Post #434785 by martiki on Tue, Feb 17, 2009 4:44 PM

To the entire tiki community,

It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I must announce I have left Forbidden Island. It was an amazing and unforgettable part of my life and the decision has been a very emotional one. I was a minority partner in FI, and we just had different ideas about the future of the business, so I made the choice to leave.

It goes without saying, but I will anyway, that this project owes a tremendous amount of its success to the incredible people of Tiki Central and the whole tiki community. I am honored and humbled that you have shown us such kindness in your words and in your travels from points around the world to visit our little bar in Alameda. It was a singular pleasure to serve each and every one of you, and I will miss it greatly. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our amazing employees over the years that have been the engine of the vision, and are the great ambassadors of Forbidden Island.

I also will miss the incredible community of Alameda, which is a fantastic town and well deserving of only the best. The people of Alameda have been warm and welcoming to us, and I have had the pleasure of making many great new friends.

I wish Michael, Mano, and Forbidden Island nothing but continued success, and long may it be a part of Alameda. I’m sorry to say that I won’t be back for another shift, as I really couldn’t face a “going away” type thing, and I hope you’ll understand.

Thank you all so very much for everything, and I will see you all soon.

Martin