BizBash New York
BizBash New York
   ADVERTISE   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   ABOUT US  |  RSS
EVENT REPORT   09.27.06 PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
Overstuffed Beach Party Opens Hawaiian Tropic
Before fire marshals barred the door, Hawaiian Tropic Zone opened its new Times Square restaurant with an expanse of beach and boardwalk—and a bunch of models in swimsuits.
It may have been a chilly night in New York, but that didn’t seem to matter much to the giddy bikini-clad models cavorting outside the new Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant. The occasion was the opening night of the Times Square venue—a spectacle involving a sandy beach, surf gear, and beach umbrellas, as well as a number of scantily dressed models. Besides selling suntan lotion, Hawaiian Tropic also holds bikini competitions—and now, with Nicole Miller-designed staff bathing suits and chef David Burke of David Burke & Donatella behind the menu, the company has made the foray into dining with Riese Restaurants.
CONTINUED >

The day before the event, crews in parked trucks prepared items for the faux seashore and just after midnight (when the sidewalk permit became active) 700 pounds of sand arrived to create the beach setting.

Riese looked to Harrison & Shriftman to produce the event—and Hilary Broderick, the firm’s senior production manager, collaborated with Travis Bass on the design concept, which included beach plants and shells set amid the sand dunes, a boardwalk (used in lieu of a red carpet), a 16-foot-high lifeguard tower (built over a functioning street telephone booth), and a working hot tub (for models to splash in, naturally).

The swirl of food, sand, and skin eventually caused such a stir that fire marshals closed the door at around 10 PM, an hour before the party was scheduled to end. While some reports say that stopped the party—we were gone by then—Harrison & Shriftman reps told us yesterday the party went on inside, and there weren’t any permit violations.

Mark Mavrigian

Posted 09.27.06

Related Stories

Texas CVB Drives Herd Into Times Square

Playful Publicity Stunts

Underwear Launch Has (.php!) Lots of Skin  

 

Hawaiian Tropic Zone opening
Hawaiian Tropic Zone
Thursday, 09.21.06, 8 PM to 11 PM

Audiovisual Production/Sound Jonathan Cruz Productions
Design/Production/PR Harrison & Shriftman
DJ Sky Nellor
Event Design Travis Bass
Security Knight Security
Skytracker/Entry Ropes Miller's Skytracker and Premiere Rental Services
Venue/Catering Hawaiian Tropic Zone

Search Our Venue Directory