Post #439441 by Registered Astronaut on Wed, Mar 11, 2009 11:51 PM

On 2009-03-11 17:22, Humuhumu wrote:
The view from my perspective:

1. Operating Tiki-Ti is a crapload of work. Can you imagine, year after year, every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday when everyone else is having a great time, you're stuck in the same 4' square space, making the same damned drinks, over and over, for eternity? And then spending your rare downtime cleaning and fixing and prepping? Thank goodness they're willing to do it, because I'm not.

2. Don't know what current prices are in that neighborhood, but five years ago I paid $8 for a Corona at a place just block from Tiki-Ti. A Corona. The new prices still sound low to me, compared to other L.A. prices. (Forbidden Island's prices aren't a fair comparison -- they're in a sleepy suburb, and you can bet FI's prices would be higher if it was in San Francisco, and considerably higher if it was in Hollywood.)

3. I'd pay those guys twice what they're charging per drink, happily. In my book, they're earning it.

If you don't like the prices, you're entitled to that feeling. I just don't share it.

Yes, operating Tiki-Ti is a crapload of work, I agree, and I did say they deserve the best revenue they can get. I'm just bummed on them. 18 dollars a drink is understandable if it's a snifter of Remy Martin, but the price goes beyond ridiculous when its a couple jiggers of Lemon Hart and Castillo. And yes, you paid 8 dollars for Corona when we were all buying and selling houses for 900,000, had stock in Yahoo, etc. But if you take the time to look, most L.A. ultra lounges, clubs and restaurant bars are offering competitive happy hours and special drinks under six dollars, believe it or not. Most places are doing anything they can to get people in the door, so if the Tiki Ti can raise prices 20% in the economic climate and keep the place packed, they should write the california budget because they're geniuses.