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Tiki Central / General Tiki

Trader Vic's Bellevue WA Closes Doors!

Pages: 1 2 74 replies

S

hmmm... I work in events planning at my work, and an "event" here means 2+ people in one space, all there for some common reason.

Going by that, I've been to TONS of tiki events in Seattle. YAY!
Im also thankful to everyone who has had an event and that has invited me.

TG, now go on and get that bee outta yer bonnet would ya? :wink:

T

Sweetpea, that's the AA motto: "wherever two or more are gathered [makes an AA meeting]." So think we can co-opt that for our own drunken purposes.

In the days before widespread tiki popularity (remember those days?) we were thrilled to get 5 people who knew who the hell Donn the Beachcomber was in one room. I didn't have to explain "Polynesian Pop" as a concept! It was thrilling.

It's just different now, it's outreach. Even if the peeps attending events can't mix a drink to save their lives, at least they want to learn more about the scene, however you define that (personally I care most about drinks and fashion). Every party is a tiki teaching opportunity! After all, we were once all newbies and some kind person (Martin and Hanford and Bruce in my case) took the time to learn us proper. None of us sprung fully formed as lounge lizards from the head of Trader Vic like a tiki Athena.

I think that is what is worth mourning about the closing of TV's. Not that it was a fantastic place in itself, but that we have lost a gateway. Someone could stumble there from the mall, be intrigued and do more research and viola - a new tiki fan is born!

I have very little patience for the Serious Fan (as we call it in the sci-fi fandom world) phenomenon. It's exclusive and ridiculous.

J

I wanna be a "TIKI ATHENA"....how cool would THAT be?!!

;o)

PLT

"To hell with the conventional, the right fork, the right goblet, the fashionable flower arrangement. You can have more real fun with a flower behind your ear, a sparerib in one hand and a drink in the other than you ever will all swathed in damask, sterling and cut crystal. Just one thing is needed to complete the scene... good companionship." ~ Victor J. Bergeron Jr.

It's a sad day when any Trader Vic's location closes, new or old. To be honest, this is the last place I would expect to have to explain or even defend that reaction. For me, it was never about the quality of the venue but more about the gatherings. I know I won't be able to have a Mai Tai at Trader Vic's on future trips to Seattle but fortunately, it won't be the last time I share some exceptionally good companionship.
When ever I have the opportunity to visit a Trader Vic's location, I'll sit at the bar (hopefully with friends) and order a Mai Tai and raise it to Victor and thank him for his part in the polynesion pop-culture phenomena which I love.
Why, you might ask? Simply because it's still possible to do that.

[ Edited by: DJ Terence Gunn 2009-08-16 11:10 ]

S

why not, I bet some of the best meeting events happen in "office"

anyhow, if there's tiki TP in the loo, then I'm sure there's people into tiki somewhere around that building.

Great, now I wanna build a tiki outhouse in my back yard. Instead of a moon carved in the door, it would be a tiki and it would have a thatched hut.

tiki outhouse thats genee-ass! you're outside the shity limits. I bet you could doo it.

S

i think I CAN, I should hire JOHN to put together the PEE-sis of wood
and then I'll have an housewarming potty and invite everyone.
Does anyone know where I can buy tiki TP?

Wow! I was just reminded of why I enjoy spending my limited free time with Dogbytes and my other favorite tiki affictionados in the Seattle area. I'll really miss our laughs at Vic's, but I still have many reasons to come down and talk tiki, dominatrix serial killing, and sad clown paintings.

Thanks Terrorance!

W

"To hell with...the right fork, the right goblet, the fashionable flower arrangement...damask, sterling and cut crystal...""

Please! I know feelings are running hot but there's no need for barbarianism!

AA

On 2008-09-03 13:27, Tikiwahine wrote:
... dominatrix serial killing....

Damn, I knew we left too early on the International Tiki Day Weekend Event!!!

PLT

On 2008-09-03 16:28, woofmutt wrote:
"To hell with...the right fork, the right goblet, the fashionable flower arrangement...damask, sterling and cut crystal...""

Please! I know feelings are running hot but there's no need for barbarianism!

I believe Savagery is a more appropriate word here. Barbarianism sounds too Eurasian.

[ Edited by: Pepe le Tiki 2008-09-03 20:17 ]

[ Edited by: DJ Terence Gunn 2009-08-16 11:07 ]

Although the Duchess always looks good with a few genuine TV's mai tais under the belt, I can't say that I'll miss the joint. Bad location. Sterile building. I never sat in a bar I didn't like though. For me the allure of Jet City is the good company of the Tiki Community. That being said, one can't deny the importance of Trader Vic's "part in the polynesion pop-culture phenomena", as Pepe so aptly put it.

I

What to do with a Trader Vics - Bellevue gift card? This question was discussed on a local television report, after a woman found ger $125 to be of little value. because the bellevue location was a franchise, the card will only be accepted at the Emeryville location.

There is a bit of footage of the closed Trader Vics.

http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=280700

anyone wanna buy a $100 TV card for $75 ?
only will work at Emeryville...
argh.
I know I won't be down there for a while.
I know some of you folks will be hitting that place during the
tiki crawl...
any takers?
Pea

ps, here's the email from the person I emailed at TV:

Dear sweetpea,

The owner of this franchise location has filed for bankruptcy last Friday. Everyone who has purchased a gift card from TV Bellevue will be contacted directly to file the claims.

Trader Vic's has only one company owned location in Emeryville,CA and we would gladly honor the gift card at this location.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with. I am very sorry for the inconvenience.

Regards, Yavuz

Yavuz Pehlivanlar
Trader Vic's Vice President
of American Operations

"Trader Vic's Chicago opening soon"

Office
999 Fifth Avenue, Suite 590
San Rafael, CA 94901
Tel. 415-927-9788
Fax. 415-927-9688
Cel. 415-902-9971

Restaurant
9 Anchor Drive
Emeryville, CA 94608
Tel. 510-653-3400
Fax. 510-653-9384
email: [email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.TRADERVICS.COM

[ Edited by: sweetpea 2008-09-18 11:02 ]

sereious. I am selling my TV gift card good at emeryville.
here's the info
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29861&forum=12&start=last&0

S

gift card is taken.
Thanks

T

For anyone who wanted to know just what happened to the space previously occupied by the now long dead Trader Vic's, here is a link to the cold, heartless, yuppy monstrosity that is called "Pearl". http://www.pearlbellevue.com/

and pics


(who's order is this waiter taking?)

D

disco balls??

Bellevue officially re-sucks.

hope to see you and Tiare soon~ when seattle thaws out!

"...bag,Crocs sandals,nike jordan,PUMA Adidas SHOX fusion shoes!" -Alaner-

I agree Alaner, Bellevue is pretty much a town about nothin' but consumerism.

"...air nike,air jordan,adidas,puma,gucci,af1,max,UGG boots,sandal,evisu,diesel,Af,NFL jersey,NBA jersey,Timberland,prada,Lacoste shoes,coach..."

Ha-ha! Totally!

"...Hoodies, Jacket, Sweater, T-shirt, Jersey, Hoodies,underwears,bikini,sports suits(NBA,MLB,NFL,NHL),coats and Jacket including A&F, BBC, Bape, 10DEEP, Artful Dodger, Christan Audigier, CLH, COOGI, ED Hardy, Evisu, Gino Green Global, Kidrobot, LRG and so on. new A&F hoodies are best right now. Sweater and T-shirt including A&F, BBC, CA, COOGI, D&G, GGG, Lacoste, Polo, Artful Dodger, ARMANI and so on."

So true! The mall over there ain't called Bellevue Square fer nothin'!

"...now more popular brand are A&F and Polo.if you like sport,our jersey are Soccer Jersey, NFL jersey, NBA Jersey and so on. now more popular brand is NBA jersey."

Yuh kinda lost me there...But welcome to Tiki Central.

B

Sad, but appropriate. Can't expect B-vue to have something as tacky as a TV! Now, put the TV in Fremont and it might make it - doubt it though. Thanks for the pics.

wow that new place really blows.
sad.
:(

Jeff(bigtikidude)

The new place reminds me of TV in Las Vegas.

RR

On 2008-12-24 11:29, Tiki Kupcake wrote:
The new place reminds me of TV in Las Vegas.

What are you talking about? The ceilings are not white here.

[ Edited by: DJ Terence Gunn 2009-08-16 11:03 ]

Pages: 1 2 74 replies