Post #778381 by CosmoReverb on Mon, Jul 31, 2017 10:23 AM

On 2017-07-29 12:35, Hakalugi wrote:

On 2017-07-29 05:49, tikiskip wrote:
And this is from Bahi Hut
"Look out it's coming and it's going to be fantastic!!!"
10 hrs

And this...
" the hard core tiki crowd are not an important demographic to pander to. Because they do not pay the bar bills. Just take up space and chase out paying customers. If they were a important demographic more bar owners would want them back. "

Weird. Who exactly are they trying to pander to? If anything is going to "take up space and chase out paying customers", it's going to be those giant clown masks. They seem to be repulsive to just about anybody, no matter what they know about Tiki.

[ Edited by: Hakalugi 2017-07-29 12:38 ]

Yeah, this ^^^ is what I don't understand. I "get" the impression, from a business perspective, to not pandering to the hardcore tiki crowd, especially if there is a perception that they are niche and frugal. I don't agree with it, but I "get" it.

But then...

a) Exactly who the hell is a clown tiki themed place trying to appeal to? Is the average bar-goer truly more attracted to a day-glo parody of a tiki than an authentically styled one? Seems to be shooting yourself in the foot to try to cash in on the "tiki craze" and miss your mark so far as to be a mockery of what you are trying to cash in on. Again, are Jane and Joe Normal really that much more attracted to clown tikis than they are something more authentic? I highly doubt it. You can't convince me that clown tikis provide more appeal to the mainstream than the novelty of getting an authentic experience. I completely understand starting out by trying for authenticity and then making concessions with the music and drink selections, I see that in tons of places, but I simply don't get coming from the other direction and thinking that works in the long term.

b)Why open a tiki bar in the first place? There are plenty of other themes for an establishment that has a much wider mass appeal and are much more stable business models. Why invest on gambling on a trend that might be on the rise at the moment but fade back into the realm of the niche in a few months if you aren't committed to hopefully building a legacy within that movement. Just want to cash in on it? Then make a decent mainstream bar and have "Tiki Thursdays" or whatever like everybody else does. I got no problem with some local pub n' suds busting out the clown tikis for that, I won't go there, but I won't expect a bigger, better commitment from them either. For a place hoping to style itself as a complete and authentic tiki experience, especially one with an existing legacy? It's just a bad business model plain and simple.