Post #762568 by JenTiki on Mon, Apr 18, 2016 7:34 AM

On 2016-04-18 04:47, tikiskip wrote:
I have heard statements like...
"support any Tiki Establishment! It's the right thing to do!!

So this begs the question, is it the right thing to do?
Having a "tiki" bar that sucks and may have bad drinks that cost a lot, or bad décor, service ect.
Does this have a chance of making those who do not know tiki say "wow that sucks" "why do people like that"

Or if tiki bars fail over and over will people wanting to open a bar say I'm not going to do tiki as they mostly fail.

Could Crappy tiki become what tiki is now seen as?
Redefine it in a way.

I struggle with this as well. I really don't want to encourage the non-initiated friends to go to "bad" tiki bars, because I want them to understand what tiki is, not the bastardized version that some bars claim is tiki. I cannot in good conscience support a bar that degrades the genre.

I have coworkers come to me and say "Hey, I had drinks at a tiki bar this weekend!" First I ask what tiki bar they're referring to. Usually the answer goes something like this: it was this little bar on the beach with a thatched roof and a sign that said it's a tiki bar. Generally these places serve margaritas and brightly colored slushy daiquiris. I then take the time to patiently explain that it's not a tiki bar just because the owners choose to call it that, and try to explain the difference(s).

I just really don't want people thinking that crap is tiki! I'm also afraid that when a really good tiki bar does open, the people who've been only to the bad ones will assume the new one is also bad and won't bother to go.

I think we should all do our part to nudge bar owners in the right direction if we're in a position to do so, but if they can't be budged, take our tiki business elsewhere.