ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sally Dirbas and her son, Mitchell Gross, a Monkey Bus driver for more than a year, have acquired the Monkey Bus from Island Beach Monkeys LLC, operated by Roque Pastorius.
Dirbas and Gross purchased the company and all of its assets on June 13, including five Monkey Bus vans, a golf cart, websites associated with the businesses, social media rights and a Cadillac Escalade the new company plans to use for rides to regional airports, the new owners said.
After two weeks of operating under the previous name, Dirbas and Gross formed a new LLC on June 27 called M and S Ad Ventures, a play on words because the Monkey Bus is not a transportation service, but an advertising service that offers transportation, she said.
“We came to an agreement that both parties were happy with,” Dirbas said. “They got to retire and we have the Monkey Bus now.”
Dirbas and Gross are 50/50 partners in the business, with Dirbas taking over advertising and marketing duties while Gross will handle the day-to-day operations of the buses and driver schedules. The mother and son operation’s mission is safety.
“Safety is the number one priority for us,” Dirbas said. “In the last two weeks, we have put new tires on the buses, new brakes and fixing things that were broken. For our first two weeks, we’ve been doing maintenance on these buses.”
According to Dirbas, the plan for the near future includes adding at least two new buses to the current fleet that will be higher-end luxury vehicles that are air-conditioned and only serve sponsor businesses. Currently, a rider can call a Monkey Bus to just about any location on the Island, but the new buses will offer a premium option serving only advertiser customers.
“These new buses will be used for our sponsors only,” Dirbas said. “Only people going to and from our sponsors will be able to get on those buses.”
The Monkey Bus has been cruising the Island since 2014, taking both locals and visitors to and from various destinations, and helping advertisers share their messages. Drivers lease the vehicle for the day and pay for their own gas and a lease fee. The only income for drivers are tips, which allow the employees, who are all subcontractors, to profit from their efforts.
“Monkey Bus drivers work long, hot and grueling hours; their tips are their only source of income,” Dirbas said. “A lot of people think the tips go to the company but that’s not the case. To clarify, the maintenance of the vehicles, insurance and operating costs are covered by advertisers, but drivers only get tips, so treat them well, it’s not an easy job.”
Dirbas and Gross are dedicated to making sure riders make it to their destination without issues. The company reserves the right to refuse service to anyone who may be too intoxicated or pose a threat to staff or passengers.
“Every minute a Monkey Bus is on the Island is a minute the Island is a little bit safer,” Dirbas said. “We help keep people who have had a few drinks get home safely, and that makes this Island a safer place to be.”
The Monkey Bus retains its phone number, 941-565-6542.
