In a marketing mashup worthy of a TikTok reel, El Goloso Taco’s Alex Esquivel and Spyder Surf’s Dennis Jarvis staged an “activation” at Spyder’s Pier Plaza surf shop to help Ireland’s Guinness beer and New York City’s Van Leeuwen Ice Cream establish a beachhead in the Southern California surf culture. Guinness served mini pints, Van Leeuwen served its new Guinness ice cream, Esquivel served tacos, and Jarvis handed out swag, which included T-shirts with a toucan and the slogan, “Lovely Day For a Guinness.” Coincidentally, Hennessy’s Tavern, across the Plaza from Spyder, used to have three toucans painted across its front. Owner Paul Hennessey contended the toucans were a mural. The city said the toucans were an oversized Guinness ad and ordered two of the three toucans to be painted out.
