Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Platt.
Hi Kimberly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Aloha, my wife Lisa and I started as a food truck in 2011. We bought the property in Downtown Dunedin 6+ years ago. We have opened in Feb. 2016, Licensed for 50 seats with beer and wine and food service license and expanded our footprint and capacity to 150 seats and a full liquor license on 1/1/2020. This year we have overcome many challenges and keep coming out in a good space. We have the drive and vision to hopefully make it all the way through this pandemic and come out on the other side with all the Aloha we know how to give! With the addition of the tiki bar, we have built a space to be slowly known as one of Dunedin’s and Tampa Bays Premier Authentic Polynesian Tiki Bar. And we are not done yet!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s the restaurant business we have had so many. Employees, everyone always has something going on, and this year has been no different and worse than the daily struggles. We have had some life-changing employee incidents – two passed away this year, two have cancer. Contractors cost us thousands in redoing their spotty work on top of bringing powder-post beetles that led to full tent fumigation of the property. oh and a pandemic…. 🙂
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are an authentic Polynesian restaurant and tiki bar. We are LGBTQ and Army Veteran owned and operated. We offer traditional cocktails such as a Painkiller and Suffering Bastard and some of our own new classics such as an Ocean Breeze and Pele’s Revenge. Our food is unique and comforting all in the same. We have recently partnered with a Hawaiian fish company that overnights us fresh Hawaiian fish weekly from Honolulu and the Big Island. Our daily food/drink specials are where we shine. We have an amazing space for events and hold several each month. We host anything from elegant rum pairing dinners to meet and greet the owls and tortoises from a local rescue park near us. We offer live music and entertainment from Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, to live music, we host a women’s drum circle, all for one drum circle, fire hula hoopers, Belly and Polynesian dancers and a yearly Luau with fire dancers, authentic music and an IMU pig roast. We are working on our next project of recreating the inside dining spaces we have and are adding a private Rum bar and jungle-themed private dining room. Our space is largely outdoor seating, which makes us very attractive for diners in this covid aware time in our world.
We have and will always offer to-go food and drinks for those who want something different in the comfort of their own home or at a local park for a picnic, which has become so common in these 2020 days. The one thing about us is that we never stop creating and hosting fun events. We give our staff the ability to be creative and encourage it! We come from a food safety background, so you can guarantee that we always have and always will follow all safe practices for food and humans. Puppies too! We offer a dog menu for your favorite furry friend and have been called overly dog friendly. We offer a Keiki (children’s) menu for 12 and under. However, our Tiki bar is an adult playground and guests are required to be 21 to enter. The front Lanai and inside are plentiful for families and anyone under 21 years of age. We welcome you all and look forward to meeting you on your next visit.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My wife and I are both type-A personalities, and that really shows in the work product we produce. Whether it’s food, drink, or ambiance, we give it 100%.
Contact Info:
- Email: thehonurestaurant@gmail.com
- Website: www.thehonurestaurant.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehonu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHONU
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-honu-dunedin
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