SEASIDE® has its first tropical bar, complete with the required kitschy glassware, updated twists on popular resort drinks, and plenty of Instagram-worthy decor moments. Before you step foot in the latest beach bar, here’s what to know about the history of tiki bars.
Tiki started after Prohibition because blended rum was cheap and easy to get. Many OF THE originators of “tiki cocktails” kept their recipes top secret.
Adventurer and World War II veteran Donn Beach would famously make the mix and not tell his employees what was in the drinks. The kitschy bars started popping up all over America in the 1950s and offered post-WWII escapism, allowing people to enter a tropical paradise.
Aficionados can visit Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and the Hukilau to learn more about the cocktail culture. And if you’re new to the experience, look for bars with a pebble ice machine on the bar and the proper tools and vessels.
And now, Seaside has its very own tiki bar, Daytrader, which offers an escape from the mundane. It has opened in the former Pizza Bar space – which has since moved under Bud & Alley’s – and offers locals and visitors the chance to feel like they’re on vacation.
The bar’s mission: “To trade in, for just a moment, the life in the suburbs — of Zoom calls and closing bells, of slacks and ties, of the office and the cubicle, or the kids and the carpool lines,” Daytrader promises. “To escape the fever pitch of phone calls for the fever dream of island fantasia, of otherworldliness, of escape.”
Chef Nikhil Abuvala and Seaside’s Vice President Micah Davis have been working together on this exciting new bar and dining concept, which will be here just in time for spring cocktails.
"Nikhil and his team have created something truly special that is poised to become an iconic dining destination,” Micah says. “I’m very proud of the work we have done together to bring the Daytrader to fruition, and I could not be more excited to introduce this fresh and original concept to our town."
Chef Nikhil is behind some of the most popular dining spots on 30A, including the award-winning Roux 30a and Nanbu Noodle Bar. Now, Nikhil is creating the ultimate vacation experience.
"We are very excited to bring The Daytrader Tiki Bar and Restaurant to Seaside this spring,” Nikhil says. “People come to this beautiful area to escape from their offices and normal day-to-day life and to step into the paradise we have here. We wanted to extend the idea of escapism through Daytrader. With tiki being one of the oldest forms of escapism, we thought it would be an easy way to connect paradise and escapism through our restaurant concept.”
“When thinking through the menu, we looked at what was missing in Seaside and thought a blend of Polynesian culture and food would fit in perfectly into the already diverse offerings,” Nikhil continues.
Check out the Daytrader and make sure to stop by for the tropical cocktail of your dreams – just remember to ditch your tie.