It started with a simple folding Table and some food and drinks. My friend Bob dragged me to a Jones Beach Jimmy Buffett concert. I, of course knew who jimmy buffett was. I knew the popular songs but that was all. I had no interest in going to his concert. "NO, you don't understand" said bob, "It's all about the parking lot. It's awesome. We bring a table and food and drinks. It's a blast."
Why not? I'll check it out. I agreed to go. i listened to the best of jimmy buffett for a few weeks to get oriented and put myself in a beachy mood.
the moment I arrived I felt the calling ... I understood these people. I WAS these people. I enjoyed the partying and the concert that first year but I knew I would not be content until I participated fully. until I could make my mark on jimmy buffett parking lot partying.
I decided that I needed to build a tiki bar. Nothing crazy - just a place people would cozy up to and enjoy some drinks. I told my other friends about the jimmy buffett parking lot experience and what I wanted to do. my friend, Mike B., offered me an old fold-out wooden bar that his parents had left him. I added a grass skirt to the front and attached a pair of tiki torches and we had an instant tiki bar. it was small but it generated the feel. I adorned it with some appropriate beachy bar items and we were in business.
As you can see from the pictures, the first bar was very modest. but we still drew a crowd. perhaps it was the free drinks and dj music, but I'd like to think it was our fun loving spirit and personality. The rest was a natural progression - after each year I thought about how we could improve the next time and we added more each time.
This was a labor of love. tons of planning time. tons of prep time. tons of bartending. tons of clean up. but it was worth every minute. and every dollar.
Enjoy the pictures and join bob, me, vin, woody, gary, roxanne and all the others who helped make these jones beach jimmy buffett parking lot parties epic!!
#jbtikibar
- Jay
Thank you!