A New Zealand company with a growing chain of bars serving vodka to customers in a frozen climate is targeting Hawai'i in its expansion plan that would establish an "ice lounge" in Waikiki.

Minus 5 Group said it is negotiating for a lease in Waikiki that if agreed upon could lead to opening one of its bars — where fixtures and furnishings are made from sculpted ice — as early as March.

If successful, Minus 5's effort would introduce a small but unique attraction to O'ahu's urban resort area that has undergone a revival in the last several years with major property redevelopment, renovations and new businesses.

"Waikiki provides a tourism environment that would make a unique experience like this very successful," said Kurt Ouchida, a Minus 5 spokesman.

The company established its first ice lounge in 2002 in Auckland, New Zealand, and has since added a second bar in that country, two in Australia and one in Portugal. Next month, Minus 5 anticipates opening its sixth bar in Las Vegas, at the Mandalay Place retail center, as part of a global expansion effort. Besides Honolulu, other places the company is seeking to open bars include New York, Miami, Los Angeles, the Philippines, Singapore, India and Dubai.

Minus 5 bars are named for their interior air temperature of minus 5 C (23 F), which preserves interior walls, tables, chairs, sculptures and drink glasses made of ice. Customers are provided parkas, gloves and boots to keep warm.

Except for a nonalcoholic alternative, all drinks at Minus 5 are made with vodka, which doesn't freeze at the bar's temperature. Entry to Minus 5 costs $30 for adults and includes one drink. There is a three-drink maximum and 30-minute time limit in the bar.

Minus 5 said it devotes much attention to the bar's interior, which is fabricated in Canada and shipped to each bar. About every six to eight weeks, bar interiors are transformed with new decor.

"Minus 5 is far from a freezer," the company said in a statement. "Minus 5 celebrates the art of ice."