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Trader Vic's is coming back |
tiki_kiliki
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 01, 2002
Posts: 990
From: Hamtown USA
|  Posted: 2002-11-05 7:14 pm Permalink
A friend of mine was at the event and called and told me the news today! Said she had a great time!
Great news!
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Yee-Haw & Aloha,
The Hukilau
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Trader_Rick
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 08, 2002
Posts: 155
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2002-11-06 01:30 am Permalink
Now if only they could kick out Citronelle here in Santa Barbara and put Vic's back in where it belongs, I would be ecstatic. But great news all the same! I just hope the new ones don't have that maritime theme that so many have.
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midnite
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 1230
From: 37? 47' N, 122? 26' W
| Posted: 2002-11-11 11:49 pm Permalink
Just caught a feature on Food Network. It was part of a half-hour on 50's food fads. Number four was "Polynesian Cocktails", ahead of Bar-B-Que, and trailing TV dinners, gelatin desserts, and casseroles. TV dinners (the Tube not Trade Vic) being number one.
It was quite a nice little report with footage of Kahiki and Trader Vic's, at least those are the ones I could identify. A small interview with Vic's son and a mixologist from TV's. The barkeep explained, and showed, how to make the TV Mai-Tai.
Yummy... 
midnite
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TikiHula
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2002
Posts: 507
From: SacTown
| Posted: 2002-11-12 09:57 am Permalink
Sounds cool! It's on again Saturday the 23rd...so we should all check it out!
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"But why is the rum gone?!" -Capt. Jack Sparrow
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thejab
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2986
From: Tradewinds Apartments, Alameda, CA
| Posted: 2002-11-12 11:34 am Permalink
This show will be repeated on 11/23 (Sat.) at 11:30PM ET for those like me who missed it.
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Reever
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 07, 2002
Posts: 97
From: Dallas, Texas
| Posted: 2002-11-13 08:40 am Permalink
BigBro...
What can we, the tiki faithful, do to help encourage the Trader Vic's franchise to move in this positive direction? Better question, how can I help encourage them to come back to TEXAS???
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Reever
reever@hotmail.com
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10605
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2002-11-13 12:21 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2002-11-13 08:40, Reever wrote:
BigBro...
What can we, the tiki faithful, do to help encourage the Trader Vic's franchise to move in this positive direction? Better question, how can I help encourage them to come back to TEXAS???
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I'm at a loss there, Mark. I am actually quite dissappointed that TV is not showing any interest in my expertise while expanding. The fact that they are being asked to open in all these places in the US surely has to do with the BOT. People obviously like what they see in the book, and what I selected to represent the Trader Vic aesthetic: it works.
I would be more than glad to advise them, but they are still very much an old boys' club that feels they know best and don't want outsiders to meddle with their business. I just hope it's not all going to be Palo Alto white walls and Chicago brass lamps in favor of fishnet floats....sigh.
Where was that intact TV that still gets rented out for private events, in Dallas or in Houston? While for you and I the value of such a situation would be obvious, I doubt they would see it the same way. Granted, they HAVE to think in restaurant-business terms, but a union of both, food industry savy and theme aesthetic know how is what makes TV special.
I congratulate Holden for having found an "in" with them by knowing how to talk the corporate lingo, I wish they'd see the benefits they could derive from other "outsiders".
I am not saying they don't appreciate my book, they do, they bought copies for all their managers, but I think they view it as ancient history.
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Reever
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 07, 2002
Posts: 97
From: Dallas, Texas
| Posted: 2002-11-13 12:43 pm Permalink
Quote:
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Where was that intact TV that still gets rented out for private events, in Dallas or in Houston? |
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The intact Trader Vic's (that's only rented for private parties) is just down the road from me here in Dallas.
I understand everything you're saying about the business angle. But I think they just aren't getting the big picture. You don't hear the name "Trader Vic's" on the tongues of any great food/restaurant/bar critics these days, at least in its present state. There are a million non-descript seafood/nautical restaurants on the planet, but how many old-school tiki haunts? Besides, isn't everything in fasion, film and music back to the 60's these days? Even Denny's could see the potential of having some retro diner concepts.
I dunno. I just can't imagine Trader Vic's being a lost cause... someone there has got to be open to the voices of hundreds, if not thousands. On this message board alone are over 500 people. I think we could make quite a statement with a signed petition from all of us, asking that they at least consider the merits of "going native" again.
But if they're not open, I'm willing to help take it to some other restraunteur that will listen. I have some good ideas about a new restaurant, as I'm sure many Centralites do. Heck, wish I had the capital to break ground today. With you guys on board, I know I'd have a winner on my hands...
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Reever
reever@hotmail.com
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10605
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2002-11-13 1:16 pm Permalink
Well, let's see how the new batch turns out. I think they are starting construction in Berlin next.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2002-11-13 2:33 pm Permalink
Bigbro, do you know if the construction of the TV in Palo Alto is a result of the resurgence? If I'm correct, this was the first new TV in a loooooong time. If so, then I think it could be assumed that TV's to be constructed in the future will follow the same designs...
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Poly-Pop *
Bartender, make mine a glass of WATAHHH!!!!!
[ This Message was edited by: PolynesianPop 2013-02-05 10:14 ]
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Tiki-bot
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1345 | Posted: 2002-11-13 4:20 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2002-11-12 09:57, TikiHula wrote:
Sounds cool! It's on again Saturday the 23rd...so we should all check it out!
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Is the the episode with Otto and a very pregnant Baby Doe in it?
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Scamboogah
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 04, 2002
Posts: 62
From: Oakland, CA
| Posted: 2002-11-13 4:22 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2002-11-13 14:33, PolynesianPop wrote:
It almost looks like someone over there forgot what their mystique was all about.
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Ahh crud, this sounds like just what I feared. Another Kahunaville, kid friendly Planet Hollywood-esque crap factory!!
Michael Eisner, hands off my Tiki!!!
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Bull*hit Jesus, those are obviously MY footprints!
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midnite
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 1230
From: 37? 47' N, 122? 26' W
| Posted: 2002-11-13 4:33 pm Permalink
Quote:
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Is the the episode with Otto and a very pregnant Baby Doe in it?
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No. This show is solely covering "Top 5 Food Fad of the 50's". It's still worth a watch if you're around.
midnite
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3154
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2002-11-13 6:32 pm Permalink
Trader Vic's Grandaughter told me that a friend of the family has been begging them for years(decades?) to allow him to open a Trader Vic's so he could display his museum quality collection of original carvings that he has collected over the decades. The family decided to trust his vision.
I don't think this is the result of the resurgence in the United States(they have been opening new places overseas every few years) but, I wouldn't be surprised if the Palo Alto location has re-energized The Trader Vic company to open more places in the United States. LONG LIVE TRADER VIC!!
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TRADER VIC'S, Vintage, Vegas & more on EBAY 1957SPUTNIK
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10605
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2002-11-14 11:58 am Permalink
Quote:
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From: Polynesian Pop
Posted: 2002-11-13 14:33
Bigbro, do you know if the construction of the TV in Palo Alto is a result of the resurgence? If I'm correct, this was the first new TV in a long time. If so, then I think it could be assumed that TV's to be constructed in the future will follow the same designs..
On 2002-11-13 18:32, mrsmiley wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if the Palo Alto location has re-energized The Trader Vic company to open more places in the United States.
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Pol Pop, I doubt the Palo Alto TV will be a "Blueprint" for future ones, that was in the planning before the resurgence gained momentum, and as Bruce points out, the look was based on one individual's collection.
Also, the new franchises are not entirely due to TV wanting to open more places in the U.S.
If they could have, they would have had the capability to do that all along, as all the foreign satellites show. TVs were being closed here during the 90s because they were seen as outdated. Now they just made the switch to being hip and desirable again.
TV is dependent on people INVITING them to open in their towns, and I don't think that hotel owners in Philadelphia, Scottsdale and Waikiki ever saw the Palo Alto location.
The new ones won't be Kahunavilles either, I'm not worried about that, but will they be fully themed South Seas harbour hideaways?
Remember Picasso's opening quote in the BOT: "Good taste is the enemy of creativeness"
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki on 2002-11-14 12:19 ]
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