Post #217666 by Humuhumu on Mon, Feb 27, 2006 11:16 AM

The thing to understand about the Kona Club is that it is what it is. The owner, Doug Miller, wasn't trying to open a Polynesian Pop tiki bar in the vintage style. He and his family live in Hawaii half the year, his wife is very active in hula, and he's been collecting related artwork, some of it vintage Poly-Pop, for a very long time. He likes Poly-Pop tiki, he likes traditional Hawaiian stuff, and he likes owning & running bars. This bar is a combination of all three of those. He's smart enough to know that he wants to cater to his already-established bar clientele, the people who have made him very, very successful, the people who keep Club Mallard packed night after night. That's why you'll hear a large variety of stuff on the jukebox, and why beer outsells cocktails, and why cocktails are very hit-and-miss. The fact is, it's a very successful formula for him, and it's the sort of bar he wanted. It's his bar, and he loves it, and it's doing great business, which is awesome. The reason it isn't quite right as a vintage-style tiki bar is that it's not supposed to be one.

Is it the sort of place I would want to hang out regularly? No. But that's okay, I'm not Doug's target audience. It would be silly of me to hold that against the place. I think it's gorgeous, and it's easy to say "argh! if only!", but it's not my bar.

Re: tiki mugs & serveware -- those suckers walk right out the door. I think it's neat when places offer a mug for sale that customers can have their drink served in, but unless you overcharge for drinks to make up for the inevitable loss of mugs, they just aren't practical for serving out of. Of the places I've been that offer the best-tasting drinks, many don't serve in tiki mugs -- Tiki-Ti leaps to mind. If it's important to you, try bringing your own and ask to have your drink served in it.