UPDATE: Adrift Tiki Bar and Grill will reopen on Sept. 17.
has lately been living up to its name — and not in a good way, according to Paul Tamburello, who recently bought the themed restaurant on South Broadway.
Tamburello hopes to change that when he reopens the cocktail bar and restaurant later this month following a $100,000 makeover.
“They were seaworthy and staying afloat, but it wasn’t doing the numbers they had hoped,” said Tamburello, 54, a commercial real estate developer and the owner of the . “They have four stars on Yelp and , but for three years they literally had no general manager.”
Tamburello did not disclose how much he paid for the Polynesian-themed bar and eatery, which Jay Dedrick and Brent Kimball opened , and the sale has not yet posted publicly. But if past experience is any guide, Adrift is in for smart, slick makeover.
Tamburello has seen great success with Highland neighborhood properties such as Little Man Ice Cream (which he owns), Linger and Root Down in recent years.
But even with his experience in renovating disused properties, as well as expanding his redevelopment projects in recent months, Tamburello has never been in charge of running a restaurant.
“I’m excited, but I’m super nervous because I’m a rookie,” said Tamburello, who closed Adrift on Aug. 13 and plans to reopen on Aug. 31. “I know a lot of incredible restaurateurs, but I’ve never really done it myself.”
The new Adrift will feature a retooled food and drink menu, plus new design and decor — including input from a Hawaiian-born chef consultant recommended by Tamburello’s .
“We don’t just want to do a hamburger with a pineapple and call that tiki,” he said. “One thing on the menu will be something called Huli Huli Chicken, which has all these unique spices — kind of like barbecue for us in the states.”
Even if Adrift is a runaway success, Tamburello has no plans to expand his South Broadway footprint. He lost a “very serious” bid for the 101 S. Broadway space, formerly El Diablo, to a private group and sees Adrift as a means to an end for his philanthropic pursuits.
“I bought Adrift with the intention of (using it to) fund these trips overseas and offset the costs associated with that, where I’ll lead doctor’s groups and help people build houses and offer low-cost medical care,” Tamburello said. “It has more to do with where it fits in for me personally, and very little to do with the restaurant.”
