Tiki Bars
The Beachcomber - Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (Closed)
Opened in the late 1960s.
The Beachcomber was a Canadian chain of elaborate Polynesian restaurants in the same vein as other popular chains like Kon-Tiki, Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's. Other restaurants in the chain were located in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
This location was demolished to make way for the Broughton Tower in the 1980s, the ground floor of which housed a Fogg & Suds location.
Munktiki
Astoria, Oregon, United States
This listing is describing a physical location for the Munktiki business.
Munktiki is a father-son outfit that started in early 2000, and their specialty is crafting beautiful, high-quality tiki mugs. Paul Nielsen (the Dad) has been selling his ceramic crafts since he was in high school in the '60s; his son Miles "Stuckie" Nielsen has similarly been dabbling in clay since he was a child. Paul made his first tiki mug in 1997.
Most Munktiki mugs are of their own design; each mug has a character name on the back, and a number and date on the bottom. Many Munktiki mugs are fiercely collected limited editions, notably the "Shecky" mug based on the Tiki Central mascot designed by Tikifish.
There is also a Munktiki Imports line with their designs crafted in China and then imported to the United States. These are more commonly used with large wholesale orders. These are marked as such on the bottom and are less expensive than the pieces crafted in-house.
Additionally, there are non-tiki lines affiliated with Munktiki, including Münkstein and Yakimon.
Munktiki's original location was in Pacific Grove, California (near Monterey), at 561 Junipero Ave. In 2009, Munktiki moved to Portland, Oregon. In 2017, the business again moved to Astoria, Oregon.
Munktiki also owns and operates Dead Man's Isle, a tiki/nautical bar in Astoria that opened July 14th, 2022.
Munktiki items can be purchased through the Munktiki website, eBay, and a limited number of retailers.
Kapu-Kai
Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States (Closed)
This Polynesian paradise consisted of the Kapu-Kai Coffee Shop with an attached bowling alley. The bowling alley also boasted an Outrigger cocktail lounge and Tahitian Fire Room. The complex stood on the corner of Foothill and Vineyard and was active from 1962 to 1969.
What shut the Kapu-Kai down was the Great Inland Empire Storm & Flood of 1969, which by the storm's end had caused over $500 million in damage, killed 60 people, and damaged and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
The ruined buildings of the Kapu-Kai held on until 1994, after which they were bulldozed, according to Charles Phoenix’s “Cruising the Pomona Valley.”
Nobody could figure out an economical way to salvage the unique structure.
The name "Kapu-Kai", Phoenix says, translates to "Forbidden Sea" which is appropriate when one considers the flood of water that brought its demise.
That corner is now famous for having two Starbucks outlets, one at the edge of the parking lot and a small one inside the Albertsons.
Years later, Bosko was able to trade for one of the salvaged interior tiki support poles from the Kapu-Kai which he installed at his home bar (The Kapu Tiki Room) and was actually married beneath in a ceremony conducted by noted mixologist Beachbum Berry.
Tropics Motor Hotel - Rosemead Boulevard - Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera, California, United States (Closed)
One of five Polynesian-themed Tropics motels owned by Ken Kimes. The most elaborate of the chain was in Palm Springs, now called the Caliente Tropics Resort.
The motel is still here as of 2024, but stripped of all Tiki influences, re-named "America's Best Value Inn".
The Beachcomber - Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Closed)
Opened 1963 and closed in 1980.
The Beachcomber was a Canadian chain of elaborate Polynesian restaurants in the same vein as other popular chains like Kon-Tiki, Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's. Other restaurants in the chain were located in Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg.
The Beachcomber reportedly was owned by Zane Feldman, the original owner of the Edmonton Oilers hockey team.
It was razed in 1980, an office building now stands in its place.
Imperial Luau
Pompano Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
The Imperial Luau was part of the Harris Imperial.
It opened in 1959 and was 20,000 square feet in size.
The stone was supplied from Cuba for the wall treatment in the Kon Tiki Lounge and the American style grill room. Germany supplied the antiqued gold mirrors which covered the entire 2-story front section of the building. Japanese craftsmen built seven bamboo panels for the Polynesian dining room in the Imperial House. Each panel was 6' by 8' with 18-inch sections of bamboo cut to give the impression of various sized circles. The bar was entirely of stained cypress wood.
James B. Kirby was the builder.
At one time this restaurant was the most popular restaurant in the area (45 minutes north of Miami).
Luckily, several of the floor to ceiling tikis were salvaged by local collectors before it was torn down. There were 10 in the restaurant and Max’s South Seas Hideaway in Grand Rapids, Michigan has three of them. The first two guard the entrance to their Atomic Lounge bar and a third is mounted on the wall in the Atomic. A fourth one resides at the Tabu Tiki Room, the home bar of Duke and Amy Carter.
The Imperial Luau appears on page 24 of Sven Kirsten’s “The Book of Tiki.”
Royal Hawaiian -- from 1947 to 2006
Laguna Beach, California, United States (Closed)
The Royal Hawaiian opened in 1947. It was owned by the Cabang family. The Cabangs were originally from the Phillipines and were friends with both of the Fillipino Tiki carvers in L.A. at the time, Milan Guanko and Andres Bumatay. These talented artists both supplied Tikis for the restaurant. The prominent Andres Bumatay tikis outside the restaurant became weathered and destroyed and were later replaced by modern carvings.
The Royal Hawaiian also had a sister location located in Anaheim in the 1950s.
The Royal Hawaiian has been through several iterations. It originally had several small dining rooms with glass-walled dioramas filled with tikis and plants, great lamps, bamboo, thatch and sea grass matting, and a bar with a fireplace and pufferfish. There were lovely oil paintings throughout, including a large piece hung directly above the hostess stand.
In spring 2006, the restaurant was sold to a new owner, who gutted it. The newer, tiki-stripped version closed for good in 2012. In 2016, the space reopened, again with the name Royal Hawaiian, this time by people who wanted to bring back its rich tiki history. The new owners, Mo Honarkar and daughters Hasty and Nikisa, worked to bring back a fully-decorated Royal Hawaiian with the help of Bamboo Ben.
However in January-February 2019, the restaurant was closed for yet another remodel and then re-opened under the auspices of chef Mariano “Maro” Molteni. Honarkar’s company remained as landlords, while Molteni owned and operated the restaurant which he rebranded as the "Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill". Molteni's remodel (which came as a surprise to the landlords) removed much of Bamboo Ben's decor, especially natural materials like lauhala matting and thatching in favor of dark blue painted walls and a "cleaner" and "less cluttered" look. There were still tikis and accent pieces, but the interior was much reduced from its former full tiki glory.
On July 15th, 2022, Royal Hawaiian Fire Grill announced its closure for the end of that same month, on July 31st, 2022.
Following the 2022 closure of the last iteration of the Royal Hawaiian, the space was turned over to Boulevard Hospitality for a complete transformation and a grand re-opening in May 2023. The new build-out was completed by Ignacio “Notch” Gonzales, famous for building spaces like Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco and Inside Passage in Seattle.
To round out the new experience, the Royal Hawaiian’s owners have brought on famed barman Dushan Zaric of Employees Only to build a bespoke cocktail menu that riffs, weaves, and rethinks the rum-forward staples of tiki lore.
*NOTE: For the 2006-2022 version or from 2023 onward see separate listings.
The Emerald Lounge
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Opened June of 2023.
Just a few weeks after opening Slurp! ramen bar, its ownership team of Kevin Liu, Mattias Hagglund, Thomas Leggett and Brandon Peck unveiled Emerald Lounge (2416 Jefferson Ave., Unit C1), an elevated tropical cocktail bar to the neighborhood.
“We looked at the concept of island escapism,” Liu says of the concept for Emerald Lounge. The crew, also owners of The Jasper in Carytown, looked at American tiki bars from post-World War II for inspiration, but “we wanted to create our own concept,” Liu said. “It’s less tiki and more Havana.”
Soft green walls provide a backdrop for Emerald Lounge’s retro, upscale tropical vibe. Bits of subdued tropical prints peek out amid hanging planters and sleek gold accents. The centerpiece is the bar, stocked with rum, agave and brandy, with a white marble topping and pendant lights that look like pale pink flowers floating overhead.
As Liu notes, the decor is not fully Tiki -- there are no actual carved tikis. Rather, the space incorporates tiki adjacent imagery like palm wallpaper, hanging lights that would look at home in a tiki bar, and nautical elements like a hammerhead shark floating above one of the seating areas. Some tiki purists might call this a "fern bar" hearkening back to similar decorated bars from the 70s, but Emerald Lounge is its own hybrid tropical space.
All of this notwithstanding, it appears that their drinks program is "on point" and tiki cocktail enthusiasts will not be disappointed in their menu.
Ala Moana Motel
Wildwood, New Jersey, United States
In Hawaiian, Ala Moana means "path to the sea" and this hotel is exactly that -- a resort located only a block away from the beach and the beginning of the Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk.
It is known for its vintage moai neon light with flaming tiki torches.
This hotel and several others along Wildwood Crest are commonly referred to as being a part of the Doo Wop style of architecture, named after the popular music of its time, but this style is also referred to as Googie architecture in California and other parts of the country.
Built in 1977. The Polizzes took over the Ala Moana in 1999 by redesigning the interior and exterior of the motel. 18 winters were spent refurbishing the Ala Moana Motel to the modernized resort it is now.
At this same time, the Polizzes bought four adjacent houses to expand the Ala Moana Motel Resort. The four houses were turned into suites and special motel selections known as the Ala Moana Tiki House, the Quiet Cottage, the Beach House and the Coconut House.
Chateau Avalon
Kansas City, Kansas, United States
Chateau Avalon opened in 2004 and has 23 unique rooms decorated in a variety of themes, including Mayan, Egyptian, Renaissance, and of course, Tiki (Tahitian).
There are two rooms, both on the third floor, decorated in their "Tahitian" style (although the tikis used are actually large Moai). One of the two is a two-level "Treehouse" suite.
Paradise Island Apartments
Pico Rivera, California, United States
Built in 1962. This apartment building, formerly called the Samoa Apartments, is in a row of three Polynesian-themed apartment buildings, the others being the Kapu Tiki Apartments and the Aloha Arms.
Facing them, this would be the middle location in the row with the Kapu Tiki on the left and the Aloha Arms on the right.
Whispering Lakes Apartments
Ontario, California, United States
Built in 1962.
The Whispering Lakes Apartments (formerly an unnamed apartment complex) once featured four large Milan Guanko tikis in front.
There are still some smaller tiki influences present, including some simple stylized Tiki Bob-ish carved tikis at the entrance.