Forbidden Island

What Forbidden Island does

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge is a privately held, single-location tiki bar and restaurant operating at 1304 Lincoln Ave. in Alameda's historic Bay Station Shopping District, California. Founded in April 2006 by brothers Michael and Mano Thanos with tiki mixologist Martin Cate (who departed in 2008), the venue is now owner-operated by Michael Thanos and presents itself as a full-service tropical cocktail and dining destination targeting 21+ adult consumers. The core offering is an extensive cocktail program built around signature drinks (Forbidden Island grog, China Clipper), traditional tiki classics (Mai Tai, Navy Grog, Painkiller), pre-1960s cocktail classics, and non-rum spirits, supported by what management describes as one of the largest premium rum selections in the country at 150+ sugar cane spirits.

The underlying technology stack is standard hospitality tooling rather than proprietary infrastructure: a Heartland POS system for payment and gift card processing, OpenTable for third-party reservations, and Shopify for branded merchandise e-commerce. The product differentiator is content depth rather than technology — a proprietary recipe library, house-made syrups using pure cane sugar, custom Kapu tiki mugware, and the Kill Devil Club rum membership program featuring 100+ curated rums with achievement-based rewards and an exclusive 50+ rare/aged rum KD 2.0 collection.

Revenue is generated through four streams: in-house beverage sales (cocktails priced $15-$22, with group experiences up to $80), bar bites/food ($8-$20 per item), private event hosting (weekend afternoon minimums of $500 bar spend plus 20% gratuity, with custom cocktail options), and ancillary e-commerce (branded merchandise and e-gift cards). Distribution is omnichannel in a limited sense — primary revenue is walk-in service at the Alameda bar with reservations recommended weekends, supplemented by online merchandise and gift card sales that reach customers outside the local catchment area. Customer acquisition relies on earned media, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), an email newsletter, Yelp/word-of-mouth, and direct reservations. The business has accumulated substantial brand equity through 19 years of press coverage (Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, Food and Wine Magazine) and industry accolades, but operates with no disclosed institutional capital, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue or headcount figures.

Name

Forbidden Island

Legal name

Forbidden Island

Website

https://forbiddenislandalameda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forbidden Island is a privately held, single-location tiki bar and lounge in Alameda, California, founded in 2006, serving 21+ adult consumers with award-winning cocktails, 150+ premium rums, and the Kill Devil Club membership program, plus private events and merchandise e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tiki Bar / Cocktail Lounge

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bars & Pubs (Non-Music) (MPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Tiki bar lounge
• Craft cocktail bar
• Premium rum selection
• Private party venue
• Bar bites restaurant

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling cocktails, premium rums, beers, and non-alcoholic beverages. Average drink price approximately $15. Features extensive cocktail menu including house specials, traditional tiki drinks, cocktail classics, and one of the largest premium rum selections in the country.
2. Food Sales: Secondary revenue from bar bites and appetizers including Caribbean-style patties, chicken bites, coconut shrimp, waffle fries, guacamole, and other snacks.
3. Private Events: Revenue from hosting private parties on weekend afternoons. Requires $500 bar spend minimum plus 20% gratuity. Offers custom cocktail creation for parties for an additional fee.
4. Merchandise and Gift Cards: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including limited edition mugs, apparel, and other items through Shopify storefront. Also sells e-gift cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge operates a single-location, tropical-themed bar and restaurant in Alameda, California, serving handcrafted classic and contemporary tiki cocktails, one of the largest premium rum selections in the country (150+ rums), and bar bites. The venue also hosts private parties on its outdoor Tiki Garden and Patio, and operates the Kill Devil Club sub-brand, an elite rum membership program with 100+ premium rums and VIP benefits.

Product overview

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge is a tropical vacation restaurant offering a complete tiki bar experience. The core offering is the dining and cocktail service featuring a diverse menu of signature cocktails (Forbidden Island grog, China Clipper), traditional tiki drinks (Mai Tai, Navy Grog, Painkiller), cocktail classics, and one of the largest premium rum selections in the country (150+ rums). The Kill Devil Club is an elite sub-brand membership program for rum enthusiasts. Additional offerings include a food menu (Bar Bites), private party services, merchandise store, e-gift cards, non-alcoholic mocktails, and shared cocktail bowls for groups. The establishment operates as a single physical location with online retail for merchandise and gift cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kill Devil Club: An elite rum club within Forbidden Island featuring over 100 premium rums, with members working through a curated list to earn rewards including custom plaques, pins, and discounts.

Products and services

• Signature Cocktails Award-winning house specialty cocktails including the signature Forbidden Island grog and China Clipper, served in custom Kapu tiki mugs. Sold to walk-in patrons 21+ at the Alameda bar.
• Traditional Tiki Drinks Classic tiki cocktails including Classic Mai Tai, Island Mai Tai, Boo Loo, Navy Grog, Painkiller, and other traditional recipes prepared for bar patrons.
• Cocktail Classics Pre-1960's classic cocktails such as 3 Dots and a Dash, French 75, Hemingway Daiquiri, Hurricane, and Old Cuban.
• Premium Rums One of the largest premium rum selections in the country featuring 150+ sugar cane spirits from around the globe, including Bay Area distillers and the Kill Devil Club program.
• Bar Bites Menu Small food menu featuring Caribbean-style Patties, Chicken Bites, Corn Dogs, Waffle Fries, Guacamole, Coconut Shrimp, Mozzarella sticks, Edamame, and other appetizers priced $8-$20.
• Non-Alcoholic Cocktails Virgin/mocktail versions of popular drinks including Virgin Classic Mai Tai ($10), Virgin Monkeypod, Virgin Painkiller ($12), Virgin Colada, and Virgin Planet of the Apes ($14).
• Private Parties Event hosting services for private parties on weekend afternoons with a $500 bar spend minimum plus 20% gratuity, custom cocktail creation options, IPTV screen setup, and outdoor tropical patio seating for 20-30 guests.
• Kill Devil Club Elite rum tasting membership program featuring 100+ premium rums, achievement tracking with custom plaques on the rum shelf, VIP benefits including limited edition pins with front-of-line privileges for events, and lifetime 10% discount for members.
• Merchandise Store Online retail store for branded merchandise including limited edition mugs, apparel, glassware, and other items sold via Shopify storefront.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase through the Heartland POS system for use at the bar.
• Shared Experience Cocktails (Pools of Paradise) Shared cocktail bowls for groups including Haumea's Gift, Scorpion Bowl, Fugu For Two ($30), Giant Scorpion ($35 for 2 / $50 for 4), and Virgin Sacrifice.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Trader Sam's: Disney-operated tiki bar concepts at Disney parks and resorts. Comparable as a themed tropical cocktail bar with a curated rum and tiki cocktail menu, but operates at much larger institutional scale and as part of a broader Disney portfolio.
• Death & Co: Multi-location award-winning craft cocktail bar group. Comparable as a high-end craft cocktail concept with strong national brand recognition, proprietary recipes, and a bartender-celebrity reputation, though focused on non-tiki craft cocktails.

Direct peers

• Hale Pele: Portland, Oregon tiki bar offering classic tiki cocktails in an immersive Polynesian-themed setting. Directly comparable as a single-location craft tiki cocktail bar with food add-ons.
• Smuggler's Cove: Award-winning tiki bar in San Francisco with an extensive rum program founded by Martin Cate (Forbidden Island's co-founder who left in 2008). Operates the same craft-tiki-cocktail, rum-collection business model in the same Bay Area market.
• Foundation Bar: Detroit tiki bar with a curated rum list and classic tiki cocktail program. Comparable as an independent craft tiki bar in a major metro, with a similar enthusiast-driven following.
• Three Dots and a Dash: Iconic Chicago tiki bar from the Land and Sea Dept. group. Comparable as a craft cocktail tiki concept with premium rum offerings, group-format drinks, and strong national press recognition.
• Tiki Ti: Legendary family-owned tiki bar in Los Angeles. Comparable as an independent, single-location tiki lounge with classic cocktails and a deeply loyal enthusiast following built over decades.
• Mai-Kai Restaurant & Polynesian Show: Historic Fort Lauderdale tiki destination combining immersive Polynesian atmosphere with classic tiki cocktails and a famous rum program. Direct peer as a destination tiki venue with food and cocktail focus.
• Jungle Bird: Sacramento tiki bar offering tropical-themed cocktails and a wide rum selection. Nearby regional peer with a comparable tiki concept and walk-in/revenue model.
• The Polynesian (by Brian McCullough): New York City tiki bar featuring classic tiki cocktails and an extensive rum selection. Directly comparable as a single-site urban tiki cocktail destination.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForbiddenIsland
• Facebookfacebook.com/forbiddenisland
• Instagraminstagram.com/forbiddenisland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forbidden-island-tiki-lounge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forbidden Island