Tiki VIP #6 Rod Moore (The Shameful Tiki Room Canada)

The Shameful Tiki Room will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I came up with the idea of starting this blog!

I heard there was a Tiki bar up in Vancouver, BC and I decided to take a little road trip up to check it out. When I finally made it through the border patrol into Vancouver, I arrived at the Shameful Tiki Room. As I walked up to the place, I noticed all the windows were covered up. My first thought was that the bar was closed or under construction. I figured I came this far, so I might as well try the door. It opened and I stepped inside to a very dark room. Once my eyes adjusted to lack of light, I realized I was in a really cool Tiki bar! I got a seat at the bar and started ordering drinks. They were good, like Tiki Ti good! The windows out front were covered on purpose to block out the realities of outside. Great idea!  I thought whoever owns this bar is in the know when it comes to Tiki. I was right! That guy is Rod Moore and I had a chance to ask him a couple questions.

When did you get into the Tiki lifestyle and what got you into it?

Rod- In 2006, we were in Hawaii and I bought my first Tiki mug at Thor’s (now closed) Tiki store. I really didn’t know what it was, it just spoke to me. I thought it was cool so I bought it. Over the next few years. there was a quick ramp up. My wife found “Funhauser,” a little retail store in Vancouver with lots of Tiki stuff (it’s closed) and started buying me the odd mug. Then I picked up Tiki magazine. From there, I started recreating old matchbook covers to t-shirts and vending at Tiki Oasis (this is 2009). I did a Tiki road trip in 2010 to hit up every Tiki spot from here to San Diego, got back together with my old surf band (the Hang-Ten Hangmen), and started learning to carve totems and make the recipes out of Beachbum Berry’s books. I was pretty much finding every aspect of the culture to be fascinating with one piece opening a door to the next.

You live in Canada. What is the Tiki scene like up there?

Rod- It’s pretty thin. Aside from my spot and the old Waldorf hotel, there isn’t anything in Vancouver. The entire country is pretty well a Tiki wasteland, I have to say. In the past, there were a few spots here and there, but nothing much made it to today other than the Waldorf. There’s always some place opening somewhere that’s being touted as a new Tiki bar, but upon first visit, it’s very clear it really isn’t Tiki at all. I’ve seen this in both Vancouver and Toronto several times. With Toronto, there are some discussions about doing an event on both sides of the country. More on that later…

I will say that regardless of whether people know what it is or not, they mostly really enjoy it. Everyone understands fun and escape even if they don’t get the historical aspect, the particular details, or anything else.

What made you decide to build the Shameful Tiki Room?

Rod- Around 2011, I started thinking about making the move to sell my business (I used to have a hockey equipment store), find a location, and open a Tiki bar. My store had done well, but I was starting to feel like doing something new and wanted to sell before I got bored and ruined it by not paying enough attention to business at hand. I had been feeling pretty passionate about the idea of a small, properly executed old school Tiki room in Vancouver, as there was nothing like it. “Find a niche and fill it,” is an old business adage, so more and more it seemed to be a risk worth taking.

The Shameful Tiki Room is an interesting name. How did you come up with it?

Rod- I was setting up my account on Tiki Central and everything I could think of was taken, so I made that up. Now when I talk to a magazine or something, if they ask that question I say, “Well, just come here Saturday night around 12 o’clock and you can see for yourself!”

Can you give me a little history on the Shameful Tiki Room?

Rod- I found the location in 2012. I really wanted the area that we’re in. Its hip, has public transit, and lots of people. The spot we took over was a previously licensed night spot, so in that respect, we weren’t rebuilding the wheel. A four and a half month build-out comprised of me, my wife, and a couple part time movie set builders for some of the heavy lifting.

We opened in March 2013 to a big four day party. From there, it was probably a bit under two years of doing okay, slowly getting busier, paying the bills, but not knocking it out. Somewhere just after that, we turned a corner and things picked up. Then about four months after that we turned another corner and it’s just been full ever since. July was the biggest month we’ve ever had. Our third anniversary this last March was another four day affair (they’ve gotten bigger each time) and it was a crazy amount of fun with live bands, a special mug release, custom retro Trader Vic’s food menu, and a pile of other stuff. The staff almost rebelled, but after all was said and done, it was a gas.

You opened another Shameful Tiki Room in Toronto. Care to talk about that?

Rod- This is an entire book unto itself, but the basics: I had been getting the itch to open a second location. Toronto made sense as the city is huge and again, had nothing like this whatsoever. After chatting with a Torontonian at the Ohana event in New York in June 2015 I started looking and found the location we’re currently in. I went down last August, lived on site to begin build-out (one friend from Vancouver went with me to help), then got sick from dust inhalation, started having problems with the fire chief, and other difficult situations. By early November, just before we opened, I had lost thirteen pounds, had to move into an apartment, and was having conversations with lawyers regarding some situations that were developing.

In any case, we got the place open on time (November 19th) and to a very successful start. This location has been much stronger out of the gate than Vancouver was. It’s been interesting to say the least. I have a managing partner out there who is totally great. This was essential to opening.

You have two Tiki bars, one in Vancouver BC and one in Toronto. How do you manage both?

Rod- Without a minority partner who made the effort to put some money on the line, this wouldn’t have happened. I think it’s the only way to get someone truly invested and feel like it’s theirs. Otherwise, they can just walk away. With me being thousands of miles away, that’s not good.

What does the future look like for you and your Tiki bars? Is there a third Tiki bar on the way?

Rod- Who knows? Not at the moment, but I’m always open to ideas. I think at this point I’d rather have someone come along who sees the path I’ve forged and wants to open one almost like a franchise. I would set them up, build it, share the systems and procedures that make the ones I have work so well, such as understanding how to control payroll, where you should be located, how to price your drinks, how much your rent should be and so on. I have a pretty good handle on all this. Putting it in place for someone else would be an interesting exercise.

Not including the Shameful Tiki Room, what is your favorite Tiki bar and why?

Rod- I would have to say the Tiki Ti. I have friends there, my own mug on the back bar, and there’s something about the place that’s just so much fun. Certainly, I enjoy a few others like the Mai Kai, which is stunning, but the energy of Tiki Ti is almost magic.

What is your favorite Tiki drink?

Rod- The Navy Grog, but only if it’s made correctly. I’m a fan of the stronger, drier variety in general, but I really enjoy a Ray’s Mistake as well.

I would like to thank Rod for all the pictures used in this post!

Want to check out the Shameful Tiki room?

Here is the main website for both bars.

And Facebook page.

Want to see Rod in action with his band the Hang-Ten Hangmen?

Here is the band’s Facebook page.