Community Highlights: Meet Sarah Barber of Tiki Tiki Bang Bang

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Barber.

Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
I’ve actually jumped around quite a lot, both geographically and in terms of my career! My path here *hasn’t* been linear. 

I was always a very bookish kid – introverted and quiet. But in high school, I found a creative outlet in classical voice and acting, funnily enough. 

In college, I majored in Theater Performance, but after a couple of years, I decided the STEM fields were actually the place for me. I switched over to a Chemistry major with a Mathematics minor. While finishing that degree, I was recruited via internship into the Refining Industry, where I spent the next decade(-ish) climbing the corporate ladder. 

I have never been good at ‘downtime.’ Haha. So, while I was working in industry, I pursued post-baccalaureate academic work in Mathematics and in Chemical Engineering. I also spent a lot of time volunteering. 

I had the incredible privilege of serving as a firefighter and an EMT on both an industrial firefighting team as well as a couple of different municipal departments over the years. When I relocated to Cincinnati for a job promotion in 2017, I started traveling quite a bit for work, and I was forced to give up some of the volunteer work that I’d found really meaningful. I was definitely still being kept on my toes though, so I made do. 

When COVID hit, I like to joke that I had *way* too much time on my hands. Haha. In truth, I took stock of where my life was headed. (Didn’t we all?) I decided that I was… reasonably content, but not quite happy with the opportunities in front of me. I had relocated for work again in 2019, and I realized I also deeply missed Cincinnati. This was the first time I’d ever felt that way about a place. 

So, I took a completely reasonable next set of steps: I dumped my corporate career, moved back to Cincinnati, started graduate school for a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, and, when the opportunity presented itself, I bought a tiki bar with a couple of friends. Like I said, ‘downtime’ has never been my thing! 

It’s been an eye-opening experience, though – I would never have guessed that starting and running a business would blend just about every skill set I’d developed over the years. I really want to make a “putting out fires” joke, but I’ll spare everyone. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles? As a woman who has spent most of her adult life working in historically male-dominated spaces, I… can’t think of even one little bump in the road, no. Haha. 

Obviously, I’m being facetious. 

I lived and worked for many years in a region that wasn’t particularly forward-thinking. In fact, there is an anecdote from my undergraduate days that epitomizes the theme: 

I had recently transferred over to the College of Science, and I was taking Calc 2. An acquaintance asked which professor I had. I told him, and the positively mindboggling response was, “Ohhh. Don’t worry then! You’ll pass because you’ve got nice tits.” 

I’m quite proud to have graduated college with a 4.0 GPA, and my breasts made a de minimis contribution, in my opinion. 

I’d like to say that guy was a complete outlier in my story, but he really wasn’t. When I was younger, I felt like I was locked in a constant battle to earn respect. 

Ultimately, I’d say it gave me more drive. There are few motivators as compelling to me as transcending expectations. I got very used to 16+ hour days early on, which is *super* handy when you’re simultaneously working on a PhD and also helping run a business. Haha. Every day is a new challenge, so the determination to succeed is really key. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
You should know that we would LOOOVE to make you a drink! Haha. 

In all seriousness, this bar is such a labor of love for my partners and me. ‘We’ aren’t a giant company with a bunch of market research surveys and a cookie-cutter aesthetic. We have, quite literally, put blood, sweat, and tears into this place — into the experience we’re creating for our customers. 

And I do have to brag a little bit because our cocktail program is amazing. We have one of the largest rum selections in the area, and our bartenders contribute personally to creating the drinks on our menu. Michael, The Skipper, as we like to call him, has been deeply invested in tiki culture for a number of years. He will happily mix you a classic fog cutter, navy grog, or mai tai. We also just launched a brand new mocktail menu to cater to our sober or sober-curious friends. We genuinely want everyone to have a fantastic, inclusive time at Tiki Tiki Bang Bang and enjoy a bit of a tropical escape right here in Ohio! 

We are so proud to be Cincinnati’s premiere tiki bar, and we are so excited to continue growing with our fantastic neighborhood of Walnut Hills. 

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I will be completely transparent: I’ve been lucky. Early in my industrial career, a really kind fellow, now a dear friend, just sort of looked at me and said, “Hey. You’re new here, aren’t you? Let me introduce you to a few folks!” 

To this day, he minimizes the impact of that gesture, but that’s often what it takes: you need someone who will bring you into the circle. And you need to be ready when you get the invitation. 

Be inquisitive. Be enthusiastic. Be genuine. That’s the best networking advice I can give, and I think it applies to just about any field. 

Pricing:

• Cocktails: $8-18
• Bowls: $25-95
• Mocktails: $12
• Rum Pours: $5-60

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bangbangtiki.com/

Image Credits
Indy Hayden Photography
Steve Bevis Photography