Tiki Bars
Leilani Village Motel & Restaurant
Brookfield, Wisconsin, United States (Closed)
The Leilani Village Motel & Restaurant opened in November 1961.
Leilani Village was also later known as Giles' Leilani and as Harold's Leilani Motel; it had 60 rooms, a restaurant, called the Leilani Supper Club, and a bar, called the Malahini Lounge.
When the Leilani was at its peak, it brought in performances by major singers of the day, including Vic Damone, Al Martino, Frankie Laine and Buddy Greco.
These high priced acts lead to a bankruptcy sale in 1966 where different owners bought the restaurant and hotel and reopened them for a time.
It was demolished in 1996 and a big two-story commercial building now stands on this site that has served as a computer store and a furniture gallery and is now available for lease as of 2021.
Mambo
Kirkland, Washington, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1995. This was a vintage collectibles/antiques store, with a very heavy emphasis on tiki thanks to the owner, tiki old-timer Paul Hupp. Paul had several elaborately carved posts in the shop, salvaged from the Trader Vic's in Seattle.
Mambo appears to have gone out of business some time in 2004. No word yet on what became of the Trader Vic's poles.
Tahiti Bar - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Closed)
This bar had a landmark legal battle in 1958, still used as the standard in Philadelphia for many cases against strip clubs attempting to serve alcohol or bars attempting to entertain with naked women.
From the case summary: "The entertainment consisted of various dance routines described as "bumps and grinds" by female entertainers who had removed practically all of their clothing. Article IV of the Liquor Code deals with licenses and regulations. Section 493 ( 47 P. S. § 4-493) provides in pertinent part that it shall be unlawful: "(10) . . . for any licensee, under any circumstances, to permit in any licensed premises any lewd, immoral or improper entertainment, regardless of whether a permit to provide entertainment has been obtained or not."
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Barry Island
Barry Island, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
When the Beachcomber Bar opened at the Barry Island location of the Butlin's family vacation camps chain in 1966, it was billed as the "biggest bar in Europe." It burned down only two years later, in 1968.
The photo below shows only one section, but you can spy a tiki behind the girl on the left and a small alligator behind the one on the right.
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Filey
Filey, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
This location at Filey opened in 1965.
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Skegness
Skegness, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
This location at Skegness opened in 1964 and was located in the Princes building, which burned down in a fire in 1974.
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Minehead
Minehead, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
The Minehead camp location was the last of the Butlin's Beachcomber Bars to close, in 1997.
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
Bognor was the first of the Butlin's chain of family holiday locations to get a Beachcomber Bar, opened in 1960.
Butlin's Beachcomber Bar - Ayr
Ayr, United Kingdom (Closed)
London had just seen its first wave of the Polynesian Pop craze thanks to The Beachcomber at the May Fair Hotel. Butlin’s wanted to cash in on the craze, and they nicked the name and concept for bars at six of the Butlin’s camps: Ayr, Bognor, Minehead, Skegness, Filey and Barry Island. Compared with other tiki bars of the day, they have a more psychedelic, swinging ’60s UK feel to them, with bright colors and fantastic scenery.
Beyond the Reef
Brookfield, Wisconsin, United States (Closed)
In 1964, Robert & Peggy Judge opened Judges', Beyond the Reef in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The Judges added an A-frame entrance to the original log cabin and some full-sized plastic palm trees out front that could handle a midwestern winter.
In tribute to them, it was called "Judges' Beyond the Reef".
Timeline uncertain, but the business was also owned and operated at some point by Frank E. Schuster, who passed away in 1999.
Hale Tiki
Augusta, Georgia, United States (Closed)
Owner Brad Owens opened Hale Tiki at the beginning of April 2004. The densely decorated interior was created by Dave "Basement Kahuna" Wolfe, Bamboo Ben, Tim Glazner and Crazy Al Evans. Much of the decor came from Oceanic Arts, and donations to the interior were made by many Tiki Centralites.
Unlike most newer tiki bars, with Hale Tiki Owens aimed to recreate an authentic tiki bar experience, with authentic drink recipes, and even music played from lps.
Hale Tiki went through some highs and lows: it opened to much enthusiasm and fanfare, and initially was both popular with the locals and with visiting tikiphiles who raved about the quality of the drinks and decor. Opinion of Owens, however, suffered greatly when many who ordered Hale Tiki mugs and shirts did not receive them, or any information about them, for many months. A business feud with Basement Kahuna also seemed to impact the mana of the place, with reports that in later months the drink quality had gone south significantly.
Hale Tiki closed in February 2006.
Burt Lee's Tahiti
Salem, Oregon, United States (Closed)
Burt Lee's Tahiti was demolished in the late '90s to make a drive-thru for the bank next door.
Compared to 2021 maps, it would have been located in the alley adjacent to Wild Pear Restaurant and Catering at 372 State St, Salem, OR 97301.