Tiki Bar 2005 a Swanky project

best of luck to you...you'll do it, and you'll do it nice

Hi Swanky,

I don't have any postcards, but if any of my prints will fit in with the decor, let me know.

Connecting with various sources for "stuff" I will need. I met with Saint Thomas yesterday and we hope to have the "Headhunter" mug ready to sell at Oasis as a small advance chance. Later it will have the logo on it and only be available through the bar. He is also going to do a batch of the Volcano mugs for one, and larger versions for 2 and 4. We'll come up with something extra cool and flaming for sure! He also can put the logos on my plates and stuff for me which is great.

I have asked Hoffa to design a logo and other artwork for me. He does not check his email very often I think and didn't give me his new number, so if any of you know how to get hold of him in his new Lauderdale locale, let me know!

I am hoping to secure some great vintage tiki bar items in the coming months, but can't breathe a word lest I spoil it.

The website in progress is http://www.theheadhunterlounge.com I am just sharing with you guys. It is far from where I want it. Just somehting I slapped together in an hour or two. So don't link to it or anything.

Hope Frank's contribution to the place make it a real hit with the tiki "inner-circle."

JohnTiki

Aloha from the enchanted Pi Yi Grotto in exotic Bel Air Maryland!

[ Edited by: johntiki on 2005-03-05 20:06 ]

Why do I sem to like your new website so much, I Wonder? I really think it looks great and can't wait to watch the Headhunter Lounge un fold.

I read through you website and I can't help but think that the word "museum" conjures up images of dust and cobwebs. Perhaps it can be replaced or dropped in certain places?

On the home page maybe "Polynesian Oasis Museum" could be replaced with just "Polynesian Oasis".

On the history page maybe "The Headhunter Lounge is a museum" could be replaced with "The Headhunter Lounge is a celebration of all things Tiki" or something to that effect.

I just feel that the word "Museum" means a dead snapshot in time and doesn't allow itself to move forward in a lively manner.

Just my drunken one cent...

On 2005-02-26 00:23, Hakalugi wrote:
I read through you website and I can't help but think that the word "museum" conjures up images of dust and cobwebs. Perhaps it can be replaced or dropped in certain places?

On the home page maybe "Polynesian Oasis Museum" could be replaced with just "Polynesian Oasis".

On the history page maybe "The Headhunter Lounge is a museum" could be replaced with "The Headhunter Lounge is a celebration of all things Tiki" or something to that effect.

I just feel that the word "Museum" means a dead snapshot in time and doesn't allow itself to move forward in a lively manner.

Just my drunken one cent...

That's a good thought. The "museum" aspect is really for you guys, the tikiphiles. Perhaps "gallery" has a better ring to it. I do plan to have works by current artists as well as the historica pieces.

Thanks for your input. That's exactly the sort of criticism I love. Tell me what you don't like, why and suggest a solution. I wish I could get my boss to do that!

Well, since you asked, I don't particularly like the fact that it is in Knoxville, and I think Port Saint Lucie would be a Much more convenient place to build it. Just a thought.
However, I do have a sister living in Chatanooga, does this mean I need to go visit her??

On 2005-02-26 08:32, Benzart wrote:
Well, since you asked, I don't particularly like the fact that it is in Knoxville, and I think Port Saint Lucie would be a Much more convenient place to build it. Just a thought.
However, I do have a sister living in Chatanooga, does this mean I need to go visit her??

Absolutely. I'll help you pick a good date for that later this year I hope!

I want to hear about your food menu!Any ideas,yet?

I have a vintage Hawaii recipe book put out by the Rotary club that we have been going through. Pablus has given me some ideas. I do not have a definite menu though. It depends a lot on how big the kitchen is and the overall scheme for the menu and preparation. Anyonee know a source for Breadfruit here in TN?

Did you know there are 20 "Superior" varieties of breadfruit that are widely grown in the pacific Ilands? The Carribbean islands supply most of the eastern US. Here is a Great website. http://www.breadfruit.org/collection/superior.php
A supply: http://www.cordiallyyours.net/african_american_asian_caribbean_shopping/item2803.htm
I didn't know much about breadfruit so I searched google. There is more info than I wanted to know but not many suppliers. The Jamaican suppliers should have it as most of the us product comes from there.
Good luck. It sounds delicious.

The recipe I have is for a sort of breadfruit "potato chip." I really want to try it at least. Could be a great bar food or side item for a nice Jamaican spiced chicken sandwich with grilled pineapple...

A huge boost this week. I can't begin to tell all the details.

My fiance worked at a very good friends comapny award banquet. A large themed party. The friend's sister sat with her, bored and they got to talking. The bar plan came up and she was very excited, having been to the Mai Kai. She gets her husband over and they are both excited about it. Well, he is president of the biggest bank in Tennessee, friends with my current employer, yadda yadda. Bottom line "you may get this done a whole lot faster than you ever imagined."

So then they are talking about what next year's theme for the party should be. Hmmmm. Polynesian? I know just the guy. Of course! So, it looks like I am on to do this party next year with a $15k budget. It'll be a biggy.

Now we have to get with these folks again soon and see where this takes us. It may be that the bar opens in Maryville instead of Knoxville. That's where they are. But it was my original intension to open the second bar in Maryville with the Knoxville bars profits and equity. Maryville is about 40 minutes from Knoxville.

We're all very excited and besides all the great mugs she has found, I have to thank Stephanie for perhaps dropping the entire financing for the bar in my lap too now!

whoa... you have a good aku-aku señor swanky :)
best of luck!

Maryville?

Do yourself a favor and don't put any of your own money into it there.

Your idea for Knoxville can work.
It can be profitable AND cool.
I'd push that over and over and over and over...

Resist Maryville. IMO. That's the town where I saw the dude driving a Dodge Mirada with a couch strapped across his hood.

Maryville is equalled on by Knoxville in the per capita expenditure on eating out. It's also regularly listed nationally in the top ten most livable cities. It'll work there, but not be the same as Knoxville. There are advantages (like owning the building intstead of leasing) and disadvantages. We'll see. I do agree. I prefer to do it in Knoxville, but when the mayor and the finances of Maryville are on my side...

I got in touch with Hoffa and he worked on the artwork/logo over the weekend. He called yesterday to say the preliminary sketches were on their way. I'll post our top pick here when we get them and decide.

We are second guessing the name now. That sort of sucks because I have invested money in the "Headhunter Lounge" name. But then, it's very little in the budget sense, but out of my pocket it's a lot. It just isn't jiving with the restaurant aspect. Maybe we keep the bar area as The Headhunter and the restaurant and overall, it gets a new name.

We were talking tonight about another name since "The Headhunter" doesn't quite seem right for a restaurant. We thought we'd bring a little Tennessee into the mix and came up with a couple of new possibities:

The Tiki Barn
For all the University of Tennessee football fans: UTiki
Tiki Holler (That's "hollow" to you foreigners, or malahinis)
And my favorite is a take on "Kon Tiki": Coon Tiki

Which do you prefer?

The Swank Pad Broadcast - If it's Swank...

[ Edited by: Swanky on 2005-03-14 18:25 ]

I laughed outloud when I read "Coontiki"...
that's my favorite!

How about tennetiki

[ Edited by: congatiki on 2005-03-14 18:52 ]

Tiki Farm? Oops, already taken. Hillibilly Hut? Hick-Tiki? Cousin Tiki?

Sorry, couldn't resist. No disrespect intended. All I have to go on are my family stereotypes (they're from Arkansas, you know).

How about Cross-eyed Tiki?

Coon Tiki? You're killin' me Swankster! :lol:

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2005-03-15 12:01 ]

See if you can offer a premium to TNTiki for his moniker.

Coon-Tiki should get you shot.

How about Tiki-I-See?

Or move across the border to God's country and call it the "Ken-Tiki."

Well here's some words of wisdom for dealing with the UT football fans looking for a place to get drunk and watch UT beat up on everyone they should beat and lose to all the good teams... at risk of stealing this from a t-shirt popular here in Kentucky...
"Nothin' Sucks Like a Big Orange".

Okay, those names did come up, but it was a lot of talking about a new name. We talked about just calling it 'Tiki'. I am so "into" tiki I can't judge. But then we thought "The Swanky Tiki." Hmmm. Say it out loud. It sort of rolls off the tongue AND, it gets at a modern theme with the tiki theme.

Were still thinking.

On 2005-02-25 17:56, johntiki wrote:
Hope Frank's contribution to the place make it a real hit with the tiki "inner-circle."
[ Edited by: johntiki on 2005-03-05 20:06 ]

What's wrong with you? Someone piss in your Shirley Temple or something?

On 2005-03-01 09:03, pablus wrote:
Maryville?

Do yourself a favor and don't put any of your own money into it there.

Resist Maryville. IMO. That's the town where I saw the dude driving a Dodge Mirada with a couch strapped across his hood.

Mur-vull? It's growing leaps and bounds... plenty of people moving down from NY & DC. Plus, it's right next to the airport ... Could work, could work.

| 11011011101110110 |

[ Edited by: 112502 on 2005-03-16 21:56 ]

I think it could work outside of Knoxville. Look at the Omni-Hut... it's not exactly inside Nashvegas (Nashville) and yet it seems to do just fine. Besides, I'd rather not have to drive into Knoxville's sea of Orange-stickered pickup trucks to get to it.

Marian thinks you should call your place
the South(ern)Pacific.

On 2005-03-16 21:55, 112502 wrote:

On 2005-02-25 17:56, johntiki wrote:
Hope Frank's contribution to the place make it a real hit with the tiki "inner-circle."
[ Edited by: johntiki on 2005-03-05 20:06 ]

What's wrong with you? Someone piss in your Shirley Temple or something?

No someone actually pissed in my Roy Rogers -I tend to believe the Coca Cola has a stronger bite than ginger ale. You make a bad Mai Tai and I'm fine but if you screw with my kiddie drink there's gonna be trouble.

My edited comment was placed in response to my initial reaction to the "Swanky and Kohalacharms" thread...I forgot I had posted such a mean spirited comment and to Swanky I apologize. I wish him all the success in the world with his new endeavor and I look forward to possibly paying a visit one day.

Swanky,
We picked up some steak that came already marinated in teryaki sauce at Costco last week. I sliced it up like bacon, put it on bamboo skewers and grilled it on our habachi the way we used to do it in da islands. It was primo. I think this would make a great food item for a tiki bar and I'm guessing you can normally buy it in quantity at Costco.
If you serve it, they will come....
KG

The new logo by Hoffa:

I am working on the site to get it ready to go "public".

Swanky wrote:

"The Headhunter" doesn't quite seem right for a restaurant
Swanky, I'm sorry but I don't see anything wrong with The Headhunter Lounge as a name for an eating establishment. I kinda dig it! Can you elaborate?

Swankster, this is looking good....
BUT I am always open with friends about what I think, so here my personal point of view:

Somehow (though to cry "authenticity" in Polynesian Pop may seem absurd) it bothers me that you guys chose a Ku Tiki, when there was absolutely no headhunting in Hawaiian culture. To me the greatest thing about Poly Pop is the CONCEPTS, and here the "Headhunter" concept is just not mirrored in the Tiki. Make him Maori, or Marquesan or New Guinea, and make it just a head. Funnier even would be a cool mug, a la the Mr. Bali Hai. Now THAT is a headhunter! If it needs to have that elongated shape, give the mug an elongated forehead and a squat face, or somethin'...and some garnish, so you see it is a mug.

But what ever you choose, be aware that this is the LOGO TIKI, and that you want it to work as an imprint on the menu, business cards, T-shirts AND as a mug. For my personal taste, the Ku figure always seems just a little generic, and exchangeable. There are so many infinite possibilities in the visual history of Polynesian art.

Sven,
I hear ya. I started with the Tangaroa, but, to the average person he looked more like an alien than a tiki. So I asked Hoffa to use a very traditional tiki form, Ku.
This is the first logo. I needed it to get the site "legal" (my art, not borrowed) and to put together a menu, and other things to move forward. Its not in stone. Its there to start selling the idea.
Lots of people are liking "Swanky Tiki" more, so it may become the name. Lots of things are up in the air. But this allows me to make the promo stuff that I need to show potential investors what the plan is.

Swank, I do understand where you are comong from with that. I have to agree with BBro about the Ku. Even if you did use Ku, you should "Mean" him up a bit with a growl/snarl or whatever to show he means business. I know it may all change in a minute so I just had to add my 3 cents worth. Other than that I love it.

I think a Swanky Tiki should be a little more, you know, swanky. Sometimes it takes a number of attemps to nail a logo. Be careful not to rush the creative process.

Okay. Here I go with my dumb idea...

Hale Tiki seems to be working as a name in Augusta doesn't it? Start out by dilluting your original idea for a name and you may end up dilluting your cocktails to make them more like what "normal people" expect at a bar. As much as I don't mind the Swanky Tiki idea it is one step closer to Tiki Bob's Cantina or the Freaky Tiki. Maybe insterting the word Tiki (Headhunter Tiki Lounge) would be a bit more specific. Perhaps you could just add your name to the Headhunter part (Swanky's Headhunter Lounge) thereby giving name to a personality that will be attached to the establishment regardless. Much like Don the Beachcomber's or Trader Vic's the lounge would then have a human face. Customers would be excited to have the opportunity to meet Swanky. The Live365 station would add to the allure. You'd become a local celebrity of sorts.

Of course this could be more trouble that it is worth and would not be desirable if you didn't want the attention. Still... I gotta vote for stickin' with the Headhunter as opposed to anything more Tennessee sounding.

Have you thought about having The Headhunter Lounge be the bar at a restaurant called The Lagoon Room or The Aloha or something along those lines?

[ Edited by: Traitor Vic on 2005-03-27 19:11 ]

I Love the sounds of "Swanks Head Hunter Lounge", or Swankys Headhunter Lounge". However it works out, I'm sure it wil be a Swank place when it's done.

The thing you have to realize, and is a bit hard here, is that no one else knows me as Swanky. I mean, when the ad is in the paper for "The Swanky Tiki." "Swanky" is an adjective, not a pronoun. The idea is that, number one, it rhymes and rolls off the tongue, and B, it blends swank and tiki. Mod and exotic.

Yes, we have thought of having "The Headhunter Lounge" inside "The Islands" or something like that. The bar in the restaurant.

What you guys are saying is stuff that's being considered. Hoffa has another logo coming with a wahine in it. We'll see where it ends up.

"The Headhunter Lounge" was the most popular name before. "Swanky Tiki" wasn't considered. But, then it was a bar and not a restaurant/bar.

I have to tell you, this is all turning out to be harder than I thought. Not that it's exactly hard, but sort of out of reach. I have little knowledge of the restaurant business and that's where I am stuck. I need answers to questions like:

How many servers do I need for a restaurant seating 80?
How much kitchen staff?
How many plates, cups, glasses...
How much square footage for the kitchen?
What's typical pay in this area for these positions?

Yadda, yadda. VERY technical questions that get me to a bottom line ballpark for start-up and operating and break even numbers. I could research and come up with my best guesses, but I prefer to find the person who can answer them with real knowledge. So, that's where I am. A bit stuck. But, I have plans to get unstuck. I have people in town who know people and I hope can either find me the limited partner to answer these things, and basically take over the restaurant side, OR, find the investor who has restaurant experience to fill out that side as part of the overall plan.

We have also decided that I have to rebuild the "Hapa Haole Hideaway" at home in order to entertain people on this subject and set a little taste of the mood. People say "Tiki bar. I know what you mean." But they don't. Unless I can fly them to the Mai Kai or something, their image is likely way off. So, we are going to make a bit of tiki bar at home again.

I just want you guys to understand that I am working at this. It does not mean it will happen, or that it will happen soon. I am puting together all the pieces I can to make it happen, but it ends up in other people's hands to really say it will. Unless I win the lottery. If I win the lottery, the Kahiki level of grandness will be realized here. So, pray for me to win the lottery!

Hoffa has done an over the top job of painting what I have asked into a wonderful real image. We'll get that image where we want it and when the place opens, it'll be 100%.

So, should I just start a blog? I mean, you guys are giving great advice, but it's also stuff that's been considered. I don't want you to think you are annoying me or that I am not grateful for your input, but I also don't want you to give advice and then have me say again and again "we thought of that."

Hanford: Add a blog to this site!

I love it. looks perfect. for me alot of the appeal of the american tiki bar is that it's not politically correct. people in this country want a night out to escape, not a history lesson. this is what I love most about americana. the wacky corny uneducated display of what someone thinks another land looks like. hell, throw an african mask up on the wall for laughs. just fill the place up with so much junk it will keep people entertained. then let the hardcore people try to pick out what does'nt fit.

Okay. I gotta come clean here. My reasons for wanting you to call it some variation of the Headhunter Lounge may have had less to do with my preference for authenticity and more to do with my desire to sip the signature drink from this mug...

I promise to be more honest and forthcoming in future suggestions.

[ Edited by: Traitor Vic on 2005-03-28 19:41 ]

Tim, why not ask those restaurant questions to James at the Kahiki Moon? He was a Tiki restaurant newbie, and I am sure he loves to share his experiences.

Vic,
That's the mug you drink from when you walk in the bar and there is Drum and Bass or "Classic Oldies" playing! Or maybe what the employees drink from after work...
Bigbro, I'll look into that. But it may be something you don't share.
I do have an extra plus here in East Tennessee: a locally distilled rum. Prichard's That's all I will say about that... Also of note, HGTV is based here and a lot more TV than you would imagine comes from here in Knoxville. That jewelry network and other home shopping. But the HGTV people I hope would use my place for some backdrops.

Why not ask HGTV to make a documentary about the construction? Grab publicity anywhere!

-Z

I agree with Chiselswinger that the logo looks good... and it wouldn't really matter to me how "authentic" it is. With the noted exception of Bigbro and others on TC, most people aren't going to know the difference, anyway! I think the most important thing is what looks good.

Hey, if you incorporate "Swanky" into the name of the bar, I think you should have the tiki in the logo swanked up too! How about putting a fez on him, like this:

Have the Ku looking to the sign and not away.