is there anyone under the age of 30 in the tiki scene?? - General Tiki

RA Registered Astronaut Member Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 66	RA Registered Astronaut Posted posted on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 2:41 PM On 2008-06-20 21:19, Pacifilantic wrote: I wonder if, in this present millennial atmosphere of worry and paranoia, our society might actually welcome and support a revival of elegant tiki theme restaurant/lounges? The concept of a complete escape to an exotic, otherworldly, primitive place, one not requiring air travel, might be well received right now by escapists of all ages. I think a well done place would be very well received. I think the study of tiki and modernism enables us to develop new ideas in which to develop the next thing. I feel very strongly about Tiki as simply an education to build from. If it was to come back full circle we would be too critical of it, and there would be no wonder involved. But taking the ethos of tiki and using it as a template for something new, that would be great. Unfortunately in today's business world, and the stranglehold that chain restaurants have on an uninformed public, combined with the impossibilities of location, real estate costs and hard to procure liquor licenses, the prospect might be something of a long shot. I've been researching the history of Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. As the father of the video game, he saw himself as the next Walt Disney, in that he believed video games would be the next big media platform (he was right) and that chuck-E-cheese pizza time theater would be the next themed restaurant experience. Chuck-E-Cheese was a very novel restaurant idea, they were the first to use animatronics outside disneyland, and Nolan promoted the idea of a unifying, fun family experience that was accessible and affordable. How Nolan ultimately failed, and subsequently did not become a figure like Walt Disney, in my opinion, is he couldn't stay committed to absolute perfection. He sold Atari to Warner Brothers, something Walt never did (he was approached by a few studios in the early days when Disney was suffering and asked to sell, imagine if he did?) and during the video game crash he sold the rights to Chuck-E Cheese. Walt Disney never wavered from his devotion to complete control, consistency and perfection, even during the toughest times. Which is why, more or less, he's got a huge multinational corporation thriving and continuing his legacy. In context of Tiki, it's been said that vietnam, the youth movement of the sixties and changes in public taste dictated the fall of Tiki. I'm not gonna argue that, but I wonder how much it affected Disneyland? What I'm understanding is a pattern, but I'm too young to see it completely in my young mind. Maybe some of the older, richer Tiki-Philes could put aside some mug money and partner up on a new restaurant. Then they can have a tiki-con and hold a panel on how it can be done to provide an enduring, proud legacy of what was started almost a century ago. That'd be something fun to attend!

On 2008-06-20 21:19, Pacifilantic wrote:
I wonder if, in this present millennial atmosphere of worry and paranoia, our society might actually welcome and support a revival of elegant tiki theme restaurant/lounges? The concept of a complete escape to an exotic, otherworldly, primitive place, one not requiring air travel, might be well received right now by escapists of all ages.

I think a well done place would be very well received. I think the study of tiki and modernism enables us to develop new ideas in which to develop the next thing. I feel very strongly about Tiki as simply an education to build from. If it was to come back full circle we would be too critical of it, and there would be no wonder involved. But taking the ethos of tiki and using it as a template for something new, that would be great. Unfortunately in today's business world, and the stranglehold that chain restaurants have on an uninformed public, combined with the impossibilities of location, real estate costs and hard to procure liquor licenses, the prospect might be something of a long shot.

I've been researching the history of Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. As the father of the video game, he saw himself as the next Walt Disney, in that he believed video games would be the next big media platform (he was right) and that chuck-E-cheese pizza time theater would be the next themed restaurant experience. Chuck-E-Cheese was a very novel restaurant idea, they were the first to use animatronics outside disneyland, and Nolan promoted the idea of a unifying, fun family experience that was accessible and affordable. How Nolan ultimately failed, and subsequently did not become a figure like Walt Disney, in my opinion, is he couldn't stay committed to absolute perfection. He sold Atari to Warner Brothers, something Walt never did (he was approached by a few studios in the early days when Disney was suffering and asked to sell, imagine if he did?) and during the video game crash he sold the rights to Chuck-E Cheese. Walt Disney never wavered from his devotion to complete control, consistency and perfection, even during the toughest times. Which is why, more or less, he's got a huge multinational corporation thriving and continuing his legacy.

In context of Tiki, it's been said that vietnam, the youth movement of the sixties and changes in public taste dictated the fall of Tiki. I'm not gonna argue that, but I wonder how much it affected Disneyland?

What I'm understanding is a pattern, but I'm too young to see it completely in my young mind. Maybe some of the older, richer Tiki-Philes could put aside some mug money and partner up on a new restaurant. Then they can have a tiki-con and hold a panel on how it can be done to provide an enduring, proud legacy of what was started almost a century ago. That'd be something fun to attend!

Post #389226 by Registered Astronaut on Tue, Jun 24, 2008 2:41 PM