Post #13616 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Nov 13, 2002 12:21 PM

On 2002-11-13 08:40, Reever wrote:
BigBro...

What can we, the tiki faithful, do to help encourage the Trader Vic's franchise to move in this positive direction? Better question, how can I help encourage them to come back to TEXAS???

I'm at a loss there, Mark. I am actually quite dissappointed that TV is not showing any interest in my expertise while expanding. The fact that they are being asked to open in all these places in the US surely has to do with the BOT. People obviously like what they see in the book, and what I selected to represent the Trader Vic aesthetic: it works.

I would be more than glad to advise them, but they are still very much an old boys' club that feels they know best and don't want outsiders to meddle with their business. I just hope it's not all going to be Palo Alto white walls and Chicago brass lamps in favor of fishnet floats....sigh.

Where was that intact TV that still gets rented out for private events, in Dallas or in Houston? While for you and I the value of such a situation would be obvious, I doubt they would see it the same way. Granted, they HAVE to think in restaurant-business terms, but a union of both, food industry savy and theme aesthetic know how is what makes TV special.

I congratulate Holden for having found an "in" with them by knowing how to talk the corporate lingo, I wish they'd see the benefits they could derive from other "outsiders".

I am not saying they don't appreciate my book, they do, they bought copies for all their managers, but I think they view it as ancient history.