Desperately want to open Saint Louis' only tiki bar!!!!

I'm obsessed! Got to get to work on this immediately! Things can be done inexpensively here in Saint Louis! I need advice! I need a partner! Let's do it! There's not a single proper or even close to proper Tiki Bar here at all! That's an outrage!

Here's the name:

SAINT TIKI!!!!!!!!

Help.

Ha! What an understatement. However, I wish you all the luck in the world in trying to get this done. I am a life-long resident of Saint Louis - except for the last ten years, and I spent 25 of those years searching for the perfect polynesian drink. The closest I came was a place called the Golden Palace on Lindbergh Blvd in the Hazelwood area in the late 80's and early 90's. At last, they are no more. I searched and searched for tiki mugs - I found a few in the West Port area.

Saint Louisians are extremely conservative. My best advice would be to open up an Asian-like establishment ala Don the Beachcomber in the 1930's. A bar with 'exotic" nibbles might work. Also, you may have to focus more on an Island-theme knowing full well that this area is extremely 'jimmy buffeted".

An alternative would be a "rum bar" such as Smuggler's Cove or high end such as Cana in LA.

A full scale Forbidden Island approach might make this crowd in St. Louis think it was a "sissy or girl" bar. Sorry TC, the mid west sees "holidays" such as "Cinco De Mayo as reasons to drink beer and perhaps margaritas. Mexican is about as exotic as they get - that is if you don't include Roxies and the bars of East St. Louis.

What I am suggesting is you have to come under the radar until you get established in a place like this. St. Louis is Brick and Mortar. It is BBq- not smoked, but splattered with sauce. It is pork steaks, thin crust pizza smothered in Provel Cheese - yah, google that one, and Bud Beer. It's baseball, and hockey. It's riverboat casinos and dirty filthy downtown establishments in Laclede's Landing. It's a place where racism is worn on your sleeve and people don't say the "n" word - they just say it.

It's the Hill and Italian rules. It's Milos where people use to drink the WALL until the insurance companies put an end to that. It's where puking your guts out and throwing up outside the door of your car is considered the hallmark of a good time.

It's where the first thing people want to know is what high school you graduated from - "Pattonville" for the record. It's a land of Big Box Churches and mean little bars that co-exist and everyone demonstrates their love for one another by pushing the boundaries of "white flight" to places like St. Charles and Jefferson Counties. Hell, they even move as far as Troy and Desoto.

It's rough streets and one of the Nation's most dangerous cities - only the natives will remind you that no one really lives in St. Louis proper anyway.

I love my home town area. But you have a real challenge. Tiki stands for nothing that I've written about above and while St. Louis needs a good place to escape to in order to avoid everything I just wrote about, let me remind you that for most of the townies, escapism is found in front of a big screen TV watching football and yelling at the screen.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to hop into my car, go to Carl's Drive-In or perhaps Steak and Shake, down a few White Castles, and eat a pizza at Imo's After that, I'll head on over to Forest Park and slide down Art Hill.

Have I left anything out?

Yikes!

Um, okay maybe there is a tiny bit of truth to what you say and maybe you're using exaggeration and stereotyping for comedic effect (it was funny) but I think you're being just a bit harsh and over the top there, pal.

First, I've been thinking about Saint Tiki for a long while and have done some homework. Seriously, there is NO remotely tiki establishment in the area. Every conceivable angle has been done a thousand times but not tiki, at least in the last 20 years to my knowledge.

Here's what I was thinking... something above your average puke bar but below the exclusivity that goes along with some of the newer type places that are out there now. Classy but loose, maybe a touch of kitsch but not stupid. Decor.. you just have to make it completely awesome, man. Just totally rad. Not just a wilting inflatable palm tree in a dusty corner. Small but impressive drink menu and MAYBE dabble in some Polynesian finger foods. No mozzarella sticks or chicken fingers. Music has to be awesome and stick to the tiki-surf-lounge theme at all times.
I'd like it to be rather smallish.

I'll put my ass on the line here financially and I'll work my ass off. I need an investor who loves tiki and wants to make some money. I'm not doing it for the money. Let's get to work!!!

Thanks for the insanely funny reply telescopes!

Hahaha, that is the best description of a city I have read in a long time! I don't know St. Louis or any of the places you mention, but it all sounds so right (in its wrongness) because of the way you paint the picture with such authoritative flourish.

In the last 10 years + of the Tiki Revival I have seen many new establishments inspired by the ideal of Tiki open - and close again, and one thing that always proved itself to be important was location location location. Only so far that was in reference to a street, or a neighborhood. From now on "bad location" for a Tiki Bar can also be uttered in reference to a city. :D

On 2011-12-28 13:23, telescopes wrote:
RE: 'jimmy buffeted'.

And we all have seen here how painful that can be!

On 2011-12-28 13:57, Saint Tiki wrote:
Yikes!

Thanks for the insanely funny reply telescopes!

You're right, I was being funny - but not by Woofmutt standards, he's hilarious - just ask him. I wish you nothing but the best. From your description, I'd say you have an idea that would be attractive to Saint Louis folks.

Having lived now is SoCal - Palm Springs - for 10 years, the constant blue skies have illuminated my memories of Saint Louis with a different perspective. But you have it right and if I lived there, I'd be pulling myself up to the bar.

Best of luck.

I'm not terribly inclined to head to St. Louis based on the description above . . . I hope it is more exaggeration than truth . . .

On 2011-12-28 15:06, The Blue Kahuna wrote:
I'm not terribly inclined to head to St. Louis based on the description above . . . I hope it is more exaggeration than truth . . .

It's funny because it is true.

However, Saint Louis does have a lot to offer for visitors as well as residents. That said, it's a very complex cit: It is still considered somewhat a 'southern city' (many would be home in Mississippi) while at the same time the Gateway to the West (you can carry a gun quite easily and legally). Saint Louisians, especially those in the southern part of the city, tend to be parochial and very blue collar in their outlook. Simple, unadorned, they are slow to change. Many still vacation at Lake of the Ozarks and consider the "lake" to be their version of paradise. The city is known for its pot holes and vast metropolitan region. The state of Missouri has roughly 4.5 million people in it and about 1/2 of the state lives in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The other half live in the Kansas City region. I say this only to illustrate the conundrum that while almost everyone in the state belabors city life, almost everyone lives near one.

Shaw's Garden and Forest Park are two jewels that are somewhat unique to the area. They are glorious gems in what is otherwise a bleak urban landscape of rusting decay. Yet, if you were to ask any native to the area if the area was a great place to live, they would be absolute in their defense of the area. They really hate California and deride the state as a land of fruit and nuts. They tend to really believe that the state might - should- fall into the sea. As George Bush would say, they hate us for our freedoms.

Don't get me wrong - it still is my hometown and like any good native, I'd defend it to the end.

And to Saint Tiki - I hope you succeed. I'll stop by and have a drink next time I am in town.

[ Edited by: telescopes 2011-12-28 16:19 ]

Telescopes,

OK, now I beginning to understand you better after hearing the history of your upbringing!

Saint Tiki,

One thing that St. Louis does have and can be built on is some high-powered Tiki history.

Trader Vic's

The Mainlander

Eddy Song's Polynesian Village.

This should be billed as a return to the St. Louis Golden Age of Tiki.

DC

Back in the Spring of 2005, I was commissioned by a new customer to carve 8 tikis. Two of them were 8-10' poles, and the rest were in the 4-5' range. It was a quick turn around job.

The guy drove up to Milwaukee in a rental truck to pick them up after I finished them. They were headed to a new bar that he and his partner were opening in St. Louis.

I think it was to be called "Chicken Bones" or something. Sort of a voodoo, tropical jungle thing. He mentioned that the bar top was going to be bleached bones under resin.

I never saw photos of the place, or found any info on it. But my job was done and the tikis were in his hands.

So there are possibly 8 of my tikis floating around the St. Louis area, unless they were trashed with whatever establishment went under.

I wish you the best of luck... if Milwaukee can have a popular and successful tiki bar, I'm sure you could pull one off in St. Louis.

Tiki is alive and well in Chicago also... the Midwest isn't a total wasteland.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2011-12-28 19:18 ]

On 2011-12-28 17:02, Dustycajun wrote:
Telescopes,

OK, now I beginning to understand you better after hearing the history of your upbringing!

Saint Tiki,

One thing that St. Louis does have and can be built on is some high-powered Tiki history.

Trader Vic's

The Mainlander

Eddy Song's Polynesian Village.

This should be billed as a return to the St. Louis Golden Age of Tiki.

DC

let's not forget that the lake of the ozarks had its share of tiki for awhile.

Mai Tai Resort Motel (Polynesian Retreat), Osage Beach

and i suppose under the 'your mileage may vary' heading, i lived in st. louis for several years and have considerable family from/living there, and i have not experienced the implied ray-cism as stated above :D

but i will agree that midwesterners may be more resistant to 'new things' than right or left coasters.

of course, as a wise man once said, it's just my opinion, i could be wrong

... Yet, if you were to ask any native to the area if the area was a great place to live, they would be absolute in their defense of the area. They really hate California and deride the state as a land of fruit and nuts. They tend to really believe that the state might - should- fall into the sea. As George Bush would say, they hate us for our freedoms..

That hits the nail on the head for a whole lot of the mid-west. It seems that hating California and Californians is kin to people in the South hating Yankees. It is part of the culture. Some sort of shame that gets turned into anger against someone else instead. That attitude may be why people see activity on the forum decreasing... The easterners and mid-westerners are talking to each other instead of hanging out in this den of Californians.

I second the advice above. A concept is good, but you gotta pick the right location to succeed anywhere. You know your city. Chose wisely.

[ducking as this thread veers into politics]

On 2011-12-29 08:37, Swanky wrote:

... Yet, if you were to ask any native to the area if the area was a great place to live, they would be absolute in their defense of the area. They really hate California and deride the state as a land of fruit and nuts. They tend to really believe that the state might - should- fall into the sea. As George Bush would say, they hate us for our freedoms..

That hits the nail on the head for a whole lot of the mid-west. It seems that hating California and Californians is kin to people in the South hating Yankees. It is part of the culture. Some sort of shame that gets turned into anger against someone else instead. That attitude may be why people see activity on the forum decreasing... The easterners and mid-westerners are talking to each other instead of hanging out in this den of Californians.

I second the advice above. A concept is good, but you gotta pick the right location to succeed anywhere. You know your city. Chose wisely.

Sounds like good ole' ignorance to me. Alot of New Yorkers have the same attitude towards California. I just tell them "enjoy shoveling your car out of 3 feet of snow all winter".....I grew up there, but then decided to, as the Beatles say....follow the sun.

On 2011-12-29 10:02, Johnny Dollar wrote:
[ducking as this thread veers into politics]

Here's thing about California. If you were a kid in, say, the 60s, 70s or 80s and you were growing up in Peoria or Cleveland or Louisville or Saint Louis pretty much everything you know about California you learned through the television. It's a weird, weird thing. I can't even explain to you the weirdness that might form in a kid's mind pertaining to California. It's like this crazy mental mixture of games shows, porn, Brady Bunch, cop shows, Dragnet, hippies, LSD, surfers, cars on the freeway, movie stars, mountains, Charles Manson, paradise, Kerouac, cults, Sanford and Son, sprawl, Mexicans, The Rose parade, the list is ENDLESS and on top of that it LOOKS nothing like anything the kid might have ever seen.

Personally, I have about 100 different visions of what "California" means.

Problem is that now, at 41, California ultimately feels like Paradise Lost to me (and maybe lots of other people).

But even to this day the word CALIFORNIA conjurs many a wonderful and frightening thing. Note, I've been to LA twice (it rained buckets both times) and San Diego. No SF yet. I've been busy....

You couldn't just Google Streetview your way through Silverlake back then. It was all in your head. Same goes for NYC I guess but that's a whole 'nother story.

Yes, Midwesterners disdain for California.

Do you know how wrestler Jesse Ventura got his name? When he started out as a wrestler, he was going to be a bad guy so he tried to figure out a way for wrestling fans in Minnesota to hate him. What he finally did was adopted the California Beach Boy persona and took his last name from the California city because being so closely identified with California was a sure way to get hated in Minnesota.

Biography: Jesse Ventura

Now back to our topic. What do St Louisians think of Hawaii and the South Pacific?

Good luck in opening your dream bar.. I would suggest getting info if possible from actual Tiki bar owners.. Try to contact the owner of Don the Beachcomber in Huntington beach California.. He can give you the inside scoop on how to run a successful bar.. Also try Martin Cate from Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco.. Read the reviews on Yelp about these bars to get insight on what people liked and disliked.. You can't make everyone happy but good drink recipes and a few great food selections will keep most coming back.. I'd definitely add at least 1 flaming bowl drink and a great dessert as well.. A few good non alcoholic tropical drinks for the crazy non drinkers who still like to party.. Again, you must use great ingredients and recipes to set yourself apart.. Try to get a few food and drink reviewers from the local newspapers to write a review to generate some buzz.. Make drinks like Martin Cate and you may succeed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUYP1gn-fY&list=FL-iRLqClVLzc7iImRJhrbDA&index=21&feature=plpp_video

On 2011-12-29 12:56, cvcgolf wrote:
Make drinks like Martin Cate and you may succeed..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZUYP1gn-fY&list=FL-iRLqClVLzc7iImRJhrbDA&index=21&feature=plpp_video

I would add, you will succeed. I believe the folks at Don the Beachcombers are open to franchising. Using the Don the Beachcomber name would provide instant recognition for what you are wanting to do and would communicate to your customers what to expect.