Mobile Tiki Bar in a Shipping Container ... Evolution or Disaster?

I saw the article below in a local paper about a forthcoming mobile tiki bar in, of all things, a shipping container. I'm not sure how things are in the rest of the country, but here in SoCal, setting up a business in a shipping container seems to be the go-to method of achieving instant hipster status. That said, I've been many times to Roxanne's, the "parent" bar for this endeavor, and they seem to get it. Great cocktails, respectable tiki nights, and they've even had a couple of tiki-heavy rum festivals attended by local craft cocktail and tiki enthusiasts. Also, the owner is bringing a Latin flavor to the drinks, which seems interesting AND historically somewhat legit, given the rum's history in the Caribbean. In other words, this is someone who seems to be looking to add an interesting new touch without suggesting that tiki is obsolete. How's this going to go? Only time will tell .. but I'm looking forward to finding out!

http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/maries-tek-tec-long-beachs-new-tiki-bar-is-in-a-mobile-shipping-container-8260328

Likewise I look forward to how this plays out - container aside, it has potential. But based on the concept drawing, which I realize is bare, my instinctual feeling isn't a good one.

I recall a thread in the Home Tiki Bar section where someone proposed doing this for private use. Some insisted it would never work, and if it did, wouldn't be tiki. Others came up with examples online that showed it could.

Ah, here it is: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=51130&forum=20

Not sure if Steve ever went through with his project.

I'm a little dubious, but I will mos' def be willing to check it out. I appreciate the intent, and don't presume to question the sincerity, of what's going on at Roxanne's but so far the execution is still a wee bit lacking IMHO. I would hope to see a bit more depth in a "next-step" evolution of a tiki vision from them, but frankly the whole "storage container" trend, while I think is a great idea in many respects and is a terrific format for small chain businesses, strikes me as having a bit too much of a "pop up" and ephemeral vibe, and I am hesitant about its ability really generate the kind of lasting, loyal following a local tiki bar needs. But maybe that's the vibe he's going for.

Don't get me wrong, I'm hopeful. Long Beach desperately needs a very good quality tiki bar! I'm just not so certain a "mobile" vision is a great step forward.

[ Edited by: CosmoReverb 2017-05-26 11:19 ]

Lately I have been obsessing about the idea of a Quonset hut Tiki bar. The sort of thing WWII GIs would have set up on a Pacific island as their enlisted men's club. I can see a cargo container as a logical progression to that

I'd drink in a Quonset hut ...

Optimistic skepticism is definitely a healthy response here, though I'm encouraged by Prikli Pear's link to the container bar in LV. Much nicer than I'd have expected. Also, I'm a sucker for sincerity. And, I feel like Roxanne's will at least come at this effort with sincerity and a respect for the source material.

I have no problem with this - the container doesn't bother me so much; if they add some authentic detail to the project and can pull it off from a creative standpoint, it could be nice. I know the bar-in-a-container concept is not new, but I did see one I liked in Paris along the Seine...it wasn't Tiki, but the added steps at one end and used the top as a deck, with a railing, tables, etc. Nice approach if you have a view.

Hmm. I guess, for me, the key factor would be method of access. Walk-up or walk-in. From the mock-up in the article it appears to be a walk-up establishment and you can tiki-fy the hell out of a bar, but if I have to walk up to it under an open awning (even a thatched one) and order my drinks through the open side, there is always going to be an unshakeable "resort" vibe in the back of my mind. To me, (and I am far from the greatest arbiter for this, so this is just IMHO) a tiki bar is all about stepping in and being surrounded by your environment. An escape from the outside world. I'm confident you can achieve this in a semi-permanent container structure, but I am hesitant about a mobile version, and doubly so if it is a walk-up.

Still, like I said, I am hopeful about any new local tiki hangouts and since it is all about "feel," so even if I am unsure about it, I could get there and immediately feel comfortable, so I am eager to be surprised.

On 2017-05-26 11:11, Prikli Pear wrote:
I recall a thread in the Home Tiki Bar section where someone proposed doing this for private use. Some insisted it would never work, and if it did, wouldn't be tiki. Others came up with examples online that showed it could.

Ah, here it is: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=51130&forum=20

Not sure if Steve ever went through with his project.

I've put this on hold until later this year - i just finished the house remodel (built in 1927 - completely tore it down to bare studs) and recently moved in, been running costs on this and traditional stick construction and just don't think i could feasibly do it (construction cost is pretty cheap in oklahoma) now it's just down to deciding it i want to pay the extra to have the container look on the outside

I've put this on hold until later this year - i just finished the house remodel (built in 1927 - completely tore it down to bare studs) and recently moved in, been running costs on this and traditional stick construction and just don't think i could feasibly do it (construction cost is pretty cheap in oklahoma) now it's just down to deciding it i want to pay the extra to have the container look on the outside

Either way, I'm looking forward to your build thread!

Here's the latest on Long Beach's new porta-bar. Note the comment about an immersive experience. CosmoReverb's comment on this point is a good one about the need for that "leave the world behind" feeling. So, it'll be interesting to see what "immersive" means to these guys.

https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/blog/a-new-portable-shipping-container-tiki-bar-is-ready-to-hit-the-road-this-summer-053117

Y'all read the part about the "dance floor" in both articles, right?

Unfortunately yes ... hula dancing, maybe?!?!

Nothing wrong with a dance floor, nothing wrong with appropriate music, nothing wrong with dancing to appropriate music if you feel like it.

Something like this might be helpful at events, if there are decent drinks. I'm not an outside person, my preference is to drink in a dark, cool bar with walls and ceilings to gawk at, exotica playing in the background and a bathroom in proximity.

That being said, the portable Ku bar that frequents Tiki Oasis and other events is an exception. :drink: