‘Getaway in your own backyard’ — Escape into Windsor’s first tiki bar

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Stumbling upon Windsor’s first tiki-inspired bar feels like uncovering a best-kept secret.

Part of its appeal is the collection of boozy rum-based drinks, Easter Island-themed glassware, and walls plastered with pages torn out of vintage surfing magazines.

This hazy, dimly lit hideaway in Walkerville beckons you to sidle up to the bar and drift off on island time as the surf rock plays on in the background, all while enjoying a Mai Tai or two.

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Even so, half the fun is finding it, and it certainly helps if you know the owner.

That’s partly how the latest addition to Walkerville’s vibrant nightlife scene earned it’s unique name — I Know the Owner.

“We’re always trying to do something a little bit out of the box for Windsor and add something that isn’t necessarily here yet,” said co-owner Rosemary Woods of F&B Hospitality Group, the creator behind some of the neighbourhood’s trendy spots.

“It’s a fun place to escape in Windsor. We don’t call this a speakeasy, but it is kind of a speakeasy. When you come in here, you don’t know if it’s day or night.”

I Know the Owner (Ikto Tiki) takes inspiration from well-known tiki bars like Mutiny and The Skip in Detroit, Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, and The Shameful Tiki Room in Toronto. It joins a wave of tiki-themed temporary pop-ups around the city.

The goal here, said bar manager Nick Friars, is to give each visitor to this snug 30-seat venue a theatrical experience.

“It’s more of an event than just cracking a couple beers,” added Friars.

Cocktails come out in one-of-a-kind glassware — a cobra, a pirate, even a calavera — topped with colourful garnishes. For something extra, you can order sharable bowls for two or four that arrive to the table smoking or ablaze.

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Windsor’s first tiki bar is a departure from the group’s previous ventures in the basement space at the corner of Wyandotte Street East and Argyle Road. The first was F&B, an intimate spot for cocktails and small plates, before transitioning to Slices Pizza during the pandemic. It later returned as F&B for a couple of years.

The arrival of I Know the Owner complements the restaurant group’s other establishments in Walkerville.

Right next door is the Asian fusion restaurant Funky Chow Kitchen, while just a block away is Grand Cantina, a taqueria that relocated from Ford City to the historic Strathcona Building earlier this year, and Taloola Cafe, which the group acquired after the pandemic.

“I feel like a lot of the times when we open a place, we always get people saying that they feel like they’re somewhere else, like they’re on vacation,” said F&B Hospitality Group’s co-owner and chef John Alvarez.

“It’s like little getaway in your own backyard.”

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With more restaurants and bars opening their doors in the trendy Windsor area, Woods sees it as an encouraging sign that people will remain in the neighbourhood and explore other businesses, even while waiting for a seat at I Know the Owner, which doesn’t take reservations.

“You can build an evening around having a fun experience going to a bunch of places, rather than just going out to dinner and going home,” said Woods.

I Know the Owner is located at 2090 Wyandotte St. E. Open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. until late, Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Visit the fandbhospitalitygroup.com for more information.

mmazak@postmedia.com

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