This gives Steven a rough idea of how many people may show up, but nothing could have prepared him for the incredible showing at the first ever Cars and Coffee Southlake. Steven estimates a total of 425 cars made it out. "We were blown away and not prepared,” Steven’s dad says. “It looked like we had it down and were ready for this, but we weren't.”
LAMBOS AND LOGISTICS
Steven partnered with ParkUpFront early on. The ParkUpFront app acts much like Facebook for car enthusiasts. Users can show off their garage, interact with other car enthusiasts and share events. Much like other social platforms, users can post their own content and “like” and comment on other users’ content. Through the app, Steven is able to create event pages for every Cars and Coffee Southlake event. His event is also one of the few in the area recognized by ParkUpFront as an Official Event. By accessing the event through the app, users are able to register their cars in advance. 20 • AUG 19
As with any new event, Cars and Coffee Southlake had some kinks to work out. A big part of a typical cars and coffee event is the exit. People line the street where the cars will drive past, anxiously awaiting a flashy farewell. In the past, this has ranged from burnouts to revved engines, and unfortunately, the occasional wreck. Steven wanted to make sure that people could still have a fun exit while staying safe. This ended up being harder than anticipated. “The first couple events, we didn't have any police officers,” Steven says. “It's hard to find the middle ground. With no police officers, it's anarchy, but with a lot of officers, it's like, 'What are we supposed to do.' That was April. April was tough.” As cars lined up to leave Dragon Stadium during the first few events, Steven was there helping direct traffic. Often, he and other volunteers would instruct drivers clearly: “No burnouts, no fishtails.” Even though drivers were on a public street and technically no longer on event grounds, Steven still felt partially liable for event-goers. By April, he knew it was time to call on the Southlake Police. While it took some time to find “the middle ground,” it seems to have worked out. After the June event, one car owner even posted a photo of a Southlake police officer at Cars and Coffee, with the caption: “Real cool officer holding the no burnout sign as we were leaving, awesome!” SOUTHLAKESTYLE MAGAZINE