Tarantula Tiki Lounge
Tarantula Tiki Lounge
Tarantula Tiki Lounge will be located at 117 South Main St., next door to Morgan Mercantile.
Juan Ospino has his instruments set up in the corner of the new, but empty, Tarantula Tiki Lounge. He’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt and wrapped in what appears to be a foil blanket tied in a bow, making him look a little like a tropical baked potato. He plays his electric flute along with a mix of other electronic doodads while his performance streams to thousands of people watching through their Facebook feed. Tarantula’s Venmo account is displayed on the bottom of the viewers’ screens.
Ospino, along with other local musicians and bar staff, came together last Friday for Tarantula’s Tiki-athon, a 2-hour, live-streamed variety show put together by media production company Texas Producer. It’s a little unconventional and wacky, but following the second shutdown of bars last month by Governor Greg Abbott, businesses like Tarantula have to flex their creative muscles again to make ends meet.
“It was really fun,” co-owner Autumn Brackeen says. “We made one full month’s rent out of the kindness and generosity of our friends and community that were watching.”
Brackeen and her business partners spent three years planning Tarantula’s opening only to be shut down 10 days later. While she understands that closing again is necessary as local COVID-19 numbers spike, she feels like Abbott is scapegoating the bar industry.
“I'm not saying that I want to be open right now because the numbers do not reflect that that's a wise decision,” she says. “But I don't think closing one small industry is the answer here. You've got people at churches. You've got people hanging out at sporting events. You've got people packing the patios at [restaurants]. It just doesn't make sense to me.”
Tarantula is considering offering take-out cocktails during the closure, but they’ll have to make some adjustments and serve food to meet TABC rules. Their menu would likely be limited, too, since serving a fiery Screaming Skull to-go would be difficult. Brackeen hopes people are receptive to the idea.
“Of course, it is cheaper to go to the liquor store and get your booze,” she says. “But spending a little bit of extra money to get to-go drinks and maybe a snack or a dinner — it might be the lifeline that keeps a lot of places alive.”
Tarantula is grateful for the support they’ve seen from the community, but Brackeen says she’s concerned that she hasn't received any assistance or guidance from the state.
“At least the first time when we were shut down back in March, there were [loans and grants],” she says. “There’s been none of that. I know the bar owners feel really hung out to dry.”
If bars don’t get help soon, they may not survive a second shut down.
“I think you're going to see a lot of empty spaces where bars used to be, which is scary because most of these bars are mom-and-pop places,” Brackeen says. “I think you're going to have a lot of out-of-work service industry. I think a lot of people are going to lose a sense of community.”