THE TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI BAR: Can One Be Successful in Wenatchee?

THE TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI BAR: Can One Be Successful in Wenatchee? 

I’ve always been enchanted with tiki bars. The culture. The theming. The decor. The mugs. Oh, and there’s the drinks. When I was a lil fella, my parents would host parties where my dad (wearing an Hawaiian shirt) would mix some of the craziest drinks behind a small bar. Even naming some of the drinks after their friends. Add to the fact that as a kid growing up in Southern California, we went to Disneyland a lot, and my favorite attraction was Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. Even as an adult I can watch that show over and over again. I know what you’re thinking. “Don’t you get sick of that song?” Hey. It’s shorter then, it’s a small world.

Besides being born and raised on the beach, I’ve always loved the Hawaiian and Polynesian culture. I almost moved to Kona on the Big Island. Spending some time in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has always been a fantasy. Add to the fact that I have an old family member who, after World War I, traveled and wrote several famous best seller novels about the South Pacific. But how can you not love the warm island life with sandy white beaches with blue waters and palm trees.

Tiki bars started to spring up here in the United States after our military men came home from World War II. Specifically after serving in the South Pacific. Decking out bars designed with tropical decor, serving up such drinks like the Mai Tai, the Zombie, the Navy Grog, and the Jungle Bird. Served is creative tiki style mugs.

 Popular tiki bars like Don the Beachcomber, Con Tiki Bar, and Trader Vic’s begat places like The Outrigger in Seattle. One of my favorite places is, of course, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel in Anahiem. 

The decor created by Disney Imagineers, with Cast Member bartenders that not only service up the rum based foo-foo drinks like the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum and The Ship Wreck, they put on a show with particular lovely adult beverages. That’s the inside!

There’s outdoor seating with tiki torches lighting up the night, with performers singing Polynesian songs with a Hawaiian culture. Often these tiki bars have equally tasting treats with a bit of an Americanized version of island food.

That’s what I would love to see here in Wenatchee. Sure. Perfect for Summer evenings. But what’s more ideal especially on cold winter nights, than being in a tropical theme restaurant/bar. I asked a mixologist Matt Pierga, what is it about a rum and citrus based drink in a specialty sculptured tiki mug that catches the imagination, more so than a Corona beer? "The cocktails as well as the presentation and setting as a whole transports you. The experience itself and the drinks take you to a warmer place or even vacation. Intrinsically, the spirits used in those cocktails are often from tropical places as well as the juices placed with them (ie pineapple, mango, papaya). This flavor profile is something we only see in warm, tropical climates.”

So could a tiki bar be a success here in Wenatchee? When we polled people (and you know how painful that can be), overwhelmingly they said yes. My cousin Don and I started talking about it. Like, for real. Not like when I talk about marrying a super leggy model.

What would it take to make a dream like this a reality? Of course money. Without putting your life up for collateral. Location, location, location. Perhaps a place on the river or very close by. Some have suggested within a hotel. Yes, we’ll need unique mixologists who are showmen, the alcohol, tiki mugs, a kitchen, the decor, play a lot of music from Les Baxter and Martin Denny, and bring in singers or bands like The Hula Girls. 

Of course there’s the business permits, sales license, food handlers license, liquor license, passing health inspections, blah blah blah. All the boring stuff. So I guess you’ll need a well organized manager who wants to take care of the non-fun stuff. Kinda like the Disney Brothers. Walt was the creative guy. Roy had to manage the finances and keep Walt on the straight and narrow. 

But let’s think about the fun stuff. Like, what would you name a tiki bar in Wenatchee? Amy Foster thought, being the Apple Capitol of the World, Rotten  Apple Tiki Bar. Michele Baker came up with Wenatiki. I like that. There’s a place in Ventura called Ventiki. Andrew Jenning suggested, Wenatchee Waterfalls. Based on Don the Beachcombers, Jackie Peters wrote, Don the Rivercombers. Wendy Navone likes the name, Riki Tiki Tavi.

Then there’s Trader Mav’s. The Enchanted River Cove. The Columbia Canoe. The Appletini Bar. The Dock Dive. The River Rum Room. The Columbia River Sandbar. The Rock Island Porthole. The Walla Walla Watering Hole. And of course, to help pay for everything, perhaps have a sponsorship name like, The Town Toyota Bar.