News to tickle your fancy.
It’s not that we’re jaded, but having endured the whirlwind of events this year – not excluding the random appearance of a possibly intergalactic monolith – there’s not much left in store that can surprise us in 2020. That said, the opening of a Tickle Bar in Dallas did take us aback.
Tickling is one of those black-and-white sensations where either you hate it or you are really really into it. Speaking on behalf of those who are not a fan, it comes as a slight surprise the widespread desire to be willfully tickled. Note for example, this list on Yelp on the best tickling in Dallas.
Those who tinker in tinkling will elate at the opening of The Tickle Bar in Dallas.
“I thought, ‘I wish I could get somebody to tickle my back. Why don’t people do that?’ So I decided I’m going to freakin’ do it,” Founder and CEO Kimberly Haley-Coleman told the Dallas Observer. “Who knows if it’s going to work, but I’m going to do it.”
The Tickle Bar operates much like salon – just without the typical salon amenities. Facials, hot rock massages, hairstyling, lotions, and intensive kneading massages are not on the menu at The Tickle Bar.
“Many people on the spectrum know that certain textures and movements on the arms can induce calm and relaxation. These same soothing strokes release tension for most people,” the website reads.
“We specialize in slow, deliberate, sigh inducing movements and caressing, not those which would cause a squirm or shriek.”
Customers can book appointments for 25-50 minutes appointments for hairplay, back tickles, or a tingly combination of both with pricing starting at $39.99. Membership packages start at $29.99 with a once-monthly 25-minute tickle or hairplay session.
The Tickle Bar applies a variety of techniques when it comes to back tickles. Customers can choose from basic back scratches, tracing routines using a choice of feathers, toys, and textures, random sweeps of multi-finger tracing, and a Childhood Memories technique – in which the tickling technician traces shapes on the customer’s back.
Customers are greeted by a technician who will lead them to a waiting room treated with complimentary rosé and cookies. Tickle treatment is held in Moroccan-inspired tents lit with twinkling lights.
The Tickle Bar is now open at 6500 Mockingbird Lane.