Post #149662 by Swanky on Mon, Mar 28, 2005 7:16 AM

The thing you have to realize, and is a bit hard here, is that no one else knows me as Swanky. I mean, when the ad is in the paper for "The Swanky Tiki." "Swanky" is an adjective, not a pronoun. The idea is that, number one, it rhymes and rolls off the tongue, and B, it blends swank and tiki. Mod and exotic.

Yes, we have thought of having "The Headhunter Lounge" inside "The Islands" or something like that. The bar in the restaurant.

What you guys are saying is stuff that's being considered. Hoffa has another logo coming with a wahine in it. We'll see where it ends up.

"The Headhunter Lounge" was the most popular name before. "Swanky Tiki" wasn't considered. But, then it was a bar and not a restaurant/bar.

I have to tell you, this is all turning out to be harder than I thought. Not that it's exactly hard, but sort of out of reach. I have little knowledge of the restaurant business and that's where I am stuck. I need answers to questions like:

How many servers do I need for a restaurant seating 80?
How much kitchen staff?
How many plates, cups, glasses...
How much square footage for the kitchen?
What's typical pay in this area for these positions?

Yadda, yadda. VERY technical questions that get me to a bottom line ballpark for start-up and operating and break even numbers. I could research and come up with my best guesses, but I prefer to find the person who can answer them with real knowledge. So, that's where I am. A bit stuck. But, I have plans to get unstuck. I have people in town who know people and I hope can either find me the limited partner to answer these things, and basically take over the restaurant side, OR, find the investor who has restaurant experience to fill out that side as part of the overall plan.

We have also decided that I have to rebuild the "Hapa Haole Hideaway" at home in order to entertain people on this subject and set a little taste of the mood. People say "Tiki bar. I know what you mean." But they don't. Unless I can fly them to the Mai Kai or something, their image is likely way off. So, we are going to make a bit of tiki bar at home again.

I just want you guys to understand that I am working at this. It does not mean it will happen, or that it will happen soon. I am puting together all the pieces I can to make it happen, but it ends up in other people's hands to really say it will. Unless I win the lottery. If I win the lottery, the Kahiki level of grandness will be realized here. So, pray for me to win the lottery!

Hoffa has done an over the top job of painting what I have asked into a wonderful real image. We'll get that image where we want it and when the place opens, it'll be 100%.

So, should I just start a blog? I mean, you guys are giving great advice, but it's also stuff that's been considered. I don't want you to think you are annoying me or that I am not grateful for your input, but I also don't want you to give advice and then have me say again and again "we thought of that."

Hanford: Add a blog to this site!