Casey and Christina Buckner moved from the hustle and bustle of Birmingham to the Gulf Coast in the spring of 2020 with both of their families in tow. While the Gulf Coast had beaches, gorgeous sunsets, and a relaxed way of living, the coast did not have as many transportation opportunities as the two would have liked.
The couple, who also own Flip Flop Vacations, immediately took action.
"Since we were in the real estate business already, it was not very hard for us to start up another company. When people would come down here to view a place or were family and friends staying here visiting us, finding a reputable Uber of Lyft--especially with a large crew in tow--proved very difficult for everyone. These people did not just want transportation, they needed it."
A short time later in 2022, the Buckner's, joined by Bill Buckner, Chad Hampton, and Cayce Wilkinson, founded the Surfside Shuttle.
"The shuttle started out as a 14 passenger shuttle bus that would take people to and from the airport they were staying in, or would shuttle people from events back to the hotel they were staying in."
The shuttles also were available to rent for bachelor and bachelorette parties, private parties, family events, birthdays. and more.
"Basically, we show up to a hotel, condo, or place of residency and pick up the passengers. Then, they get our shuttle services for the entire day or night to do whatever they please."
The company also allows private booking times.
"People can book our services for their group for four to six hours, but often book us longer than that. We have taken people to a restaurant, then shopping, then cabana bar to grab a drink, and then back to another restaurant for dinner. We can work with the group booking to figure out what is best for them."
However, the shuttle doesn't stop there.
In the summer of 2022, The Original Bushwacker Tour commenced. The tour, which takes groups of people all over Orange Beach in search of the "perfect" bushwhacker, lasts anywhere from four to six hours complete with a music filled party bus.
"We really took to social media advertising to announce the beginning of the tour. Even though that is new, we have already had such great feedback. While the tour is currently only available in Orange Beach, we hope to be able to expand our horizons a bit and dive into Gulf Shores next. As of right now, people can book us online via Facebook, Messenger, or even text us in addition to the usual cell phone call. It alleviates the pressure off the customer to book right then and there without being scared to ask questions and say no."
Currently, the tour is going viral on our 32 mile island. A recent post on The Surfside Shuttle's official Facebook paged received over 200,000 views within one week, and the team is ready to see what happens next.
