Post #539905 by woofmutt on Wed, Jun 30, 2010 9:25 AM

"I'm hoping that coming up with Polynesian-inspired dishes in this way will help to revitalize the tiki restaurant biz - and allow me to launch my own." -Ekomomai-

A few years back I was talking with a guy who had decades of experience in the restaurant supply business and he mentioned a place in the greater Seattle area that had tried a Polynesian menu.

The joint was apparently really nice, the food was good. But it didn't last long because, in his opinion, Polynesian food is something some people will do once out of curiosity and if they like it they'll do it occasionally for variety. Most places don't survive on occasional business from a small fraction of the restaurant going public.

Personally I don't care what sort of food a Tiki joint serves. Ideally it should be good food of some sort, or at least edible. But I don't go to a Tiki joint for the food. I go for the atmosphere. If the food is so-so but the place is cool I'll go back.

I think one of the reasons the Alibi in Portland has survived isn't just because it's a novelty destination for some but because it's a restaurant that appeals to the people in its neighborhood. From my observations the Tiki vibe has little to do with why people are eating there, they're eating there because they like the Alibi's food.

I'm skeptical that a Polynesian based menu could "...help to revitalize the tiki restaurant biz..." I'm pretty sure few Tiki restaurants of the Golden Age had exclusively Polynesian menus. I also don't think America is eager for a Tiki restaurant revival.

The people which a creative Polynesian menu might appeal ("foodies" for the most part) possibly wouldn't appreciate a Tiki environment. At best most people still regard Tiki as a novelty for a once a year "luau" and at worse Tiki is thought of as tacky and tasteless. Those sorts of people might never look past the Tiki decor to consider what the food is like.

You could of course make the place "upscale" Tiki in design but then you'll have lost the appeal to a lot of Tiki fans (not that we're as large a force as we like to think we are).

But the key thing is research (restaurants that have made it), study (restaurant trends), work (in a restaurant), and testing (you might do well to see if your food ideas work from a food cart/wagon or as catering niche before setting up in an expensive brick & mortar operation).