The swinging culture of Hawaii is thousands of years old and traces its origins, traditions and lifestyle to the Polynesians, who voyaged from the Asia-Pacific to settle down in Hawaii. Down the ages, people from all over the world have been fascinated by the unique culture, cuisine and lifestyle that has emerged from this amalgamation.
Closer to home in Bengaluru, engineers Vamsi Mareddy, Siddarth Ravindranath and Raghavendra Gowda have tried to replicate the Hawaiian experience with their Polynesian-themed tiki bar in Indiranagar, called Three Dots and a Dash. The name is inspired from a drink made by one of the greatest cocktail creators, Ernest Raymond Gantt aka Don the Beachcomber. Also, three dots and a dash is the Morse code for the letter ‘V’, which was used to symbolise victory in World War II. Gantt created the drink as a tribute to the American soldiers who fought in World War II.
When the three—all in their 30s—decided to start Three Dots, they had no experience in the F&B Industry. Their engineering and MBA degrees earned them well-paying corporate jobs, but they wanted to explore an idea that would set them apart from the pack. Their love for travel and food was the inspiration for the restaurant.
During one of his travels abroad, Siddarth was fascinated by the art of preparing and serving cocktails in a tiki bar. He noticed that the bartenders had extraordinary intensity and passion while making a drink and wanted every customer to be happy. This was when Siddharth decided to pitch the idea to Vamsi and Raghavendra.
“We always wanted to do something in this space but could not figure out what exactly we wanted to zero in on. Then Siddarth came up with this idea. Luckily, Vamsi had a liquor licence and he came on board,” says Raghavendra.
Vamsi adds that it was not just about serving great food and good cocktails, but about making the experience extraordinary. “Through this venture we wanted to create a memorable experience for Bengaluru’s pub-loving people. We wanted to create a place to visit in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life,” he says.
Three Dots and a Dash serves exotic cocktails in tiki mugs. The most fascinating part is the smoke oozing out of the drinks.
“We had a lot of problems getting these mugs as they are not available in India. A majority of them are imported from China and the US,” says Vamsi.
In one year of opening, they have served nearly 70,000 customers and are looking at expanding to other areas in Bengaluru.
The ambience at Three Dots and a Dash is a purely tropical setting, with bamboo at the entrance and natural wood used for interiors. The rooftop bar adds a cozy touch to the tropical Hawaiian feel of the pub.
“We wanted to keep it real but at the same time we wanted to picturise the exotic culture of the ancient land,” says Raghavendra.