Final Goodbye to Kona Lanes~Costa Mesa, CA - General Tiki

J jpmartdog Tiki Socialite Amesbury, Mass Joined: Mar 27, 2005 Posts: 650	J jpmartdog Posted posted on Thu, Jan 8, 2009 5:53 AM Seeing all these pics and browsing through my collected images of polynesian restaurants and lounges of the past really depresses me. What a sad country (world?) we have become where greed is the inspiration for development and change. In days past, it would seem an idea for development was more apt to grow out of a desire to create a unique and memorable venue that would not only serve the public but give them an experience they would love and long remember. The belief that the customer would return again and again, with more friends. There was an attention to detail, service and quality. Customers would not just be given the service they expected but would be immersed into a unique environment, that multiplied their happiness - that was the 'Tipsy' factor. Success was never based on 'quick return on investment' but expected through customer satisfaction, volume of sales, longevity, and not to mention making an impact on the community. Now, it would seem, greed and profit has extinguished this desire to 'create' and connect. Todays cookie cutter construction is quite simply based on cost effectiveness. Developers and owners now look for the quick way to 'turn a buck'. The cheapest construction, eliminates unique shapes and ornamentation, the cheapest signs eliminates our streetside wow factor. The cheapest construction minimizes cost and maximizes potential profit. Inside we find the same 'crap', in every mall, on every street corner, in every strip mall across America. Unfortunately over the years - the coming generations will not have the first hand memory of "what was" and they will no longer have that memory to compare to their present situation. Corporate and Individual greed will succesfully blindside everyone, consumers actually will believe, that a $3.50 Double Mocha Latte is "Awesome", and they will expect that Latte to be duplicated and available on every street corner, in every town, across America, and across the World. It would seem the 'Tipsy' factor has been replaced by the 'Madoff' factor. This is not intended to be a soapbox, but rather true heartfelt sadness.

Seeing all these pics and browsing through my collected images of polynesian restaurants and lounges of the past really depresses me.

What a sad country (world?) we have become where greed is the inspiration for development and change.
In days past, it would seem an idea for development was more apt to grow out of a desire to create a unique and memorable venue that would not only serve the public but give them an experience they would love and long remember. The belief that the customer would return again and again, with more friends. There was an attention to detail, service and quality. Customers would not just be given the service they expected but would be immersed into a unique environment, that multiplied their happiness - that was the 'Tipsy' factor. Success was never based on 'quick return on investment' but expected through customer satisfaction, volume of sales, longevity, and not to mention making an impact on the community.

Now, it would seem, greed and profit has extinguished this desire to 'create' and connect. Todays cookie cutter construction is quite simply based on cost effectiveness. Developers and owners now look for the quick way to 'turn a buck'. The cheapest construction, eliminates unique shapes and ornamentation, the cheapest signs eliminates our streetside wow factor. The cheapest construction minimizes cost and maximizes potential profit. Inside we find the same 'crap', in every mall, on every street corner, in every strip mall across America. Unfortunately over the years - the coming generations will not have the first hand memory of "what was" and they will no longer have that memory to compare to their present situation. Corporate and Individual greed will succesfully blindside everyone, consumers actually will believe, that a $3.50 Double Mocha Latte is "Awesome", and they will expect that Latte to be duplicated and available on every street corner, in every town, across America, and across the World. It would seem the 'Tipsy' factor has been replaced by the 'Madoff' factor.

This is not intended to be a soapbox, but rather true heartfelt sadness.

Post #427799 by jpmartdog on Thu, Jan 8, 2009 5:53 AM