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As if Trader Vic crashed on the wrong side of Gilligan’s Island

High-Proof’s newest venue opens in a repurposed airplane fuselage

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

July 25, 2018

7 Slides
As if Trader Vic crashed on the wrong side of Gilligan’s Island
Ashley Batz

Ever wonder what it would be like to crash land in the jungle? Last Rites, which opened in San Francisco earlier this month, aims to offer that experience — with a strong cocktail and a touch of “Polynesian Noir.”

The bar by operator High-Proof is located in the body of an old airplane, outfitted with vintage plane parts. Banyon tree roots and foliage, fake boulders and nine-foot stone idols create an atmosphere reminiscent of being marooned in the jungle. 

But Justin Lew, co-founder of High-Proof and Last Rites, said the bar is much more than its unconventional design similarity to other tiki bars.

At just under 2,000-square-feet, Last Rites is designed to be an “adventure” bar where the environment is meant to drive the customer’s experience.

“We really wanted to provide a seamless experience with every detail following the storyline,” said Lew. 

Tropical cocktails are on the menu at Last Rites, and range from the Last Rites Mai Tai to a house specialty named for a character in “Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark.” 

High-Proof is also known as the operator of Horsefeathers in San Francisco. 

Here’s a look at the new Last Rites:

Contact Holly Petre at [email protected] 

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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