Tiki Bars
Kawenzmann
Bamberg, Germany
Opened December 2016.
From their website:
"Kawenzmann means in sailor slang "Monsterwelle" (Monster Wave) and thus alludes to the origins of the Tiki culture of the ancient seafaring peoples of Polynesia. For us, Tiki means one thing above all else: exotic, completely casual and also a little ironic bar and drinking culture - so don't be too serious. In addition to iconic Tiki drinks, our own cocktail creations and some Colada variants, we also serve you over 60 types of rum from all over the world to enjoy."
The Hawaii Restaurant - Phantasialand
Brühl, Germany (Closed)
The Hawaii restaurant opened in 1967. Together with the old-timer train, the Santa Fe Western Express, the fairy tale forest, the pony riding track, the puppet theater as well as the rowing and pedal boats, it was one of the first attractions in Phantasialand.
The Hawaii restaurant was the first culinary stand in Phantasialand. It offered space for up to 500 guests who could choose between exotic and local cuisine. In addition to the indoor seats, there was also an outdoor snack area. Outside the thatched houses, guests who did not want to eat were also entertained: a playground was set up for the children, while hula dancers provided live entertainment from time to time.
The Hawaii restaurant was demolished for the 1993 season and replaced by the children's area. The reason for this lay in several comments from many parents, who complained that the park had little to offer for the youngest visitors.
No Bones Beach Club - in the Flatiron Arts Building
Chicago, Illinois, United States (Closed)
Opened December 5th, 2018.
This was the third in the chain of No Bones Beach Club locations, with the previous two on the West Coast in Portland and Seattle.
Due to Covid shutdowns, the first two brick-and-mortar locations were forced to close. The Chicago location was still listed as "temporarily closed" as of December 2022 but as of April 2023, seems fair to say it has closed for good.
Their company website doesn't highlight any brick-and-mortar locations and seems to be simply a promotional page for their frozen wholesale food.
The No Bones Beach Clubs were known for their all-Vegan menu paired with tropical cocktails in a beachy/tiki-light environment. They are apparently thriving by supplying the same food selection to other locales.
Lono Cove - Chester
Chester, United Kingdom (Closed)
Lono Cove opened in Chester, United Kingdom, in September 2018, in the space formerly occupied by Zanzi Bar.
The bar was operated by Luke Edge and Carlo Guy, who formerly managed Red Door on St John Street, and who wanted to create a cocktail bar that, "takes elements of everything we've learned over the past few years and everything Chester requires from a cocktail bar."
Drinks were served in CheekyTiki (now known as Little Grass Shack) tiki mugs similar to what you might find at Lola Lo's or other UK tiki establishments.
The bar was intimate, decorated with palm wallpaper, trimmed in bamboo, and with an arched ceiling featuring a blue sky with magenta clouds and tropical birds winging overhead.
Like many tiki bars in recent years, it was a bit thin on actual tiki carvings, masks, or objets d'art such as one might expect from venerable forebears like Trader Vic's or Don the Beachcombers. The focus was mostly on the cocktail experience.
This Chester location closed @ October 2022.
A second Lono Cove opened in Manchester on October 10th, 2021 and closed three years later in 2024.
Town and Country
San Diego, California, United States
Originally built in 1953 as a meager 40-room roadside lodge, Town and Country is now a bustling, full-service resort with a nostalgic and playful celebration of its mid-century roots.
It is located 5 miles from the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park.
The Tiki Hut (aka Tiki Pavilion, Tiki Room) is an event space built on the grounds. The octagonal shake-covered building was designed by Hendrick and Mock (also designers of the Islands Restaurant and Hanalei Hotel -- at the site of the current San Diego Crowne Plaza) as part of a 1962 expansion project that brought 80 more rooms to the hotel complex. The pavilion was topped with a William Westenhaver Witco Mainlander carving named “Riki Tiki.”
On special occasions, Tiki torch flames or fireworks would be set off from his head. Riki caught fire a couple of times even though he was protected from the flames via a sheetmetal dulì (Chinese farmer’s hat).
San Diego Fire Department officials soon put a stop to that, and Riki Tiki was relocated to good ol’ terra firma. The pavilion and Riki Tiki have survived under various names to this day.
Starting in 2021, the Town and Country became host to the growing Tiki Oasis event, previously hosted at the Palm Springs Caliente Tropics (2001-2005), then at the San Diego Crowne Plaza (2006-2019), and briefly at San Diego's Paradise Point (2020).
The Samoa Restaurant
Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
The Samoa Beach Restaurant was located in Cocoa Beach, Florida, off of Highway A1A and one block south of the Cocoa Causeway.
It was located in a strip mall with Causeway drugs and other shops on either side but stood out because of a grass thatched A-Frame entrance that jutted out from the otherwise normal-looking rectangular building.
Created by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Hovia. Opened June 23rd, 1960.
Nani Maka, the Hawaiian star and dancer (who also performed at the Yankee clipper and Mai Kai among others) often performed here during their early years -- doing the "Tahitian Twist".
The restaurant caught fire in 1960 due to a short-circuited flood light that caught the thatching on fire, but this did not apparently harm operations.
In later years, hula dancing seemed to be less of a draw and ads from 1968-1970 show that they brought in magicians and topless Go-Go dancers...which together with their house band formed quite a nightly bill of entertainment.
Unclear when they eventually closed...
Today, the site appears to be home to Ron Jon Surf Shop.
Pitcairn Hotel
Anaheim, California, United States (Closed)
The Pitcairn's neon sign was designed by Heathcote in 1961 and built by California Neon Products.
The hotel was demolished in 1998 as part of the City of Anaheim's "beautification" project.
Today, as of 2021, this location appears to be a parking lot in-between the Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant and Hampton Inn and Suites.
Mauna Loa - at the Fred Thompson Building
Los Angeles, California, United States (Closed)
This location has a long history and is known as the Fred Thompson building. It was built in 1927.
On October 5th, 1962, the site opened as the Mauna Loa restaurant.
Mauna Loa did not last long.
By December 1963 it had become the Garden Room.
On May 6, 1965 it opened as Mouling, featuring Chinese cuisine in the Spanish Village, the Polynesian decor still intact. Mouling had a long run. A Times restaurant reviewer described the place in 1978 as “a slightly ramshackle patio in the old Hollywood style with plenty of Old Hollywood charm.” Mouling closed in April 1980, the equipment and fixtures (including the Polynesian decor) sold at auction.
Most people today associate the Fred Thompson building with its incarnation as the Cat & Fiddle from 1985-2014, although other restaurants have located here since then.
Coco Joe's
Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Coco Joe's was located in Punaluu, Hawaii. Located on the windward side of Oahu near Laie. Their grass shack eventually became completely covered with Wood Rose vines and was a photo opportunity in its own right.
The company was a maker of lava-based and Hawaiian wood-based ("hapawood" or half-wood) resin souvenirs. Coco Joe's was started in 1960 by Donald R Gallacher (a returning WWII veteran). They continued into the 1980s before going out of business. Gallacher was honored by the U.S. Small Business administration as the Hawaii Small Businessman of the Year in 1973 at which time he had 50 employees producing 400 designs (including jewelry and children's books, ashtrays, statues, plaques, and more).
Trader Hall's Hawaiian Village
Heeia, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
This store in Heeia, Oahu, Hawaii flourished in the 1950s and 60s.
It was located across the Pali from downtown Honolulu at Kealohi Point, Heeia...a short distance beyond Kaneohe Town.
Here one could purchase gifts, jewelry, and curios, including koa wood bowls and other serving items.
It was also a photo opportunity and many people posed outside in front of the store next to the large tiki and outrigger canoe.
The Breakers Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
A two-story relic in the heart of Waikiki. The Breakers' close proximity to local attractions and its bargain rates make it a popular spot that is often fully booked. Relatively unchanged since it opened in 1954, the hotel is broken into six low-rise buildings centered around an outdoor sundeck and pool.
No tikis on this property but the mid-century, Japanese/Polynesian architecture is still intact, with shoji screens over the sliding doors and classic wood louvres covering the windows.
The property is walking distance to everything in central Waikiki, including the beach, which is a three-minute stroll away.
Hawaiiana Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Built in 1955.
This location has 40 units and is 2 stories. It closed in 2009 and was Beachwalk Student Suites Apartments for a time. As of 2020, the property was purchased and renamed Pagoda, matching the other hotels in this mini hotel chain that is expanding to have a location on each island.
This Honolulu location and the nearby Breakers Hotel are possibly the last of the 1950s era smaller hotels remaining in Waikiki. The Hawaiiana was a little less well-maintained over the years, but it has tikis throughout the grounds and is definitely worth a look. The Hapu'u fern tikis are especially fragile but appear to have survived.
*1958 tri-fold brochure map background shows original layout.