How Chris South Converted a School Bus into a Premiere Birmingham Mobile Lounge

Chris South, owner of The Lion’s Den, a Birmingham mobile lounge, began the business in 2022. He says he’s always aspired to create his own lounge for people to visit and wanted it to be different. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)
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By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Welcome to The Lion’s Den, a Birmingham mobile lounge where the city’s nightlife can be experienced on wheels with signature cocktails in a fully stocked bar, exotic hookah flavors, cigars and a deejay.

Chris South, owner of The Lion’s Den, a Birmingham mobile lounge, began the business in 2022. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Chris South, who owns and began the business in 2022, said he’s always aspired to create his own lounge for people to visit and wanted it to be different.

He saw an opportunity and after he placed a $500 bid on a school bus on eBay, South then learned that he won his bid. “I called my cousin, he’s a diesel mechanic. I told him I had won a bus and that we needed to go check it out. I sent the man that was selling it $500 and took off from work I went to Mobile (Alabama) and drove it back home.”

South says when he first told people about his plan for the bus, “they couldn’t see it.” He told them to “trust the process.”

After getting his bus to Birmingham, South said he put in work to turn his dream into reality. It took him less than a year to complete renovations and turn the bus into a lounge for weddings, private parties and more, he said.

“I had somebody to paint the ceiling. I had another person wrap the outside. I had a guy come in to tint my windows and install my sound system. I had a guy to come do my seats and I installed a bar in the back,” said South, who was born and raised in Birmingham, grew up in Brown Springs near Gate City and graduated from Huffman High School in 1999.

He has a staff of four that includes two always on the bus. “There’s a driver and a host. That person kind of just takes care of everything to make sure everything is okay while guests are enjoying themselves.”

“I usually do events and ride around the city,” South has said. “Sometimes people book for us to set up at their house so they can smoke cigars and hookahs and play cards while they’re having a party. They bring food and fun. I thought it would be a good business idea to have a cigar place where people can smoke and ride or rent it for get-togethers.”

The bus accommodates approximately 15.

Chris South bought a school bus for $500 and turned it into his own business. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

The Lion’s Den is BYOB, [Bring Your Own Beverages] but does offer catering options for guests to purchase food from different restaurants like A-Train Express and Simone’s ATL Kitchen.

South, 45, can do it all when it comes to the business, he said. “I can put in floors. I can paint. I can build anything. I’m an all-around person.”

South gave credit to his father, Samuel South for his skills. “My told me to always learn other skills because you never know when your job will close its doors or when they don’t need you,” South said. “He’s still living. He’s an all-around guy. The South boys can do just about anything. The one thing I think my dad has always told me is to take care of number one, that’s you, and then you can help others.”

South said he learned a lot by hanging out with his dad. “If he was working on something he’s going to make sure that you are there with him. If he had to go somewhere to work on somebody’s house, you were going with him. “

For more information about The Lion’s Den: Facebook: TheLionsDenBham; Instagram: @TheLionsDenBham.