Tiki Bars
TikiCat
Kansas City, Missouri, United States (Closed)
TikiCat was a tiki bar in Kansas City, Missouri, it opened on April 13, 2017 and closed in July 2020. The bar was part of the HopCat group, a chain of beer-focused pubs around the midwest. The focus here was on pure tiki, not beer, and the group enlisted the help of a number of noted specialists and artists: the buildout was by Bamboo Ben; Martin Cate helped with the cocktail program; there were carvings by Dave Hansen (Lake Tiki), Patrick Sousa (OB Tiki), Ken Pleasant, and Jason Joffe (Smokin' Tikis); tiki mug and menu design (and awesome sci-fi themed mural) by Anthony Carpenter; lamps by Jason Shelfow (Tiki J's Custom Lamps); and art by Thor Thordarson.
There was a vintage Witco bar and stools, and vintage furniture for seating. There were some intimate hut areas for groups, and table seating. The space was richly decorated, with carvings, art, bamboo, thatch, matting, and faux foliage throughout.
HopCat and TikiCat (which was located in the basement of HopCat), both shut down after being unable to come to an agreement with their landlord. HopCat hopes to re-open at a new venue in the near future.
Jacoby's Tiki Bar
Enmore, New South Wales, Australia
This tiki bar in a suburb of Sydney, Australia opened in August 2017 by partners Pasan Wijesena, James Fury, Adrian Sanchez, and Stu Ellis. Inspired by the tiki-loving character Dr. Jacoby from Twin Peaks, the bar aims to deliver on nostalgia for both Polynesian Pop and the cult favorite television show. The walls are lined with matting and banana-leaf-motif wallpaper, the ceiling with straw matting, and the wooden back bar has several large mounted tikis carved in Queensland. Classic tropical drinks are served, some in tiki mugs.
Tiki Grove
Indonesia
Tiki Grove is an open air tiki bar and restaurant in a coconut grove 300 meters from the beach on the tiny Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan. Visible from the island are two active volcanoes, on the neighboring islands of Lombok and Bali. Nestled in this true tropical location, Canadian-born couple Tommy and Catherine Milburn constructed a mainland American-inspired Polynesian pop tiki bar, taking full advantage of the locally available materials and carvings for decoration. Tiki Grove opened on September 15, 2017.
Malia Polynesian Room
Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Malia Polynesian Room was inside Bill Green's Golden Dragon in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It opened in late 1968, and didn't last very long.
Mr. Green had run this site previously as the "Rustic Lodge" nightclub before remaking it into the "Golden Dragon" restaurant and then he decided to try rebranding it yet again a year later as the "Countrypolitan" nightclub. That must not have worked either, as Green turned over the site to a new owner that same year and it became Danny's Bar and Package store before being destroyed by a fire in June 1970.
Today is it known because of an album recorded there of a performance by Sam Makia and his Hawaiian Islanders, called "Live Hawaiian Party." The address was Coleman at Summerfield; Summerfield no longer intersects with Coleman, but a look at satellite photos from the era shows a building at that location that today is a parking lot.
Kanaloa - Leeds
Leeds, United Kingdom (Closed)
Kanaloa was a UK-based chain of tiki bars. This Leeds location opened in March 2013. The space was designed by CheekyTiki. The walls were lined with tapa cloth and bac-bac matting, and there were large booths for seating groups. The drink menu included some large shared drinks, and there was a small menu of bar food. There was a cover charge some evenings.
In addition to the original London location (now closed), there were locations in Cardiff (closed), Newcastle (closed), Portsmouth (closed), Glasgow (closed), and Croydon (closed).
Kanaloa - Portsmouth
Portsmouth, United Kingdom (Closed)
Kanaloa was a UK-based chain of tiki bars, this Portsmouth location opened in February 2013. It was part of the Tiger Tiger nightclub complex, and was more of a nightclub than a tiki lounge. The space was designed by CheekyTiki. The walls were lined with tapa cloth and bac-bac matting, and there are several faux palm trees. There were thatched roof "huts" for seating larger groups. The drink menu had several large drinks for sharing. There was a cover charge some evenings. It was all ages until 9pm, after that it was 18 and over only.
In addition to the original Kanaloa location in London (now closed), there were also locations in Cardiff (closed), Newcastle (closed), Leeds (closed), Glasgow (closed), and Croydon (closed).
Kanaloa - Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom (Closed)
Kanaloa was a UK-based chain of tiki bars. This location in Newcastle opened in August 2012 inside of the Tiger Tiger nightclub complex, and was more of a nightclub than a lounge. The space was designed by CheekyTiki. Kanaloa had a bridge entrance, into a room lined with bac-bac matting, with a bamboo-covered bar, and rattan seating. A cluster of glass floats decorated the ceiling. There was a cover charge for entry some evenings.
The space appears to have reverted back to a Tiger Tiger nightclub sometime around 2014-2015? and then later converted to Shoreditch in March 2020.
In addition to the original Kanaloa location in London (now closed), there were locations in Cardiff (closed), Portsmouth (closed), Leeds (closed), Glasgow (closed), and Croydon (closed).
Tiki Action Park
Centereach, New York, United States
Tiki Action Park is a tiki-themed miniature golf, arcade and amusement park in central Long Island, New York. There are go-karts, laser tag, and video games, but the big attraction is the outdoor, themed miniature golf course, complete with tikis, rock structures, and water features.
Before becoming tiki themed and changing the name to Tiki Action Park in 2010, it was called Castle Miniature Golf.
They do have a gift area inside where they sell tiki mugs, among other things.
Waterworks
Tallahassee, Florida, United States (Closed)
Waterworks was in business since the early 1990s, but it took on its tiki theming when it moved to this location in 2000. The space was decorated in thorough retro-tiki lounge style, with a rock wall, knotty pine walls, colored lamps, thatch, and tall carved tiki poles. The windows had a "rain" effect. The food was casual fare. The tropical drinks skewed more Florida-classic, though there were some old tiki standbys, and they were served in tiki mugs. The back of Waterworks held "Spaceport," a retro-futuristic space.
Closed abruptly on January 24th, 2024.
The South Seas Cocktail Lounge - Battery Point
Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia (Closed)
The South Seas Cocktail Lounge opened in early 2015 on the waterfront in Hobart, on the Australia's island state of Tasmania.
The bar was small, and slightly tucked away, with windows blacked out (hooray!). Though small, space had plenty of tropical decor, including pieces by Witco and Bosko, and some large-scale quality tiki carvings. The focus was on quality classic tropical cocktails, and there was a large and growing rum selection.
Closed in 2018.
Dobbs House Luau - Dallas
Dallas, Texas, United States (Closed)
Dobbs House Luau opened at the Love Field airport in Dallas in the last week of November 1958. It was an early outpost of the then-new Dobbs House Luau chain, inspired by the Dobbs family's purchase of the Luau in Atlanta. Dobbs House was a chain of restaurants and hotel concessions, and already had the restaurant space in the airport. The family chose to re-theme some of their restaurants as Polynesian, including this one. Elaborate decor was installed, including many tikis, pufferfish, and water features. The restaurant operated successfully at Love Field until the Dallas-Fort Worth airport opened in 1974, which hurt business. The restaurant closed after 1974 (possibly as late as the 1980s), was temporarily a family entertainment space called "Llove" and has been used as office space for many years now. It was in the northwest corner of the mezzanine level.
Other Dobbs House Luau locations were in Memphis, Birmingham, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Lexington, Houston, and Louisville.
Luau - Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia, United States (Closed)
The Luau was first opened by the Dinkler family, who owned a chain of hotels. They opened this restaurant sometime in the mid-1950s (it was open by 1957), and operated it as "Dinkler Luau" or "Luau, a Dinkler presentation." The restaurant was stylish, with a dramatically pointed roof over a porte cochere entrance, and was designed by Curtis and Davis Architects of New Orleans. The interior featured waterway and bridges, and a cabinet with bamboo cases holding regulars' chopsticks, just like at the original Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood. There was at least one tiki carved by Barney West.
Soon after it opened (1959?), the Dinklers sold the restaurant to the Dobbs family, who changed the name to "Dobbs House Luau (1960?)." The Dobbs House Luau chain swiftly spread to other cities around the south, including Memphis, Birmingham, Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, Lexington, Houston, and Louisville. In 1962, the name was changed to "Dobbs House Tiki." The building was later demolished.