Post #339170 by captainquad on Thu, Oct 18, 2007 11:04 AM

Well I was one of the fortunate ones who got to attend the TVLV pre-opening party so I didn't even get to see the finished product. Instead, I noted the following:
-Since they were in no shape to host the party in the space, they got a conference room, decked it out Polynesian style, outfitted it with two bars, plenty of booze and skilled bartenders, all of the hors d'oeuvres on the menu prepared under battlefield conditions over alcohol stoves and hula gals shaking it to ukulele tunes. The audience responded in kind with enough aloha shirts to outfit Hilo Hatties for a year. This was a last minute event and boy it did not show--drinks were top notch, food was excellent across the board, service was very attentive. The food and drinks flowed liberally.
-They took us into the space to show off the ultra lounge, which was the most complete area and I liked the room a lot: good subdued lighting, lots of cushy chairs, nice looking bar and incredible view of the Bellagio fountains and the lights on the Strip, very pretty at night.
-One’s impression of the space is not Styrofoam tikis, it is of VERY large moai. It’s a Vegas scale because, well, you’re in Vegas. I had just seen the Scottsdale location a few days before and I thought LV compared favorably.
-Everyone got souvenir coconut mugs which was a very nice gesture
-Management circulated the whole time and was happy to field questions and take suggestions. The GM is very interested to see Vic’s succeed in Vegas, which is no mean feat. The VP of American and German ops specifically noted that when opening a new operation they like to get in touch with the tiki community and throw this type of party to show they appreciate the support.
-They are clearly actively expanding the brand and they are also clearly having financial success, which indicates both that the general public will support Vic’s and that they can continue to expand, perhaps into your town. If they succeed in LV, and that is one TOUGH market, they may return to New York and Boston, also tough markets. I, and I believe the NYTC folks I've met, would certainly like to see them give NYC a chance again, a town which has shown its appreciation for tiki by submitting most of its “real” tiki bars to the wrecking ball.