Post #232237 by Swanky on Tue, May 16, 2006 7:19 AM

One thing that is hard to deal with for me are the people who don't get it. There are some for whom tiki goes right past them, and then there are some who look at it and say nasty things. And some think it's that oh-so-over-used-in-the-media term "tacky."

I want to punch people's lights out over it. Here you are in the holy Mai Kai enjoying a Shark Bite and the slabs next to you are saying "it's too dark in here";"these prices are crazy";"clean it, they need to just bulldoze this place." Shit like that. Makes you crazy.

I try to steer very clear of the wacky tiki crap and keep it classic. One of my fears in opening my own place was dealing with a public that was as likely to ridicule or laugh at my creation as fall in love with it.

I am not really interested in trying to recruit people to tiki. I do not want to invite hordes of people into my bar to hear them make fun of it. I want to invite people over who will enjoy it.

But, if you own a tiki bar or if you want to help one, you have to try to appeal to the haters and the mockers as well as the lovers of tiki. As long as you blow them away with the drinks, you are good. If not, they won't be back.

People have no taste. And should popular culture make another turn and the tiki bar became common, you'd have to suffer through Abercrombie and Fitch to try to enjoy it.

I won't throw my pearly shells before swine! Unless it's a kalua pig.