Wauwatiki was opened by owners Peter Panagos, James Findlay and Jason Growel in April 2016 in Wauwatosa, a town just to the west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The menu includes tiki drinks and small food plates. The decor includes thatch-covered booth seating lined with bamboo, and there is a rounded A-frame entry. The walls are painted with subtle tiki motifs.

Wauwatiki suffered a minor electrical fire in September of that year, and was closed for repairs until November 2016.