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Tiki Central / General Tiki

Last swim for The Wreck Bar mermaids?

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As many of us learned from the 2009 Hukilau announcement -
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=29279&forum=4&start=0 - the historic Wreck Bar, site of much past Hukilau revelry and for more than 50 years a Fort Lauderdale beachside beacon of classic nautical bar design (not to mention the lovely mermaids), is due to be renovated by Sheraton (boo, hiss) along with the rest of the Yankee Clipper.

We've been waiting with bated breath for signs of impending doom. I've heard a few rumblings. Now some exclusive insider info:

The Wreck Bar will be in its unique nautically designed state for a limited time. Plans for its "renovation" include entirely changing the interior design, making it an eatery or a more "mainstream" bar rather than keeping it the magnificent icon it is.

The more support The Wreck Bar gets for being unique, the better the chances that those planned changes would lean more toward the minimal side. The hope is that not only will the bar not be "gutted" but instead it gets restored to its former 1950s glory. This cannot happen without public support.

South Floridians and anyone else with the means: Embark on a pilgrimage and voice your concerns. Those who cannot make the trip: Let the Yankee Clipper and Sheraton folks know that they would be making a big mistake by letting another historic establishment bite the dust.

Yankee Clipper contact info:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=664

Sheraton corporate headquarters:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/about/index.html (scroll to the bottom)

A reminder that the mermaid shows are every Friday at 5:30 during happy hour. We intend to keep the monthly "Mermaids & Mai-Kai" event alive for as long as possible and hope to see more locals there. The next gathering is this Friday, Nov. 21, and Marina promises a special show featuring three mermaids. More info on this thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28926&forum=4&start=0

For more on the mermaid show, go to Marina's sites:
http://www.medusirena.com
http://www.myspace.com/medusirena

I'll never make it there, but if I was in Florida it would be a must see for me. Sooooo sad, it looks really awesome and it must be fun swimming around in those outfits. Mermaids rule!!! Renovation just sucks. Take lots of pics while ya can.

We're happy to report that The Wreck Bar has been named "Best Happy Hour" and Marina the "Best Mermaid" in the "Best of 2008" issue of City Link magazine and Metromix.com ...

http://southflorida.metromix.com/events/photogallery/best-of-entertainment/796160/content?photo=2

http://southflorida.metromix.com/home/photogallery/best-of-people/795378/content?photo=3

M

On 2008-11-29 21:31, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
We're happy to report that The Wreck Bar has been named "Best Happy Hour" and Marina the "Best Mermaid" in the "Best of 2008" issue of City Link magazine and Metromix.com ...

http://southflorida.metromix.com/events/photogallery/best-of-entertainment/796160/content?photo=2

http://southflorida.metromix.com/home/photogallery/best-of-people/795378/content?photo=3

That is great! Too bad it seems they will win Best Normal Totally Boring Bar next year!!

Don't Wreck the Wreck Bar!!!

Sorry for the duplicate thread Tiki Kiliki ... Everyone check out this ongoing discussion of The Yankee Clipper and The Wreck Bar:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28243&forum=1&31

T
thejab posted on Fri, Dec 5, 2008 4:44 PM

Check out what Metromix picked as Best Tiki Bar:

Where's the tiki?!

http://southflorida.metromix.com/events/photogallery/best-of-entertainment/796160/content?photo=2

[ Edited by: thejab 2008-12-05 16:45 ]

Most people in Florida have a very loose definition of "tiki bar," as James Teitelbaum so eloquently explains in Tiki Road Trip:
http://www.tydirium.net/tiki/florida.html

Please don't hold this against all Floridians.

D

On 2008-12-16 00:21, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Most people in Florida have a very loose definition of "tiki bar," as James Teitelbaum so eloquently explains in Tiki Road Trip:
http://www.tydirium.net/tiki/florida.html

Please don't hold this against all Floridians.

Being a former local of the Ft. Lauderdale area, growing up there in the 70s and 80s I can relate to the mindset. In a nutshell the locals regard anything advertised in a brochure, or near the beach, let's say from Federal Hwy (where the Mai Kai is) east to A1A, for 'tourists only' and therefore a 'tourist trap'. There was probably more of these so-called 'traps' during the 60s up until the 80s or 90s. As the population of South Florida grew in the last 30 or 40 years, greater Ft. Lauderdale to be specific, the ratio of tourist to local reversed in the latter's favor and the landscape has changed to your run-of-the-mill suburban sprawl. As a result the attitude toward things like Tiki bars is skewed in a major half-assed direction and it's why it's places like the Wreck Bar may cease to exist. The owners of these would be Tiki bars don't know squat from pop culture. They may as well be opening the place in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Chances are that that's where they from anyway.

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

About a month ago I was interviewed by a reporter from one of the local weekly papers who was doing an investigative piece on the possible closing of The Wreck Bar. I believe they also interviewed Tiki Kiliki. When weeks went by without seeing a story in print, I inquired about the story.

I was told that the Sheraton wasn't very cooperative (no surprise there). However, according to the reporter, what they did reveal "INDICATES THAT THEY'LL BE KEEPING THE LOOK OF THE WRECK BAR."

I guess no news really is good news in this case. Hopefully the Sheraton folks aren't just giving the newspaper lip service and really do have good intentions.

The reporter said they plan to continue to pursue the story in the future if the situation changes. All hail the power of the press! And thanks to all who may have had an impact on convincing the Sheraton to possibly change its tune.

So let's breath a sign of relief for now and continue to savor this local landmark. There's still no guarantee that "keeping the look" will include Marina and the other mermaids, or the entire retro nautical theme.

So please do what you can to remind the Clipper and Sheraton management what a valuable asset they have.

And feel free to join us at our monthly happy hour gathering, which returns on Friday, Jan. 23:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=28926&forum=4&start=0

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