Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/17/tiki-bar-pulls-thousands-of-do.html
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The good Thanos. 
(Yeah, I know, he probably gets that on the regular, all the more since the movie, but booyah to him and his bar for turning an embarrassment of success into a wonderful thing. More people like Michael Thanos in the world please.)
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Good on them. It was getting to be a fire hazzard.
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There’s always money in the cabana stand.
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Used to live on Encinal in Alameda, it was a short walk over to the Forbidden I. I went mostly when I had the cash to drink the expensive umbrella drinks, it’s a real hoot. Also try the Lucky 13 on Park & Encinal, always a great time.
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Not to diminish the quirkiness or generosity, but tacking up bills in bars is apparently not uncommon, and neither is donating the proceeds.
Saw the same done when I visited the No Name Pub on Big Pine Key.
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A bar in my grandmothers home town in Arizona did the same thing, but instead of donating it to charity the owner was using it as a way to launder money.
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The explanation I heard for how this practice originated in dockside bars (like the nearby Heinold’s Saloon in Jack London Square) was that sailors heading out for a months-long deployment wanted to know that they’d be able to grab a drink immediately on return without having to run to a bank to cash their paychecks first. So they’d leave a dollar tacked to the wall behind the bar with their name written on it with the intent of spending it after a long and often dangerous tour of duty.
In those cases, the presence of the aging bills is a haunting memorial of sorts to the sailors who didn’t come back.
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Forbidden Island is nice… if too dark for recording video: (on my cheap camera) St. James Infirmary Blues
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I am lucky that this is my corner bar. Loving the choices to donate to, and looking forward to watching the ceiling get filled up again.
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I’ve seen similar news on multiple bars over the years so yeah it’s not original but it doesn’t have to be. Sounds like a neat bar though, i know there’s a couple of tiki bars where i live but they’re all crazy expensive because it’s Austin. Pretty much of all of the cocktail places are boujee and i don’t have that kind of money.
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Can confirm that tiki bars in the Bay Area are also overly expensive.
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The Arrested Development video:
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Nice to see my local Tiki bar made it on Boing Boing!
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Came here for this reference.
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I used to live in Alameda just over a mile from there. How did I never know about this?
ETA ah, it opened a few years after I left/escaped. Carry on.
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China Clipper calling Alameda.
China Clipper calling Alameda.
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Forbidden Island is a truly great bar, and one of the things I miss about the Bay Area. I’m glad to hear they’re continuing to prosper.
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Not only that, they know how to mix a proper Suffering Bastard, a great drink.
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