The girl & her dream✨🎭🎪🎷💭
Sometimes it can be hard to envision how your dream could eventually become a reality. Trust me, I know how it feels to lay awake imagining a world where you were living out your wildest dreams. It is so much easier to justify that ‘it will never happen’ and so most dreams become forgotten things that slip between people’s fingers. Did you have dreams that you forgot about?
I should introduce myself…I’m Alina, 20 years old and my mum Livi is the founder and owner of Boston Shaker Bar. She’s a dreamer and so am I…What is that though? A dreamer is someone who is imaginative, creative, hopeful and full of ambition. It is someone who could sit alone for hours just coming up with all sorts of ideas within their mind. Have you ever imagined something you wish to do and become so immersed in it that you get this rush of energy through your body? That’s me almost everyday. I have goosebumps over my entire body when I watch artists performing, magical films or when I am writing some of my own content. I believe that whatever thing gives you that feeling, is the thing you’re here to do.
It’s funny, when you type into google ‘what is a dreamer?’ Most dictionary definitions describe it as someone who constantly lives in fantasy or illusion, imagining things that are probably unlikely to happen. This alone really shines light on society’s mindset. When you’re a child, you confidently speak about becoming an astronaut, a ballerina or a singer. Never once doubting that you could do it. As you grow up, you absorb the belief’s of bitter adults and pretty soon your dreams are just ‘childish’ and unreachable. You start on a quest to do something ‘sensible’ and ‘stable’. Two things that drive you in the opposite direction YOUR DREAM. Now i’m not saying you don’t need some sense when creating something, but I do believe if you can dream it, you can do it.
It is a simple saying but so true; ‘The only thing holding you back is your doubts’. When you’re told to be ‘realistic’ or have people around you convincing you that certain things are too hard and ‘not many people make it’, is when life changes its course. It’s not until now that I have realised, it is true, not many people make it. They don’t because they are made to believe they cannot and simply accept it as gospel.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
So what’s this got to do with a bar?
A few days ago my mum sent me the photos of Boston Shaker before it became the ‘Boston Shaker Bar’ we know today. I had an epiphany. I have seen these photos plenty of times before but something spoke to me so loudly this time I grabbed my computer and wrote this entire blog in one sitting (with a lot of editing in the months after). Looking through the photos before anything had physically manifested made me see everything through a different lens. A magical one.
So here’s WHY she did it…
After having so many distasteful experiences around the Sunshine Coast in hospitality she had a calling to create a space that everyone felt respected in. ‘Good old-fashioned hospitality’ was the goal! She is also a musician and wanted a venue she could perform in also. There were many eligible candidates when she came to choose a venue, but everything really clicked when she saw the space at the wharf. She felt clear on the aesthetics of the business and the products that would be provided. But above all, she could envision the energy that she wanted within the space. This is the intangible thing that not many people can understand, but can without a doubt feel. It is the magic that lives within the walls of Boston Shaker Bar, filling the air and creating that warm feeling in your chest.
From when the deal was first secured in April 2018, demolition began not long after. She recalls pulling down the signage of the fish and chip shop, and discovering there was another sign underneath, the business before that one, ‘cargo shack’ a coffee and spice trader. It’s intriguing to think that this space has held many people’s dreams in all different passages of time. She even decided to keep one window from the business before and turned it into a mirror. Recycling pieces of the past to intertwine with the new. The death of one business had given birth to another where many future individuals would come to celebrate, mourn or enjoy their freedoms in day-to-day life. It’s insane to now reflect on and see what Boston was then, to what is now. It was just a dream, turned into a space that holds special memories, personal growth and magical energy.
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
In the beginning, all she had were her vision boards on Pinterest and dreams floating around in her head. Screenshots of Art Deco pieces, colour schemes and rough sketches of what she wanted became a daily affair. I can admire any form of creation because it took someone’s imagination and care to establish a space, song, poem or an art piece long before anyone came to enjoy it. Everything within Boston was a vision and now so many others feel the magic of her creation every day.
Below are some of her raw sketches and images she was using to envision what decor she would pick for inside the venue! She even travelled to Melbourne to pick out the chandelier’s that now hang in the venue and the doors were found at an old op shop. With a little imagination and vision they became the beautiful red velvet doors that welcome every guest with open arms.
The gold walls, squishy red velvet chairs and dimmed lighting all chosen purposefully to create a space of comfort for every guest. People always feel at home in her space because every single thing is hand picked. Not only did she know she wanted a 1920’s cocktail bar but she chose everything to make sure it was seen, heard and felt that way. An entirely immersive experience. Being able to create something that perfectly conveys the feeling you want it to through all senses is something that can only be done through pure creativity and empathy. It’s the reason you hear a song and it physically makes you have butterflies in your stomach or a pain in your chest. Creative people are the reason everyone else feels heard and understood. When I see people walk through our doors mesmerised, I feel truely inspired by the work my mother has done.
“The noblest art is that of making others happy”
From a dream to reality…
As things moved along swiftly from renovations beginning in April 2018 and the bar being opened on the 9th of July 2018 (my mum’s birthday), lots changed and everything was brought to life. I remember having to catch the bus from school to Mooloolaba with my brother and walking to the wharf where the greatest showman soundtrack blared out of the doors.
The film is based off the true story of American showman P.T Barnum and pushes the message to chase your dreams and bring joy to everyone who experiences the manifestation of it. In the beginning of the film, the main character is defeated in his life. Despite this, he never loses the hope that he could get everything he really wanted. My mum definitely shared this feeling at one point in her life and yes she did create the reality she dreamed of also. I can speak for us both when I say ‘A million dreams’ from the film perfectly captures how we both feel in our day to day lives.
The entire drive behind creating the venue was to allow everyone who entered to feel seen, understood and treated equally. My mum truely wants to see everyone having the best time, in a different era, enjoying so many quality, classic cocktails. She wants everyone to be happy within the space or to leave happier than they arrived.
It was our 4th birthday on the 9th of July 2022 (this year). The bar has evolutionised a lot through the years. In the beginning, it was all bar service, then with covid it became table service only. Although covid wasn’t ideal, mum is grateful for it because table service has allowed her to better provide the experience she always wanted to give. The staff (me being one) are able to invest time into all patrons, enriching them with knowledge about the spirits and helping them to find that perfect drink. Staff at Boston Shaker are carefully picked based on values because mum believes whole heartedly in people who have kindness, empathy and a willingness to learn.
Staff (current and past)
Mum & I
Newly renovated courtyard space
A couple of months ago we renovated our courtyard space. Bringing plants, fairy lights and red leather to tie in with the interior of the venue. We are in love with this space and it’s atmosphere!
This year we also re-launched our menu with an addition of more whisky flights, top shelf classics and gin Tonica’s. Her dream is an ever developing project, constantly evolving but always reflecting her core passion and beliefs.
So to all the dreamers, keep dreaming. You are the reason so many others will feel inspired and you create the little touches of true magic within our world.
Thank you for taking your time to read this special piece.
- Alina Zahri (Manager of Boston Shaker Bar)
