Bowling Green rideshare company ZiggyZooms added food delivery services through a partnership with Call of the Canyon, a restaurant located on Main Street, beginning January 11.
CEO of ZiggyZooms Cameron Parke teamed up with Call of the Canyon owners Ardy Gonyer and Tim Emmerich to promote healthy going-out habits and public safety in Bowling Green. ZiggyZooms employees will be staffed at the restaurant during the company’s regular operating hours to make and sell food to Main Street’s late-night crowd.
“Stagnancy is a little bit unsettling for me and the team, so we’re always about growing and moving in a new direction,” Parke said. “I think we’ve grown to the point in which we are able to support our fellow students at a good spot in the rideshare portion of our business, so we thought, ‘how can we give back to college students even better than we do now?’”
ZiggyZooms has helped thousands of riders since it began servicing passengers in January of 2023 and is owned and run by students and alumni. Parke said this helps them appeal to their target audience: BGSU students.
“My birthday is coming up this month, so I know when my friends and I go out, I’m sure we’ll take full advantage of this,” said Ashley Poskarbiewicz, BGSU student and ZiggyZooms employee. “I’m personally excited to be someone who is going to both work with it and consume it.”
While the company’s targeted audience is college students, their services can also be used by Bowling Green community members. ZiggyZooms has established itself not only as a BGSU staple, but a staple to the city, as well.
The company was recognized by the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce in August of 2023 when it received the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce’s Investor Grant. Parke said this helped them to implement technology that makes ridesharing even safer during hours where the risk of DUIs and OVIs is highest.
“ZiggyZooms is all about avoiding OVIs and making sure people are safe,” Gonyer said. “We know from research that when people are eating while they’re drinking, that also has the potential to lower their blood alcohol content.”
Aside from public safety, the team also plans to prioritize affordability, with items like walking tacos and grilled cheeses being offered for as little as $5. They also want to give people the opportunity to customize their orders.
“The menu is designed right now to be fast, affordable and portable,” Emmerich said. “You’re not going to wait forever, and it’s not going to break the bank.”
Gonyer and Emmerich also said they are excited for this partnership because it helps promote their local business in a meaningful way. The two men took ownership of Call of the Canyon in 2020 and also own Grumpy Dave’s, Easy Street and now part of ZiggyZooms.
“We’re not a national chain, so we’re constantly fighting this information battle,” Emmerich said. “When new students come to town, they don’t know who we are, so hopefully this will help us bridge the information gap.”
Gonyer added that working with ZiggyZooms is rewarding in itself, offering his praise to their team. The two men grew up in Bowling Green and said this makes the partnership even more fitting.
Despite late-night food competition in Bowling Green, Parke said he is not worried.
The team believes Call of the Canyon’s central location in downtown Bowling Green will give them a leg up, being one of the first places late-night crowds will see on their walks home.
Parke also said his team values being different and making a difference in interesting ways. He is hopeful that personability will help them stand out.
“One of the things that makes us the best at our core is our personability,” Parke said. “You get to learn who your driver is and they get to know you, and they’re fellow students.”
ZiggyZooms usually runs from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. every Thursday through Saturday, but their operating hours may vary weekly.
For more information, visit @ziggyzoomsbg on Instagram or call 419-484-4417 to book a ride.
