Tonga Room SF (Not) to be demolished? - General Tiki

D donhonyc Tiki Socialite The Quiet EAST Village Joined: Jan 13, 2003 Posts: 1196	D donhonyc Posted posted on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 2:14 PM On 2009-02-25 11:08, Chip and Andy wrote: The owners see the place as making money, or not making money. They may have their hearts in it, but ultimately it is the wallet that makes the decisions. If we can collectively focus their attention to the fact that the Tonga Room is a marketing opportunity that can be a business draw, then the place will have a better chance of survival. How many other places in San Francisco can claim oldest continuous bar, tiki bar, what ever marketing speak you want to use but the fact remains that few other places in town can make the claim to still be around after this many years. Like I said back in an earlier post about this, when I was there in August it seemed like business was pretty booming. They had your normal Happy Hour Friday night crowd in there. Alot of people who looked like they were there to blow off some steam after a week of work. Bar was packed, people on the dance floor, etc. So if that doesn't mean business is good, then I don't know what. The other thing that's a little bafflingly obvious about this is why would anybody want to go full steam with any urban redevelopment of this magnitude during this economic slump? It just seems insane. Especially after they just allegedly spent $1 million on renovations. Seems odd. Not gonna get too negative here, but I don't like the way this sounds, and usually when you hear rumblings like this the outcome is not in favor of fun. Corporate people just like to bulldoze and 'renew', enthusiasts (Tiki or other) be damned. On the other hand, they did save the Oak Bar at the Plaza Hotel here in NYC when that place went partial condo a year or two ago. Everybody thought that place was a gonner. So I guess you never know. In a Fairmont Hotel non-Tiki item; if you've ever seen the film 'Petulia' from 1968 w/Julie Christie and George C. Scott, the opening scene is shot in the main lobby of the Fairmont. It's supposed to be a charity ball and Janis Joplin w/Big Brother & the Holding Company are playing. It's been a fave film of mine for years. Never knew that shot was done at the Fairmont until this year and then actually saw the space on my visit. Pretty cool. Great film as well if you like trippy flashbacky 60s films. Would make a good Netflixer

On 2009-02-25 11:08, Chip and Andy wrote:

The owners see the place as making money, or not making money. They may have their hearts in it, but ultimately it is the wallet that makes the decisions. If we can collectively focus their attention to the fact that the Tonga Room is a marketing opportunity that can be a business draw, then the place will have a better chance of survival. How many other places in San Francisco can claim oldest continuous bar, tiki bar, what ever marketing speak you want to use but the fact remains that few other places in town can make the claim to still be around after this many years.

Like I said back in an earlier post about this, when I was there in August it seemed like business was pretty booming. They had your normal Happy Hour Friday night crowd in there. Alot of people who looked like they were there to blow off some steam after a week of work. Bar was packed, people on the dance floor, etc. So if that doesn't mean business is good, then I don't know what. The other thing that's a little bafflingly obvious about this is why would anybody want to go full steam with any urban redevelopment of this magnitude during this economic slump? It just seems insane. Especially after they just allegedly spent $1 million on renovations. Seems odd. Not gonna get too negative here, but I don't like the way this sounds, and usually when you hear rumblings like this the outcome is not in favor of fun. Corporate people just like to bulldoze and 'renew', enthusiasts (Tiki or other) be damned. On the other hand, they did save the Oak Bar at the Plaza Hotel here in NYC when that place went partial condo a year or two ago. Everybody thought that place was a gonner. So I guess you never know.

In a Fairmont Hotel non-Tiki item; if you've ever seen the film 'Petulia' from 1968 w/Julie Christie and George C. Scott, the opening scene is shot in the main lobby of the Fairmont. It's supposed to be a charity ball and Janis Joplin w/Big Brother & the Holding Company are playing. It's been a fave film of mine for years. Never knew that shot was done at the Fairmont until this year and then actually saw the space on my visit. Pretty cool. Great film as well if you like trippy flashbacky 60s films. Would make a good Netflixer

Post #436394 by donhonyc on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 2:14 PM