Post #586225 by Okolehao on Sat, Apr 23, 2011 2:31 PM

I think you bring up some good examples of Tiki retreating , but I believe there has been more than enough new growth to say Tiki has not peaked. It's just at a more mature and sustainable incline of growth. There are two ways of measuring the 'movement'. Either by commercial expansion of bars and restaurants or by grass roots interest measured by events, small business projects, and artist involvement. Right now the economy is not so good for all bars and restaurants. Even when times are good, establishments come and go like clockwork. Old places, regardless of die hard fans, only survive with a steady flow of customers that may or may not come just because it's a cool Tiki place. New places, unless they really know what they're doing, keep it simple, and have a laser focus on their market(Forbidden Island?), are taking the risk of any themed establishment trying to break out of the pack. And the figure I've always heard was that 50% or more of all independent restaurants/bars don't last a year. Seems to me there have been more new places making it rather than not making it. And there's no such thing as a new old place so just staying open is it's own success. It's then a matter of judging whether old places are closing faster than normal and if new places are opening, and staying open, to see if there's a net gain. And I think there has been.

My view is that this Tiki stuff has gotten past the initial fast run up fad with the hipsters, is minimally cruising with the pop market selling cheap swag, and is now in a more mature phase where important restaurants and bars have settled in for the long haul. Public recognition of Tiki is solid and a demographic is now reliably set. More serious commercial expansion will take place because of it. If events like Tiki Oasis are any indicator, the now average Tiki head is white, middle-class, around 40, and has disposable income that they spend regularly on their Tiki hobby. This demographic is settled and very loyal to their interests and I fully expect to see them, and Tiki, age together for longer than 30 years. The interest isn't tightly tied to a specific time and place the way Tiki initially was for post war vets and for people experiencing new air travel adventures to a new exotic 50th state.

Tiki is continuing to grow in popularity (Tiki Oasis, Hukilau, Ohana, Tiki Calente, Tiki Mojave, The Detroit Home and Tiki Show, etc.) has more serious fans("Ummm,I forgot dude. What is everyone else piercing this week that I have to do too??"), and has people with more money to spend. And as the economy picks up you'll see a lot more restaurant and bar growth.

It's here to stay for a long time and hasn't seen it's best days yet.
Now I'm just waiting for TIKI-CON to get it's slot on the Las Vegas convention calendar by 2015.