Today we’d like to introduce you to James and Kerrie Oppedisano.
James and Kerrie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born into the business and started working at a young age, ever since I could remember really. For a while, I was a manager at Starbucks, where I met my wife. I also worked in advertising sales for years, which let me live in a few different states with my family, but I still worked in the business on and off through my travels.
Working / Owning the business now is different for me then it was when I was younger. I truly enjoy it more and realized that it’s a part of me. I started bartending when I was 15 and thought it was awesome. Come on, how many high school sophomores could say they tend bar? Now, I do it because this tiki bar is really like a part of me. A part of my family. One that taught me many of the things that have turned me into the person I am today.
Coming back to it is like visiting a part of me that I haven’t for a while.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road. There were not struggles along the way, there were roadblocks and pitfalls. Many of them.
As a business, the Hala Kahiki wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t family owned. At the beginning, the Hala was a success and had been for a while. When I was a kid though, in the early 80’s, there was a different story I remember. My mother and uncle playing trivial pursuit on a Sunday evening, with me all of 7 -8 years old, sitting at the bar with them because we were so slow. They all worked their backsides off for no money. My grandparents sold their possessions, investments, and real estate so they wouldn’t lose the place. They even put the place up for sale at one point hoping to end the money bleeding. Then in the early-mid 90’s there was a tiki bar boom, and my family saw all of their hard work and sacrifice rewarded. When I inherited the business in January of 2011 my story was different, but still very much the same.
Although my grandparents were effective owners/operators, my mother and uncle were not. After my grandparents passed away, the business and real estate was passed on to my mother and uncle. They didn’t run the business very well, and even though they didn’t own the business for long (6 years), by the time I inherited it, it was in very bad financial shape. I almost lost the business several times in the first year due to the many debts owed. I was so unsure about the future of the business that I stayed working/living in Wisconsin Monday – Friday. On Friday after work, I would come home and my wife would have the kids, dogs, and luggage packed up. I would be at the bar Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Then Sunday night we would drive back up to Wisconsin to do it all over again. My wife and I did that for 18 months before we saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
That light was brought about by changing over almost the entire staff, deep cleaning the entire place from top to bottom. installing a system for increasing speed of service, and making many upgrades to the drink ingredients. Now, through many years of blood sweat and tears, we’ve been able to see some of the fruit of our labor.
Please tell us about Hala Kahiki Lounge.
We are a 53 year old tiki bar in the Chicagoland area. We are known for being one of the oldest tiki bars in the country. When you walk into the Hala Kahiki, you’re walking into what a tiki bar would have looked like 53 years ago. That’s what really sets us apart.I love the fact that as we make updates to the business, we still keep the same feeling that people have come to expect from us.
One of the things that makes me proudest is excellent service that all of the servers and bartenders give. When I took over the business the service reviews were poor, so the 180 that we’ve done makes me very proud.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing really. As I went along I made the best decisions I possibly could at the time. True, hindsight is 20/20, but I firmly believe the right choices were made. Even if there was a quicker route, I’m not sure I would want to take it. I might not have learned the same important lessons along the way.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2834 RIVER RD
River Grove Il 60171 - Website: www.chicagotikibar.com
- Phone: 7084563222
- Email: jim@chicagtikibar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/728950/hala-kahiki-tiki-bar-lounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehalakahiki/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHalaKahiki
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hala-kahiki-tiki-bar-and-lounge-river-grove
Image Credit:
Derrick Pugh, Michelle Bierbower
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