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

B bamalamalu Tiki Socialite Joined: Mar 20, 2006 Posts: 1294	B bamalamalu Posted posted on Sat, Mar 25, 2017 11:25 AM I'll disagree that the drinks are less important. Yeah, you're selling an "experience," but ultimately, bars sell drinks. When I go to a bar and pay money for a drink, I expect it to be good. Service is very important. I think a bartender should be attentive (but not TOO attentive,) approachable, knowledgeable, and sure, enthusiastic. But what I really need is for him to make me a good drink. If the cocktail he sets down in front of me isn't good - or isn't a good value for the cost - I'm probably not going to stay for a second round, no matter how lofty the service. Competence is key. It sounds like you are planning quality drinks so I don't mean to state the obvious, but it caught my eye to see drinks moved way down the list of importance. If the quality isn't there, I'm just going to think of the bar as that place that 'looks good but has lousy drinks' (Hello, Tiki Iniki) and I'm not going to return often. When I'm in a place like that I always think it's such a shame. It doesn't take that much more effort to do it right. I think everything is important. No place is going to hit 100% perfection on every detail for every individual customer; there just needs to be a good balance of all these elements to encourage all those different people to return. As you implied: appealing to folks who aren't into "Tiki," yet inoffensive to those who are. A place that seems to do this well is Psycho Suzi's in Minneapolis. Obviously that's a huge restaurant and beyond the scale of what you're planning, but I think it's a good example of a place that has that balance. It's not exactly authentic Tiki, but we still look forward to visiting when we're in town. On Weekends they open the upstairs, which I think is a big step up - more serious drink options, darker atmosphere, and even a live exotica band. The place will be packed - and with all manner of people: young tattooed people, after-work happy hour people, dressed-up date-night couples, families celebrating a Grandmother's birthday. All enjoying the same place. It reminds me what it must have been like at the classic bars/restaurants decades ago. They have a gigantic tiered gimmick bowl drink that they sell a ton of - sounds ghastly to me, but really appeals to those big groups of non-purists. But they also have some nice quality-rum-focused drinks for me. In fact, the majority of the drinks upstairs. I don't think it has to be overly serious or 100% historically accurate to appeal to the enthusiasts. But it also isn't necessary to dumb it down to appeal to newcomers or casual visitors. If people can get a good drink at a fair price in an appealing atmosphere, they're likely to want to return. But it's a cocktail bar. Drinks are important.

I'll disagree that the drinks are less important. Yeah, you're selling an "experience," but ultimately, bars sell drinks. When I go to a bar and pay money for a drink, I expect it to be good.

Service is very important. I think a bartender should be attentive (but not TOO attentive,) approachable, knowledgeable, and sure, enthusiastic. But what I really need is for him to make me a good drink. If the cocktail he sets down in front of me isn't good - or isn't a good value for the cost - I'm probably not going to stay for a second round, no matter how lofty the service. Competence is key.

It sounds like you are planning quality drinks so I don't mean to state the obvious, but it caught my eye to see drinks moved way down the list of importance. If the quality isn't there, I'm just going to think of the bar as that place that 'looks good but has lousy drinks' (Hello, Tiki Iniki) and I'm not going to return often. When I'm in a place like that I always think it's such a shame. It doesn't take that much more effort to do it right.

I think everything is important. No place is going to hit 100% perfection on every detail for every individual customer; there just needs to be a good balance of all these elements to encourage all those different people to return. As you implied: appealing to folks who aren't into "Tiki," yet inoffensive to those who are.

A place that seems to do this well is Psycho Suzi's in Minneapolis. Obviously that's a huge restaurant and beyond the scale of what you're planning, but I think it's a good example of a place that has that balance. It's not exactly authentic Tiki, but we still look forward to visiting when we're in town. On Weekends they open the upstairs, which I think is a big step up - more serious drink options, darker atmosphere, and even a live exotica band. The place will be packed - and with all manner of people: young tattooed people, after-work happy hour people, dressed-up date-night couples, families celebrating a Grandmother's birthday. All enjoying the same place. It reminds me what it must have been like at the classic bars/restaurants decades ago.

They have a gigantic tiered gimmick bowl drink that they sell a ton of - sounds ghastly to me, but really appeals to those big groups of non-purists. But they also have some nice quality-rum-focused drinks for me. In fact, the majority of the drinks upstairs. I don't think it has to be overly serious or 100% historically accurate to appeal to the enthusiasts. But it also isn't necessary to dumb it down to appeal to newcomers or casual visitors. If people can get a good drink at a fair price in an appealing atmosphere, they're likely to want to return. But it's a cocktail bar. Drinks are important.

Post #774446 by bamalamalu on Sat, Mar 25, 2017 11:25 AM