Opening Tiki bar in Portland, need name

hi there, I already own one bar, a wine bar called POUR, anyway, as much as I like the Alibi, I hate karaoke.

Thinking of a modern well-done bar like the recently opened Kona Club in Oakland (they did a great job).

So far names are:
Pago Pago room
the Grass Skirt
the Moaii

obviously I need help.
Hmmm, there might be a prize in this.

How About Tiki Rob's? Maybe it's too simple.
Good luck with your venture.

" Pour Tiki "

p.s. need any help building it?

The Huki Lounge

The Holy Haole

Taking a cue from Bamboo Ben's Pour Tiki suggestion, I looked up "pour" in a Hawaiian dictionary:

pour

Ninini. Also: hanini, nini, ninini, loku, ho'oloku, 'iliki (as rain); — forth, hua'i, ukuhi; — down, as the sun, hawewe; ki'aha'aha (out of a cup); manini. To pour out water, kau wai. Evil words poured out, poured back and forth, manini aku a manini mai na 'olelo'ino (see manini).

Sounds like Ki'aha'aha would be closest in match to your other Pour bar, but I have to say I kinda like Ninini. :)

Congratulations and best of luck!

Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki

[ Edited by: Humuhumu 2006-01-21 14:05 ]

Crow. Crush. Lark. Veil. Ohana. Lola. Pair., seems Seattle has a lock on the single word restaurant/bar names! but it seems to work.. and easy to remember!

Kava
Lava
Waina (wine in Hawaiian)

but Humu's suggestion i like best.. (and its only one word!)

Nanini

The Shrunken Head
Torched (or just Torch)
Rip Curl
Sway
Big Bamboo

Trader Rob's
Beachbum Rob's
Kapu Kai

I second the vote for Kapu Kai.
I'm a sucker for two word names that both start with the same letter....

How about
mOdern Primitive ...
need any exOtic isle paintings?

http://www.tikitony.com

Thirteenth Step

midnite

As a fellow Portlander who loves the look of the Alibi but hates the "drinks" and hates the karaoke even more, I don't care what the name is...I will be there early and often!

:drink: :drink: :drink:

I went there (Alibi) for happy hour.

the drinks weren't even served in mugs.

the waiter/bartender said, "no offense, I see you are admiring the tiki stuff, but I'm not so much into that. For me, this is just a job."

The music was gangsta rap.

What a shame.

Nui Nui Atoll
Doubloon Lagoon

Need any nautical crap or tikis?

Best of luck with the bar, it sounds like you're making one in an area that really needs one!
keep us posted with the progress!

Port-tiki-land

Let's see... How about, "The Grass Shack" or "The Lean-To", or "Willamet-tiki"

This sounds too good to be true!

When I'm at the Alibi, I tend to hang in the dark corners near the front. Usually the karaoke can be completely ignored from there. Alas, the general bar music rarely matches the mood.

Tiki is underappreciated in Portland, so I'd build the place small and densely pack it with south seas atmosphere. This way you can reward faithful pilgrims with a cozy and intimate escape from the grey that is daily life in the NW.

In what neighborhood will you be setting up shop?

this is all very exciting,
Joe

Sorry if these have been suggested but how about
Primordial Bog Booze Hole
Rain Rain Go Away Cafe
Too Wet Here Hut
Foot Rot Lounge

Hey! Portland's not that bad! It's real nice there sometimes!

I remember the "Kon Tiki" in the Sheraton Hotel in Portland when I was a kid. It definitely had an early impact on my tiki leanings.

Good luck with the name - maybe you can use the Kon Tiki again, or the "New Kon Tiki". How does one say "new" in Hawaiian?

TikiGap

new = hou

Per:
http://www.wehewehe.org/gsdl2.5/cgi-bin/hdict?e=q-0hdict--00-0-0--010---4----den--0-000l--1haw-Zz-1---Zz-1-home---00031-0000escapewin-00&d=&l=en

A few other ideas:

The Tiki Den
Tiki Madness
The Tiki Asylum
Pele's Inferno

[ Edited by: mbonga 2006-01-22 22:08 ]

Krakatoa
The Jungle
Sumatra
The Libertine
The Torch
Cannibals
Spice Isle or Spice Aisle

I lived in Portland for six years and loved it dearly. Good luck!
P.S. I also like the above mentioned "Too Wet Here Hut" but perhaps something shorter w/ a play on the words like simply "Tu Whet"

Paradise is a state of mind.

[ Edited by: Kaiwaza 2006-01-23 00:31 ]

[ Edited by: Kaiwaza 2006-01-23 00:33 ]

Bambooze (or Bamboozle or Bamboozled)
Grog-R-Us
Luaupalooza
Poi Ahoy

You're welcome.

TV Repair.

Stumptown Tiki Lounge

ZANZI BAR
BABALOO !
THE BONGO BAR
BONGO"S
THE PIGMY
PIGMY BAR
THE ZOMBIE BAR
SPELL
THE WIKI WIKI
HAOLE'S (caucasian)
KAPU ROOM (forbidden room)
KAPU LANAI (forbidden patio)
PUPULE HAOLE (crazy caucasian)
DISCO STU'S TIKI BAR (the simpsons)
Good luck!

Kaiwaza, "Tu Whet Tiki". From what I hear Seattle is worse off than Portland in regards to rainy daze.
Yes, you're right Paradise is a state of mind.

How about:

Thirsting Haole's

Wow,
Most of these are really great names.

Portland has an illustrus tiki past, with most of the major hotels having a grand tiki bar, like the previously mentioned Sheratan's Kon Tiki, of course we had a Trader Vic's, and even the grand Heathman hotel with the James Beard award winning restaurant used to be a tiki bar called the Pango Pango.

The location would be 3 doors down from my Wine bar, POUR. This is on NE broadway at 28th.

I appreciate the wine references, but to drink wine in a tiki bar would be strange, like bowling in a topless joint...er, there must be a better metaphore.

Rum, and lots of it, in genuine mugs and bowls. No libby, no off the rack.

I'm going to do this right.

So many tiki bars that open today do such a half-assed job, as if a bamboo chair and a wall decoration define tiki.

That is why I mentioned much respect for the Kona Club in Oakland, they did a great job and hired craftsmen from this site.

I'll keep you posted.
Robert

Robert this sounds like it will be a destination for travellers near and far! I'm looking forward to a visit when you open! And also some progress shots would be fun to see.

I have a couple more name ideas, with a bit of a vintage feel:

The Coconaut
South Seas
Castaway
Sweet Leilani's
The Rum Keg
Hawaiian Eye
Trade Winds

Broadway at NE 28th sounds like a good location. Best of luck. I like to think that Portland is ripe for the real thing.

This sounds perfect. I will definately come out when you guys open (and visit as often as I can). Hopefully I'll be able to move out there before too long (currently in Eugene). Best of luck, I don't have any clever names but I'll give it some pondering. I do like the sound of Captain Rob's Bar and Grill but it would need to have a grill. What about:
Rum and such

Has a name been chosen yet?

Yup, a name has been chosen. One night after getting off work, I stopped by a taco stand and had one too many tongue tacos with way too many onions, and I awoke in the middle of the night and the name came to me.

The name will be revealed after web sites have been secured, and a master sign maker obtained.

I think you will like it.

Robert

I can assure you that I will be a regular. Mahalo plenty!