a nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach, you slowly sipped water from a bottle to try and relieve it.

Niall was sat out in the seating area, waiting to hear if he had won or not. His nerves had been evident the last few days, even more so while he was getting ready. He'd had his team with him, getting him suited and booted, ready to walk the red carpet. You were so incredibly proud of him.

You'd seen some messages online asking if you were going to walk the red carpet with him. People had obviously seen the pictures of you both in New York. Fans had begun speculating even more about you both. Niall was performing Slow Hands tonight, so you had that to deal with, and you definitely weren't ready to go public like that. Yes, you'd appeared on his social media a couple of times, but that was as much as you both wanted to share. The comments on the posts had been mainly positive, with only a few nasty ones.

When his name was called out amongst the nominees, he got the biggest scream from the audience. You of course were backstage fangirling over him with Tara and the whole crew and band. When he stood up after being announced as the winner, he hugged Shawn Mendes, Mully and Olly Murs who he had been sitting with, before making his way up to the stage. 

Everyone backstage was going crazy, jumping up and down in excitement of his win. You pulled out your phone, typing him a quick message which you knew he obviously wouldn't see right away, but you wanted him to see it at some point.

"So proud of you. I love you with all my heart xxx"

With the event coming to a close soon, you quickly worked as a team to pack up the equipment following Nialls performance. You were heading off on the 370 mile drive to Phoenix, travelling overnight ready for the show there tomorrow. Niall would be going to an after party and staying at his L.A. house for the night, before flying to Phoenix in the morning. He had tried to make you stay with him, but you had once again insisted on travelling with the crew. Tour was nearly over with just two dates left, Phoenix and San Francisco. You'd be arriving for the last show there a day before, so could celebrate with him that evening just the two of you.

You did feel bad about leaving him that night, but you had to be professional and go with the crew. Plus you wanted him to go and celebrate with his friends without the worry of you both being photographed.

He came up behind you as you were stood by the crew tour bus, pinching your hips and making you yelp with surprise. 

"Jesus Niall!" You said clutching your heart and playfully pushing him away.

He looked absolutely gorgeous in his suit this evening, you would need to congratulate Ellie for her amazing taste when you saw her. All the crew were congratulating Niall and talking about the evening.

 "Martin, can I steal Callie for a few minutes before you guys leave?"

 "Yeah of course, but no funny business!" Martin replied laughing.

 "I promise!" Niall said.

Making your way to Nialls tour bus, you had barely made it up the steps before his lips were on yours. Reaching your hands up around his neck you were careful not to run your fingers in his hair and ruin Sienrees work. His hands were wandering up and down your sides before he reached around and gave your bum a squeeze causing you to smile against his mouth.

"Needed that to keep me going until tomorrow." He whispered against your lips.

"Mmmm me to. This suit looks fucking amazing on you."

He laughed before leaning in for another kiss.

You continued to kiss for a few more minutes before you pulled away, resting your forehead against his.

 "I'm going to miss you Petal. Are you sure I can't persuade you to come to the party with me and then stay at mine?" He asked, as he kissed you along your neck, nipping your ear.

 "Niall........" You managed to mumble out. "You know I can't, I have to go with the crew and then get set up for tomorrow. It needs to be done before you arrive."

"I'm sure we could work something out. Or would you really prefer to sleep on a bus rather than next to my naked self?" He said smiling.

"Hmmmm Niall you know what I'd prefer, you don't even need to ask." 

"So come with me.....don't make me beg." 

"I can't babe, it's my job. I can't leave the crew to do my work just because you want me naked in your bed."

 "I just wanted to celebrate with my favourite girl." He said as he continued to pepper kisses along your neck and jaw.

 "I know you do." You smiled. "I'm sorry, but we will have to celebrate together when we are in San Francisco. We've got the whole day before the show to do some sightseeing and then the whole evening in a hotel, just you & me."

"Been dreaming about it already." He whispered.

"Such a filthy boy." You laughed.

"I tell you all the time, the things you do to me." He said, as he kissed you deeply again.

When you finally emerged from the tour bus 5 minutes later, you were completely flustered and Niall looked smug about it.

With another quick kiss and lots of I love yous before you left, you boarded the tour bus with the crew and jumped on the road to Phoenix.

 "We're hiring bikes?!" You asked Niall as you pulled up outside the rental shop in Sam Francisco. "That's the surprise?!"

"Yeah, is that ok?" He asked unsure of your reaction.

"Hell yeah, that'll be a great way to see everything!" You replied smiling.

With Mark, the band and Adam and Kyle from the crew you all got yourselves sorted with safety helmets and suitable bikes. Tara had found a cycle route for you all to take and had given Mark the instructions, trusting none of the others to be able to navigate it.

You spent the afternoon cycling along the route she had suggested, pausing only to take a group selfie in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. Niall snuck a selfie of you both too and a cheeky kiss since there was no one else around.

"Just because we all know about you two now, doesn't mean we want to see the smooching!" Gerry had called out and everyone laughed.

By the time you got back to the bike rental place you were all shattered. Your legs were definitely aching and so was your bum. It had been a long time since you had cycled like that. Spending twenty minutes on a spinning bike at the gym was easy compared to spending nearly three hours on a bike.

When you got back to the hotel you all decided to grab a quick dinner with each other. Not even bothering to go to your rooms to shower first, you all sat looking exhausted at the dinner table.

Conversation was light and full of talk about the amazing sights you'd seen today. This was the type of day that Niall had wanted when he visited cities around the world. To finally be able to explore where he was and see the real city, not just the venue he performing at or the tv station where an interview was.

You picked a homemade bacon burger and a beer to have, taking a photo of the massive thing and sending it to Bex with a thumbs up emoji. The ride had made you completely ravenous and your tummy had been rumbling for the last hour.

Everyone made their excuses and went to their rooms after you'd all eaten, all of you tired after your busy afternoon. Niall called the front desk when you got back up to your room asking them to send up some wine. You went into the bathroom and upon spotting the massive jacuzzi bath big enough for two, you started to run the water. When you emerged a few minutes later, you had stripped off all your clothes.

Niall's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw you leaning against the door frame, and he instantly made his way over to you.

"Fancy a bath to ease that knee of yours?" You asked him, as he ran his fingers up and down your skin.

"Definitely." He smirked. "Go get comfy in there while I wait for the wine."

When you both finally sank into the bath, wine glasses sitting on the edge, you let out a massive sigh. Pressing the button for the bubbles to start made you sigh again and Niall gave you another of his smirks.

"You ok over there love?!" He asked from the opposite end of the tub.

"Mmmmmm." You replied, eyes closed, head tipped back. This was complete heaven after your bike ride today.

"Your boobs are amazing." He suddenly mumbled. You opened your eyes to find him taking a sip of his wine, his gaze set on your boobs that were bouncing up and down in the water.

Biting your lip down, feeling slightly embarrassed. You didn't reply anything, just reached over and took your own wine from the side and taking a long sip.

 "So......last show tomorrow. Has your first tour been everything you hoped it would be?"

"Been better than I could've wished for, especially with having you by my side." He smiled at you as you blushed.

"Next year will be even better." He added. "More shows, more travelling."

"It's going to be amazing, I'm hoping to be able to see loads more cities, do a bit of sightseeing again if we can."

"Definitely."

You spent the next twenty minutes discussing where you wanted to visit and what you wanted to see.

"Maybe we can get a couple of holidays in before all the madness of tour starts again?" He said.

"Yeah, sounds good. Any ideas?"

"Well I have to go to Dubai for a golf thing in January, so if you wanted you could come too. Maybe we could spend a few days out there sunning ourselves?"

"Like the sound of that!" You grinned.

"What are your plans for when this tour ends? Have you got any other work lined up?" He asked.

"No, I haven't. I'm fully contracted to you, so can't work for anyone else until that ends in 13 months time."

"Really?" He replied quirking up his eyebrow.

"Yeah, why does that surprise you?" You smiled.

"Doesn't surprise me, just like the fact that you won't be away working for someone else." He said, a massive smile on his face.

"Well, they pay me a monthly salary while I'm contracted to you, so I don't actually need to work for anyone else."

"So, the first part of my original question was do you have any plans while on the break?"

 "I don't really.......why?" You questioned, nervous about what he was asking.

"Just trying to decide if it's really selfish of me to ask you to give up your time off and follow me around or not?"

You hadn't expected him to say that. You knew that just because tour had ended that didn't mean that he had a complete break from work commitments. He had mentioned something about Paris and a Paul Smith meeting when you'd been sitting having lunch with Ellie a few weeks ago. Niall had also been talking with Tara about paperwork he might need for his work trip to Dubai. 

If you were honest, you would travel whenever he wanted you to. That pull towards him was getting stronger each day. And you knew if the tables were turned, he would follow you to. You decided to have a little fun with him about it first.

"Hmmm, depends." You replied, trying to keep a straight face.

"Depends on what?!" 

"On what I get in return?"

His eyebrows quirked at that.

"So, there are conditions of you coming to Dubai and L.A. with me?"

"Most definitely." You said taking a sip of your wine.

"Such as?" You loved how his face had a look of total confusion on it, he was definitely curious to what you would say next.

"I'd like to see that cute bum of yours naked everyday for a start."

"Ok, but only if I can see yours." He replied laughing. "What else?"

"A date night at least once a week." You said stretching out your legs a bit more.

"Of course." He nodded. "Think that would be amazing to be able to go on proper dates together all the time."

"On a more serious note though, I do want to spend some time with Bex. And I don't want you turning down time out with your friends for me. I don't want to be one of those couples."

"I get that. Anything else?"

You shook your head. "No."

"Deal."

"We can go over your diary and work out a plan when tour ends." You added.

"Yeah, we need to sort out Christmas anyway."

"Christmas?"

"I've got a flight booked for the evening of the 23rd, I always go back to Ireland then."

With a hectic tour and all the crap with Saskia you had been dealing with, you hadn't even thought about Christmas. When would you see each other? What did he normally do over the holiday season?

"I'm not wanting to presume anything but I would like to spend some of the holidays with you, if you want that is?" He said.

"I'd like to spend some time with you too. I'll talk to my parents in the next couple of days."

"Sounds good."

"Mmmmmm, can we just stay in here forever." You said, sinking down into the jacuzzi bath.

"I'm up for that!" He replied sinking further into the bath as well. "You know, I've never really been a bath person, but I think I might get me one of these for my bathroom."

"Babe, baths are the best."

 "Never been a fan of sitting in my own filthy water."

"Hey, the water is not filthy!"

"It is! When you wash in a shower it goes down the drain. In a bath you sit in it! You know that's true."

You shook your head at his insults of baths.

"Only thing filthy in here Niall, is you." You muttered.

"Not going to lie love, I haven't stopped looking at your boobs. Bit gutted you've moved under the water more, can't see them as well."

"Told you........you're filthy!"

"You're the one tickling my balls with your toe Petal." He replied, his head laying back against the edge of the bath, eyes closed.

You splashed him then and watched his face screw up as the water hit his face. Running his hand down his face, he wiped the water from his eyes.

"You're going to get it now!" He laughed as he sat up and moved towards you, a devilish look in his eyes.

Part Nineteen

https://niall-is-my-dream.tumblr.com/post/183885038168/you-me-part-nineteen

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