"Building a Tiki Experience - What's important, and how to do it?" - General Tiki

F finky099 Tiki Socialite Orange County, CA Joined: May 15, 2012 Posts: 542	F finky099 Posted posted on Fri, Mar 24, 2017 10:29 PM Just wanna say this has been a GREAT thread. I and friends have entertained thoughts of starting our own bar or gallery/bar, but more to indulge in the fantasy of conversation and how we'd do it. I have incredible admiration for all who follow through with their passions and wish Hale Tiki and Mikehooker sincere good luck. I hope to make it to your respective establishments one day. The only tangental advice I can offer comes from part time consulting with my brother in law's business. After several years of r&d he formulated an excellent way to "freeze" alcohol and make true alcohol infused ice cream and sorbets. The kind you have to be 21+ to buy. Not just flavored or with deminimus amounts of spirits. Ice cream. Alcohol. What's not to love? And that's what EVERYONE said to him while in r&d and especially when he began taste testing his products. But when it came down to actually selling the product it became a whole other challenge. Sure people liked it but would they change their habits to buy it. And buy enough and share it enough to make the business model viable? That has been a whole other challenge. Things people said would work do not always apply in practicality. You HAVE to know who you are selling to and why they will continue to patronize your establishment. Otherwise you are wasting a lot of time with what amounts to shots in the dark. And as an owner, time = money. I also agree and would reiterate what others have said here: start smaller and let things evolve organically. Whether that's decor, an international Rum selection, or in the size of your menu or leased space. Get AMAZING at what you do first. Of course, just make sure you've got enough capacity to be sufficiently profitable. You don't want to figure out you need to do X amount of sales per week/month only to realize you'll have to be open and fully staffed 24/7 to break even. But it sounds like you're heavily into the analysis and budgeting conservatively and as long as you keep your eyes open to what's actually going on AND since it sounds like this is your first venture of this kind, keep attuned to what others with industry experience are telling you about what's working. When you think you've got it figured out, that's when it's easiest for something to sneak up on you. But I don't mean to end on a dour note so please keep us updated on your progress. And best of luck! Cheers! :drink: Ryan [ Edited by: finky099 2017-03-24 22:34 ]

Just wanna say this has been a GREAT thread. I and friends have entertained thoughts of starting our own bar or gallery/bar, but more to indulge in the fantasy of conversation and how we'd do it. I have incredible admiration for all who follow through with their passions and wish Hale Tiki and Mikehooker sincere good luck. I hope to make it to your respective establishments one day.

The only tangental advice I can offer comes from part time consulting with my brother in law's business. After several years of r&d he formulated an excellent way to "freeze" alcohol and make true alcohol infused ice cream and sorbets. The kind you have to be 21+ to buy. Not just flavored or with deminimus amounts of spirits. Ice cream. Alcohol. What's not to love?

And that's what EVERYONE said to him while in r&d and especially when he began taste testing his products. But when it came down to actually selling the product it became a whole other challenge. Sure people liked it but would they change their habits to buy it. And buy enough and share it enough to make the business model viable? That has been a whole other challenge. Things people said would work do not always apply in practicality. You HAVE to know who you are selling to and why they will continue to patronize your establishment. Otherwise you are wasting a lot of time with what amounts to shots in the dark. And as an owner, time = money.

I also agree and would reiterate what others have said here: start smaller and let things evolve organically. Whether that's decor, an international Rum selection, or in the size of your menu or leased space. Get AMAZING at what you do first. Of course, just make sure you've got enough capacity to be sufficiently profitable. You don't want to figure out you need to do X amount of sales per week/month only to realize you'll have to be open and fully staffed 24/7 to break even.

But it sounds like you're heavily into the analysis and budgeting conservatively and as long as you keep your eyes open to what's actually going on AND since it sounds like this is your first venture of this kind, keep attuned to what others with industry experience are telling you about what's working. When you think you've got it figured out, that's when it's easiest for something to sneak up on you.

But I don't mean to end on a dour note so please keep us updated on your progress. And best of luck!

Cheers!
:drink:
Ryan

[ Edited by: finky099 2017-03-24 22:34 ]

Post #774423 by finky099 on Fri, Mar 24, 2017 10:29 PM