Well, well, well another week gone and so its update time. Its been a strange old season so far for customers, I don't mean the customers are strange, I mean that most have been new and also many have returned after many years of being away. Some hadn't been since 2007 when I first opened and couldn't believe the transformation of the bar. So I've been thinking back to that first season. Also its nice for all the new blog followers to know how Oceanic has grown to what it is today.
When i first saw the property in Oct 2006 it had been closed since Aug 2005 and was hidden away behind huge rubber plants, a couple of trees and weeds that had all overgrown and covered the front of the of it so much so you couldn't see the building behind.
The bar used to be a greasy spoon café called Isis and to be honest with you if you saw the state of the kitchen you wouldn't have wanted to eat there, YUK!
I agreed to take on the property and Oceanic Was born on Oct 2006. Now you never set up a new business using the old name as they will just compare you to the old owners and to the old business, so I set up a competition on a Zakynthos website for the members to name the bar and the best name would get the winner a free night of drinks when they were on holiday.
The chairs were old and didn't sit even, the vinyl and padding all worn and broken and just all round horrible chairs. The tables were a disgusting grey mosaic cheque typical greasy spoon café type and everything inside was that bad I just threw it in the skip. I got to work refurbishing the building in Feb 2007 while I was also getting my bar papers sorted.
I knew it was a matter of spending as little as possible the first season so that hopefully I could break even, even though they say your first year in business should be a slight loss after all the set up costs.
Isis Café before I set to work on it.
I painted the chairs and re-covered them myself, I bought cheap coffee tables from Argos and had them sent over from UK, fitted 2 doors where they had put a serving hatch and that was it apart from a lick of paint, the least amount I could spend so I could open. I got open in May but not officially, I didn't actually get my full licence till June 6th 2007 but I had people in Kalamaki wanting to drink in the bar, so I opened and since that day I've never missed a nightly target that I've set.
The horrible chairs with Argos coffee tables, and my little wonky roof, Oceanic MK I.
From day one I knew I would run it alone without any staff , with low rent and running costs and no entertainment at all as this is just all extra money Sky TV, karaoke comperes, singers etc etc, to have all those things along with staff my targets would have to be double or even treble what I had set myself just to break even so why should I stress myself out giving myself unreal targets to hit with a bar with no repeat trade as yet.
Also with working the bar alone I could give my customers the service they deserve and could see every experience my customers were having, so if they didn't like a cocktail, no problem, I'll change it. If they thought the beer tasted funny, no problem, I'd change it. If they had any problem at all, no problem, I'd sort it. That way no unhappy customers (apart from one Hen night) and if ever a review is left anywhere about the bar I can tell if its false or not.
Nope, a chill out bar only using branded spirits is what I stuck to, plain, simple and cost effective. Also if it was going to be a chill out bar you wouldn't have all those things in it anyway.
Also with working the bar alone I could give my customers the service they deserve and could see every experience my customers were having, so if they didn't like a cocktail, no problem, I'll change it. If they thought the beer tasted funny, no problem, I'd change it. If they had any problem at all, no problem, I'd sort it. That way no unhappy customers (apart from one Hen night) and if ever a review is left anywhere about the bar I can tell if its false or not.
Nope, a chill out bar only using branded spirits is what I stuck to, plain, simple and cost effective. Also if it was going to be a chill out bar you wouldn't have all those things in it anyway.
My Greek friends said it would never work, one business owner called the bar "Stupid" and also a business owner who didn't even know anything about me or had talked to me told one of customers who he didn't know was one of my customer that a "Gay Boy owns it" LOL, don't think Helen would agree.
I had no idea how the bar was going to go, all I knew was that the resort was busy, exchange rate was 1.45€ to the pound and with only 40 seats to fill I had a good chance.
The 2007 season came and went and at the end of the first season I broke even which was a big surprise to me as that was better than I thought. Over that first season I would never have imagined that I would still be here 7 years on and going from strength to strength each year. I've had really great nights over the 7 years in Oceanic with my customers who I can honestly say have all been so great and lovely people, well almost all apart from one tourist this season, an elderly gent, very bad person indeed.
Every season I have added little touches and more lights, little by little so that the bar changes every year and doesn't get stuck in a rut until it gets to the point that where you have to fork out for a major re-vamp and you've lost all your customers.
Before I even opened in 2007 I had threats via e-mail not to open or bad things would happen, I've had threats over the years while I've been open, also minor and major damage done to my bar on purpose but I'm still here, still busier than ever and still a short ass balding Welshman LOL
Oceanic MK VII.
I have to give a big big thank you to Jeanette and Nigel for bringing me my food parcel of Crumpets and black pudding, oh my god. Love it.
But on the night they brought it in I had made that day a Spaghetti Bolognese with Farfalle pasta - Action Man Bow Ties (God bless Alan Partridge) for my tea when I got in from work. OOOOooh, what do I do, Pasta or Crumpets/black pudding, Pasta or Crumpets/black pudding.
Why not have both. Eat you heart Gordon, Heston suck on your snail porridge, Jamie kiss my lilly white ass.
This is the future of eating, Crumpets toasted till crispy, smothered with Lurpark (other butters are available), covered with grilled black pudding and topped off with my homemade Spaghetti Bolognese.
Eating at 5am in the morning after a busy night in the bar doesn't get much better than this LOL.
Oceanic Kev's Quick Fix Meal Time cook book will be available from major book stores and outlets for Christmas 2013.
I call it Cracketti.
Helen has been going on about wanting to buy a car out here but for some reason the sellers of cars either stupid or think the buyers are idiots as the prices for some of the pieces of junk I've seen up for sale have been laughable. But I think I may have found just what she wants.
One careful elderly gent owner, Hand painted by brush, fully air conditioned (Windows won't wind up), for day use only (no back lights), Comes with 2 spare tyres (already fitted), ideal on flat terrain, no tax or insurance needed (should be on scrap heap) with the added optional extra of a roof rack (maximum carriage weight 1lb). Perfect for shopping, stock car racing or driving off a cliff.
Seriously this car is still being driven around, if you see it hide in the nearest building to be safe LOL.
There is a big new supermarket in Kalamaki called Bazaar Discount, its not bad, some things are a bit cheaper than the other places in resort and they've got a good selection. While I was in there having a little nose around I fancied something sweet to have with my cup of tea. I came across these, they are cakes with a vanilla cream inside, they are called "Krapfen". Very tasty indeed. So I now enjoy a nice sweet cup of tea while I bite in to Krap ha ha.
I know this is a bit of old news I'm going to show you now but a few of you may not of seen or heard about it. Its to do with false disability claims on the island, its quite funny. No wonder Greece is in trouble.
A Zakynthian friend of mine in one of the town offices told me that when they were catching out the false claims they called one gent in to the office. He came in with his wife guiding him. They sat down at the opposite side of a desk to the government official. the official asked a few questions then pushed a piece of paper along the desk in front of the blind man who was wearing dark glasses. The official asked "Is that your signature?", at this point the gent looked down, lifted his glasses and said "No". BUSTED! LOL
This season been getting a hell of a lot of customers asking me about riots in Greece and didn't know whether to come here or not. All they see on UK news is the riots. Now those riots are in Athens, Athens is huge, the riots were in a tiny area compared to the size of Athens near the government buildings and in a few streets. So Crete has come up with a very clever advert that shows you what is being shown in the news and what is really happening over here. Take a look:-
Well my beloved blog followers I haven't got much more to write as the bar is still being relentless and most of my days are being taken up getting stuff for the bar from the night before. I have now moved the furniture around so I can fit 10 extra customers in but these seats are also being taken up so I have now made space for 4 more seats and a table if needed but that is right at the back, so if it looks full and you want to come in those seats can be made available to you no problem.
So the next update will be the 14th July as my Helen arrives on Thurs and as you know while she's here any spare time I have is spent with Helen, so until then I bid you farewell.
P.S. Going to see Depeche Mode with my world watched actor nephew Leighton Kyle in Birmingham, Jan 2014, lets hope we don't have to sleep rough there, now that would be scarey LOL
Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!
