New Tiki Bar Coming to Downtown Phoenix

A new tiki destination is opening in downtown Phoenix.Photo byKike Salazar NonUnsplash

Tiki had a moment a few decades ago. Whatever town you visited, there was at least one tiki restaurant or cantina. The look and vibe are entirely different from anything else out there. However, as is the case with just about everything, the trend evolved, and the restaurant industry moved into an industrial decor, with oversized garaged doors, exposed plumbing, and unfinished ceilings. But all good things come back around, including tiki, and now a new tiki restaurant and bar is in the works and will open in downtown Phoenix in the coming months. 

You might not recognize the name Julian Wright, but chances are you have been to some of the restaurants he’s created. Pedal Haus Brewery is one of the most popular, though other spots like Lucky’s Indoor Outdoor is another attractive draw. All of his restaurants tend to lean heavily into the decor, and few restaurants fully embrace extreme decor like the world of tiki restaurants. In many ways, a good tiki restaurant is more about the decorations and vibe than anything else. Fall short in the decorations and the rest of the food and drinks simply don’t work. 

The new restaurant, which is expected to open early in 2025, will be called Tropic Thunder. Whether the restaurant is planning on incorporating movie elements into the decor, or if it’s just leaching off the popularity of the comedy movie is yet to be determined. Regardless, the destination promises to be a new-age tweak of the classic tiki, taking elements of dive bars and merging it into traditional tiki. Much like the name, we will have to wait and see how the look pans out. 

The small destination will be located at 1014 North Second Street in Phoenix. It will be operated by the team at Fork & Dagger Hospitality, which specializes in offering unique experiences, both in terms of food and drink but the look and vibe as well. Each of the current locations in the group's portfolio is drastically different from the next. Beyond the two mentioned earlier, Fork & Dagger also runs Kahvi Coffee, and Sake Haus. The new tiki establishment will be in addition to a Mexican coastal cantina the group is also opening up in downtown Phoenix. Neither new location has an official launch date, other than early 2025. Chances the openings will be stagnated though, to give each a proper launch and to build the hype around the new downtown options.