A New Trader Vic's - open Monday! - General Tiki

B Bohemiann Member Sarasota, Fla. Joined: Apr 29, 2004 Posts: 446	B Bohemiann Posted posted on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 8:26 AM At the risk of being argumentative I will keep this dialog going and hope that I do not come across as defensive, although there is no defense without an offense :wink: and... I guess I am defending the new concept. I believe there is room for it and i just flat out don't agree with some of the statements by some of you. Love ya.. Don't hate ya...just don't agree. Maybe that makes me .. mediocre but I'm willing to live with that. Most people that have been into a TV would agree that this particular TVB&G is only a TV by namesake. It is scary to me, having actually stepped foot into at least two Authentic TV that they would even consider going this route, as it may very well threaten the existence of the remainder locations. Tom - I respect ya but totally disagree. I spoke with Sven Koch and Yavuz Pehlivanlar, Pres. & VP of TV Corp., about this specific concern. (They are right up there in the Bay area if you want to ask them yourselves.) As explained to me...The fact is that there are only a few select locations that can actually sustain a higher end "Authentic Trader Vic's". There WILL always be the Flagship locations that can cater to that price point and level of operating cost. It's the economy that poses the greatest threat to these locations as well as places like the Mai-Kai and I submit that by making this move with the new "Watered Down" chain they are SAVING the chain and it will allow them to PRESERVE the Authentic locations. FYI..... The Mai-Kai has already taken similar steps by streamlining their menu and dropping their price points and that is also what TV has done on a larger scale and with a NEW and Different concept. There is a reason it is Branded differently! They have also separately branded the Mai-Tai lounge and Senor Pico's. I feel that TV is showing innovation and smart business acumen with these efforts. After all these places are BUSINESSES not MUSEUMS for the Tiki community. The biggest gripe I hear is that it uses the name Trader Vic's. Under any other name or brand it would be Welcome by all, well almost all, as it is far more "TIKI" than MOST "Tiki" places I have been and I have been to quite a few. But... since it uses TV ingredients and serves awesome TV cocktails.... Having personally been to: London Atlanta Emmeryville Palo Alto Scottsdale Vegas (before it closed) Chicago (before it closed) and now Sarasota....I feel qualified to opine that it carries more than just the namesake. And with 20 more "Authentic" locations scheduled to open taking the total to almost 50 worldwide... and an unknown amount of the new concept TV IB&G opening, I think we are safe. I also think there is room for both. I see the new concept as a great way to allow MORE people to enjoy and AFFORD a real Mai-Tai and an "American Polynesian Pop experience" as the Authentic TV is concentrating on a more global market and enjoying huge success in foreign markets, especially the Middle East of all places! I find this Sarasota location to be WAY more Tiki than the Vegas TV was and even more than the Scottsdale, and from what I hear, the Hollywood TV is, and I happen to like the contemporary Scottsdale location next to the Valley Ho. I met the Owners and the Chef here in Sarasota and I do not believe the quality will decline over time. The conversations I have had with them indicates quite the opposite and I promise I will be here to report on all of the great things that they have planned. I don't want to steal their thunder but they are planning things that I have not seen the other TV's do that will set the stage and raise the bar for future TV IB&G's. I think BECAUSE they are a "streamlined & economical" version it allows them to go in a few directions that the other TV's would not and opens some interesting opportunities to become more interactive with the local population. If you think about it the Main TV's are primarily in Premier Tourist areas that would not survive on Local business only. This new concept flips that dynamic and relies on Locals over tourists and therefore will need to operate and interact differently. I look forward to being part of and participating in this new concept experiment. BTW, The new website is up http://tvislandbarandgrill.com and I was happy and honored that they used all of my pictures for the slideshow. I would have loved a byline but.... I forgot to ask for one and it doesn't really matter anyway. How many tiki places can you sit outside on a deck overlooking a lake in January sipping a 1944 Mai-Tai having sushi and watching an 8ft. Alligator attack and eat a duck and then go sun itself on the grass bank !!??!! And did I mention the pretty girls !

At the risk of being argumentative I will keep this dialog going and hope that I do not come across as defensive, although there is no defense without an offense :wink: and... I guess I am defending the new concept. I believe there is room for it and i just flat out don't agree with some of the statements by some of you. Love ya.. Don't hate ya...just don't agree. Maybe that makes me .. mediocre but I'm willing to live with that.

Most people that have been into a TV would agree that this particular TVB&G is only a TV by namesake.

It is scary to me, having actually stepped foot into at least two Authentic TV that they would even consider going this route, as it may very well threaten the existence of the remainder locations.

Tom - I respect ya but totally disagree. I spoke with Sven Koch and Yavuz Pehlivanlar, Pres. & VP of TV Corp., about this specific concern.
(They are right up there in the Bay area if you want to ask them yourselves.)

As explained to me...The fact is that there are only a few select locations that can actually sustain a higher end "Authentic Trader Vic's". There WILL always be the Flagship locations that can cater to that price point and level of operating cost. It's the economy that poses the greatest threat to these locations as well as places like the Mai-Kai and I submit that by making this move with the new "Watered Down" chain they are SAVING the chain and it will allow them to PRESERVE the Authentic locations. FYI..... The Mai-Kai has already taken similar steps by streamlining their menu and dropping their price points and that is also what TV has done on a larger scale and with a NEW and Different concept. There is a reason it is Branded differently! They have also separately branded the Mai-Tai lounge and Senor Pico's. I feel that TV is showing innovation and smart business acumen with these efforts. After all these places are BUSINESSES not MUSEUMS for the Tiki community. The biggest gripe I hear is that it uses the name Trader Vic's. Under any other name or brand it would be Welcome by all, well almost all, as it is far more "TIKI" than MOST "Tiki" places I have been and I have been to quite a few. But... since it uses TV ingredients and serves awesome TV cocktails....

Having personally been to:
London
Atlanta
Emmeryville
Palo Alto
Scottsdale
Vegas (before it closed)
Chicago (before it closed)

and now Sarasota....I feel qualified to opine that it carries more than just the namesake.

And with 20 more "Authentic" locations scheduled to open taking the total to almost 50 worldwide... and an unknown amount of the new concept TV IB&G opening, I think we are safe. I also think there is room for both. I see the new concept as a great way to allow MORE people to enjoy and AFFORD a real Mai-Tai and an "American Polynesian Pop experience" as the Authentic TV is concentrating on a more global market and enjoying huge success in foreign markets, especially the Middle East of all places!

I find this Sarasota location to be WAY more Tiki than the Vegas TV was and even more than the Scottsdale, and from what I hear, the Hollywood TV is, and I happen to like the contemporary Scottsdale location next to the Valley Ho.

I met the Owners and the Chef here in Sarasota and I do not believe the quality will decline over time. The conversations I have had with them indicates quite the opposite and I promise I will be here to report on all of the great things that they have planned. I don't want to steal their thunder but they are planning things that I have not seen the other TV's do that will set the stage and raise the bar for future TV IB&G's. I think BECAUSE they are a "streamlined & economical" version it allows them to go in a few directions that the other TV's would not and opens some interesting opportunities to become more interactive with the local population.

If you think about it the Main TV's are primarily in Premier Tourist areas that would not survive on Local business only. This new concept flips that dynamic and relies on Locals over tourists and therefore will need to operate and interact differently. I look forward to being part of and participating in this new concept experiment.

BTW, The new website is up http://tvislandbarandgrill.com and I was happy and honored that they used all of my pictures for the slideshow. I would have loved a byline but.... I forgot to ask for one and it doesn't really matter anyway.

How many tiki places can you sit outside on a deck overlooking a lake in January sipping a 1944 Mai-Tai having sushi and watching an 8ft. Alligator attack and eat a duck and then go sun itself on the grass bank !!??!!

And did I mention the pretty girls !

Post #508896 by Bohemiann on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 8:26 AM