by Debbi | May 19, 2009 | Random Questions, Trinkets and Toys
The Sandbar has been serving our famous Bahama Mamas adorned with toys for as long as I can remember. 
Over the years, we've seen plenty of trinkets and toys come and go- some have become perennial favorites and others have quietly been retired and never seen again.
We probably order new toys at least once a month, and we try to mix it up a little so the regular Bahama Mama drinkers don't end up taking the same thing home every week. It's that time again, and as we were perusing our catalog to find a hot new toy, it seemed like a good time to ask our fans for some help.
What's your favorite Bahama Mama toy?
Nearly three years ago, I posed this very same question. Back then, not very many people read this blog and I didn't get very many responses. Fourteen, to be exact. And 42% of those people like the rubber duckies the best, closely followed by the squeezable putty-eyed characters.
Now that I have a few more readers, it will be interesting to see if the results are the same.
The new poll is over to the right of the page, you can't miss it- it's bright. Cast your vote!
by Debbi | Jul 5, 2008 | Newsworthy, Random Questions
One of my all-time favorite lines from one of my all-time favorite movies. First person to guess the movie gets a prize.
I was flipping through the recent issue of Redbook magazine (yes, I subscribe, don’t laugh) and noticed a funny little tidbit.
According to the magazine, watering holes around the country are starting to hold “kids nights,” so their alcohol-craving parents can still go out and not have to worry about a babysitter. Some of the ladies who were interviewed for the piece thought it was a great idea, while others were horrified.
So, what do you think? Bring the kids or leave them at home? Don’t worry, no matter what your answer is, The Sandbar isn’t going to be allowing the youngsters in the bar anytime soon. Until we are blessed (?) with little Daves, and then I’ll be on the receiving end of that movie line.
by Debbi | May 15, 2008 | Random Questions
Brooke sent me this, I have no idea if there's any truth to the "facts" or not, but I thought it was funny.
A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles a year.
Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.
That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon. Kind of makes you proud to be American.
What do you all think? How many miles to the gallon do you get?
by Debbi | Feb 24, 2008 | Random Questions
Last month I asked you what the best bar food at The Sandbar is, and the results are in.
It seems that our good old popcorn, the staple snack that’s been consistently available throughout The Sandbar’s existence, is still everyone’s favorite. Almost half of the votes were for popcorn. After that, though, it was a pretty close vote.
About the same number of you like hot wings or peanuts the best, and after that, our cheese dip and chips and salsa are tied. Our newest snack, hot dogs, just doesn’t seem to have a lot of fans. Maybe the staff eats too many of them and the customers haven’t had a chance to try them?
by Debbi | Jan 17, 2008 | Random Questions
What’s your favorite bar food?
Over the years we’ve experimented with different quick snacks in Lawrence. We wanted to give the customers something to eat while they drink, without becoming a full-fledged restaurant. Food became a necessity when we opened a second location in Ottawa; in order to get a liquor license in that town, a certain percentage of sales must come from food. So down there, you can get sandwiches and soups and appetizers all day and night.
Popcorn has been around since the beginning days of the bar (although the original popcorn machine has thankfully been replaced.) And wings on Fridays- usually from Jefferson’s– have been a staple for a lot of years also. We’ve had peanuts, nachos, shrimp, and cheese and crackers available at various times; currently we have free chips and salsa (from La Familia, yum!) on Wednesdays. Occasionally we still bring out the cheese and crackers for advance-notice events (or cheese dip, if it’s really a special occasion).
Not too long ago, Dave scored a hot dog warmer. He manages to find interesting things in even more interesting places; thus began our foray into serving gourmet hot dogs and potato chips. So far it seems to be going over well, though it’s possible that the employees eat more hot dogs than the customers.
So what do you think? What bar food necessity have we missed? Which one should become a permanent option? Vote for your favorite in our new poll, and leave a comment if your choice isn’t listed.
by Debbi | Dec 12, 2007 | Christmas, Random Questions
Every year, we have a party. Well, we actually have lots of parties throughout the year, but the Christmas/holiday/whatever PC term you want to call it is a highlight. Actually, I like this new all-inclusive holiday name. Read about last year’s party here.
We eat, drink, and fight over gifts. Over the years, there have been some truly interesting gifts show up at this party. As you might expect, the females in the group typically bring nice gifts. Bath stuff, home decor, wine, candles. Things the other females might like. The men on the other hand…you just never know.
Each year the gifts get more and more outrageous as the group tries to top last year’s hit gift.
We want to know what you think was the best gift. I’ve searched the dark corners of my brain to remember the silly/crazy/obnoxious/disgusting things that have made an appearance through the years, and I think I have a pretty good list.
Go ahead and vote in the poll over on the right side of the page. Let us know what was the best- and yes, we all define "best" in different ways.
1. The Helmet. I think it was Ron who brought this one? {Help me out here, Peanut Gallery.} Found on the side of the road and quickly converted into an oddly-shaped gift that garnered lots of attention, both before and after it was opened.
2. The Lottery Tickets. Sadly, none of them paid off big for whoever ended up with them. But wouldn’t it have been cool if someone at our party scratched off a big winner?
3. The Inflatable Basketball Goal. It quickly took up residence in the corner of the bar. The helmet came in handy for the game that followed.
4. A Year of Playboy. This gift might have been more financially lucrative than the lottery tickets, because Anna Nicole Smith was on the cover of at least one of them.
5. The Lawn Gnome. Heather wouldn’t part with it all night. I don’t think anyone actually wanted to steal it anyway, but we humored her by letting her think we all wanted it.
6. Tide. A shiny (new!) orange bottle of liquid detergent. No one wanted to end the gift game and take it, they wanted to keep fighting over the previously opened gifts. I finally decided that this was one of the more useful gifts in the bunch and put a stop to the madness by grabbing it.
There you have it. My nominations for Best Sandbar Gift. If you disagree, leave your nomination in the comments.
