Two years and two weeks ago, Parkite Zachary Bretz launched the Park City App with the goal of providing residents and visitors safe and quality transportation, especially during the winter ski season.
“It was strictly a rides platform,” he said about the services. “We had a handful of drivers — me and two or three — who not only had the vehicles that could maneuver Park City’s winters, but also had real snow tires.”
Much has changed over the past 24 months, and Bretz has expanded the services of the app that is available on Google Play and iOS to better meet his current and future client needs.
“We’ve added childcare,” he said. “I kind of solved my own needs because I have a 2 year old. I didn’t have a network of resources and needed to find a good, reliable, trustworthy and vetted babysitter.”
Like what he does for drivers, Bretz makes sure the babysitters are qualified and safe.
“I build personal relationships with them,” he said. “I meet everyone in person after many phone calls to talk about qualifications and make sure they have the right demeanor to see if they are a good match for us. And once all those boxes are checked, they are good to go.”
Bretz also added food delivery to the Park City App.
“We’re piloting that this year as I build out the tech so it’s ready to take over the ordering system, payment processing and inventory management,” he said.
Throughout the past year, Bretz has partnered with local restaurants, including Clockwork Cafe, Nosh, Auntie Em’s Baked Goods and others.
“We hope to drive business to the local restaurants and coffee shops and less toward the big national chains,” he said. “This is for people who come to town and want to experience the local culture, and the goal is to mature the technology so people in town or new to town have a great ordering system to find and access the best food in town.”
Bretz plans to launch a ski-instructor page in a few days.
“Finding a ski instructor is another very Park City-based feature,” he said. “Generally, if people are in town and want ski lessons, they call the resort and they match you with an instructor and you meet them the day of the lesson.”
Bretz, who taught skiing at Canyons, felt people should be able to find ski instructors who would meet their specific needs.
“If you want to learn more about moguls, you should be able to find someone who specializes in moguls,” he said.
Bretz also wanted the Park City App to serve the instructors, rather than the resorts.
“Teachers are kind of at the mercy of their ski schools, and there is no way for them to market themselves,” he said. “So with our app, teachers can market themselves, and the people can find the exact ski instructor they want. That is a win-win situation.”
Other services Bretz plans to roll out this winter include dog walking and house sitting.
“Sure there are other apps for these, but if you already have the Park City App, you don’t have to create new accounts,” he said. “All you have to do is go to the dog walker page.”
Bretz invites local residents and businesses who want to be part of the Park City App family to call him directly at 917-575-1955.
“That’s why my personal phone number is on the app,” he said. “It’s the same phone my mom calls when she wants to talk with me.”
Although Bretz has begun work on including these other services, transportation is still at the core of the app.
“We hit a peak of having two dozen drivers this past winter, and we needed to get more,” he said. “So, if there are drivers out there who want to be listed on the platform, I want them to reach out to me.”
Once drivers reach out, Bretz will schedule meetings.
“I inspect their vehicles and I also make sure they have commercial insurance,” he said.
Along with his call for drivers, Bretz wants to clear up some misconceptions about drivers’ relationship with the app.
“I’ve felt some hostility from other driving services, but my message is I’m not their competition — I’m their partner,” he said. “I invite them to be on the team, so I can give them more business. So, we’re just a platform to do that.”
Bretz said the community has made it possible for him to expand the Park City App’s services.
“Park City is our secret advantage,” he said. “It’s such a unique place, and it’s an extension of our business — due to the support of our neighbors, our friends in town, some of the institutions in town who have propelled what we do and set the stage for cool growth that is ahead of us. And we have some incredible things in store.”
For information about the Park City App, visit theparkcityapp.com.