Post #774053 by HaleTiki on Wed, Mar 15, 2017 10:20 AM

I'm doing my best to absorb and not butt in too often with more questions or clarifying remarks because this discussion has been great all around. A lot of things for me to consider and weigh.

There definitely has to be a balance between perceived quality vs. cost. Boutique beer and ciders are on the rise all over the country and in Michigan as well. So, I had a feeling that if I could emphasize ingredient quality and the guests could taste the difference that could help them absorb and understand a slightly higher price point. But maybe the way to the heart of the guests will be to not go all in for the high quality fresh squeezed bespoke drinks and just to serve them a drink that tastes good at a very similar price point to what they are used to. Only the tiki-philes will know the difference.

When I set out on this I wanted it to be a bar tiki-philes will love and want to visit all the time, but that could draw in the outsiders as well and help them fall in love with the tiki spirit and culture. I still want to do just that, but what I'm hearing is I need to be wary of the line in the sand because if I go too far I may lose those day to day guests that I need to stay in business.

The Pilikia that Prikli Pear brought up is a good example of this. I looked into the reviews on FB, Yelp, and Critiki for that bar and while most of the tiki lovers who visit there are not the biggest fans (via FB and Yelp) they still have overall good reviews and a rating of 7 out of 10 on Critiki, which to be honest in the modern era of Tiki I would consider somewhat a success.

I know for a fact that for myself, as someone who loves Disney and wanted to be an imagineer, that the theme is going to be something I focus on a great deal. Much like Walt I am not going to want to break that theme for almost any reason. Be it TVs, Karaoke, or live bands, I just don't think that stuff will have a place in my space. I have high hopes that I can program a system similar to Trader Sam's and the enchanting music, eclectic decor, and friendly service will be enough to keep people around for that second drink.

Now I'm still learning whether that is truly something that could work though and every bit of feedback I've been given here has been logged and carefully considered. I hope you guys can see that I'm taking this seriously.