Tiki Bars
Tipsy Tiki
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
The Tipsy Tiki opened some time prior to December 2021, with little to no change in decor from its previous incarnation as The Myna Bird (which ran from 2017 to 2020).
Located in the International Market Place in Honolulu, in the Kuhio Avenue Food Hall, this bar was rebranded as being part of the La Pina Cantina next door.
Tahiti Gil's Fare Mananui
Kissimmee, Florida, United States
Opened in 2020.
This tiny house build is named "Fare Mananui" ("House of big magic/spirit" in Tahitian).
From their AirBnb site:
"Imagined by artist @TahitiGil & designed by @TyphoonTommy (Former Disney/Universal creative team & designer of the Suffering Bastard Tiki Bar in Sanford, Fl. Experience your next Adventureland/ Enchanted Tiki Room “story dwelling” adventure from the moment you step thru the door! - Kungaloosh!!
Mananui is a very special place. Please respect the property and our resort neighbors. This beautifully crafted 400 sq ft. small cottage home has been transformed into a Disney inspired Tiki hideaway from ceiling to floor. Complete with bamboo posts, thatching, authentic native artifacts and, of course, you gotta have a tiki bar! (Booze not included!)
Totally redesigned to include smart home capabilities. Features include: high speed wifi 400 mbps, onsite sensor lighted/video entryway security, custom retrostyle smart tv with Disney+ (Premier movies available: just added Jungle Cruise! - Duh, Black Widow, Cruella & Mulan) Netflix, Hulu and Amazon streaming services installed, home audio system, Alexa enabled smart home for lights, music and climate control. Queen size bed in a totally renovated bedroom with nods to Disney’s inspired Polynesian Village Resort. A fold-out sofa bed, a Tiki bar and screened-in lanai with a beautiful partial lake view for those stunning Florida sunsets! Because of the size, it is PERFECT for 2 people."
The Tiki Hut Restaurant & Lounge
Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
Mary Yick opened The Tiki Hut in 1961, on Tyler Street in Boston's Chinatown.
An article in February 1970, noted how “The Tiki Hut is a favorite after-show stop for many theatrical people when they’re in town.” The article mentioned how Pearl Baily, her husband, drummer Louis Bellson, co-star Cab Calloway, and other cast members of “Hello Dolly” dined at The Tiki Hut. Many theatrical celebrities dined at the restaurant when they were in town, and some of those regulars included David Merrick, Angela Lansbury, and Shakespearean actor Nicol Williamson.
Like Ruby Foo's Den and the Cathay House, the Tiki Hut was a favorite of the stage and screen celebrities, as well as stars from the local sport teams, from the Celtics to the Bruins. It was even noted in an article in February 1971, that on the theatrical circuit, Mary Yick was affectionately known as “The Dragon Lady.”
Unfortunately, Mary and the Tiki Hut ran into a serious problem in mid-1971, facing a possible ouster from her 10 Tyler Street location. The owner of the premises, the Lee On Dong Association, was attempting to conduct an “auction in the Chinese tradition of her lease.” Fortunately, Mary was able to secure an injunction to halt the auction until the owners could come forward and justify themselves to the court.
Mary and the Tiki Hut lasted only another year, though at least it seemed the lease ouster had been prevented, when in November 1972, she transferred the liquor license to Mai Lai Inc., managed by Kwok Man Yu, who would operate a restaurant at the same address. The Boston Globe, December 1, 1972, noted this loss in an article titled, “Chinatown loses its last Dragon Lady.” It referred to Mary Yick “of the lyrical voice and quick quips that (gently but plainly) put down amorous customers.” The article also stated, “Her departure ends, at least for the time, a tradition begun by the legendary Ruby Foo and later Anita Chue.”
Kona Kai Restaurant
Panama City Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
This bar and restaurant appears to have been opened in the late 60s (1967?) and only flourished for a short time, possibly into the early 70s.
Many people, especially younger visitors, remember they had paddle boats for rent as well.
As can be seen in the pictures, they had a couple of large moai outside and at least two large tikis and at least two carved poles. The roofline is very distinctive and has stayed basically the same at this location and into the present (2021).
At some point this restaurant was re-christened as Pompano's (later as Pompano Key) and was open at least through 2018, after which it was closed and remained vacant, possibly awaiting land redevelopment.
The poles and carvings migrated to an Alvin's Outpost store in town and have been painted several times over in different color combinations. See last photo.
Palm Beach Hawaiian Motor Lodge
Palm Beach, Florida, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1964.
This oceanfront resort had 60 units in its 2-story motel, a heated swimming pool, and a restaurant. The front part of the motor lodge was shaped like a Hawaiian longhouse and had torches at either end. The front sign was also capped by a torch.
The site lost most of its beach during Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and was not well maintained. The property changed hands with the intention of building condominiums on site, and although the new owners made small improvements in the interim to upkeep the property, it was only for the short term.
Closed September 22nd, 2014. Demolished April 2016.
Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille - Dewey Beach
Dewey Beach, Delaware, United States
Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille was opened in Dewey Beach, DE on April 24th, 2008 by Regan & Kim Derrickson.
Nalu is an open air family restaurant with a "Pacific island fusion cuisine".
The interior features several artificial palm trees and tiki poles that hold up both the thatched bar roof and that extend from floor to ceiling in the main area.
There is an outside patio and a live music stage area as well.
They have a food menu ranging from tacos to pad thai. Their drinks menu has an island style "Tonga Mai Tai" and an assortment of house tropical cocktails (that use Captain Morgan Spiced rum quite a bit) as well as frozen slushie drinks.
Nalu opened a second location in the adjacent town of Rehoboth Beach on April 9th, 2019.
Kanaloa - Houston
Houston, Texas, United States (Closed)
Opened September 5th, 2018.
Appears to have no connection to the chain of English Kanaloa bars that flourished from @2009-2020.
The exterior of the 2-story brick building was painted all-black.
Inside, the bar was decked out with a ton of multicolored fish floats hanging from the ceiling, a long bamboo bar stocked with a slew of top shelf rums and liqueurs, blue padded booths, polished koa wood tables, and large tiki murals painted on the walls. Outside the back was a patio seating area as well.
Barrera and his business partners Keith Doyle and Roland Keller, the team behind Wicklow Heights, wanted Kanaloa to be a place that would — like any great tiki bar — take drinkers out of the real world and into a kind of Polynesian fantasia. They called on Tiki Bosko to carve the tikis flanking the front doors and the wooden tabletops. Māk Studio, the firm behind EaDo’s Chapman and Kirby, created the tiki face wall murals. The stylish interiors, with deep blue hues, were the work of Leticia Ochoa’s Clover Design Studio.
By all accounts their drinks were fantastic. The food was supplied by Houston food truck Oh My Gogi which was given free rein in the kitchen. Menu items included a series of “tiki tots” including jerk chicken (seasoned grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese and pineapple pico de gallo) and Baja Shrimp (mozzarella, pico and guacamole). For vegans, there was “Beyond Baja Tots” made with plant-based protein, mozzarella, pico de gallo, cabbage and guacamole. There was also both grilled and fried shrimp tacos, a Korean salad and a Korean rice bowl.
Closed June 15th, 2021 -- another victim of the Covid pandemic shut-downs.
Hawaiian Garden
Seabrook, New Hampshire, United States (Closed)
Open under this name from about 1967-1975.
This restaurant had a lounge area with large bandstand for live entertainment. It was decorated with tikis, thatching over the bar, and served tropical cocktails. There were also motel rooms in back.
Wing Gwong Chin (1937-2018) started his long career in the restaurant business working at Trader Vics as a bartender, then later as a chef and bartender at other restaurants. He had a dream to own a restaurant so he learned the business and eventually partnered with his cousin Wing Foo Chin and others to open this location which was first named the Ye Cocke and Kettle Restaurant and Motor Inn. From the late 1960’s to 1980’s, the business changed names to Hawaiian Garden and then to the South Sea Restaurant and Motel.
In 1975 there was a big murder case revolving around one of Wing Chin's partners in a new restaurant start-up they were putting together in Marietta, Georgia. Wing Chin was President in the new partnership and his Vice President, a boyhood friend of his named John Oi, was killed by a third member of their partnership, named Armand Therrien (the Treasurer and only occidental involved -- an ex police officer who worked as the Hawaiian Garden's security and general handyman). Armand was judged to have shot John Oi and it was speculated in the trial that he did so because John Oi's death would have resulted in a $200,000 insurance payout to the partnership which would have surely helped the business and indirectly helped Therrien who wanted a higher salary and a greater role in the business. This indirect motive seems barely enough to warrant a murder, but a jury found it enough to convict Armand along with supporting evidence (gun, handcuffs, and shells). Speculation was that there were deeper motives involving gambling and the mob, but the specifics were never proven.
Shortly after this murder, the Hawaiian Garden underwent a name change to "South Sea Restaurant and Motel" and Wing Chin moved to Texas where he lived out the remainder of his life.
Misfit Tiki Bar
Tromsø, Norway
This bar opened on Friday, October 1st, 2021.
From their website:
"Misfit Tiki Bar is Tromsø’s own little exotic oasis, adding warmth and color to an otherwise cold and dark arctic city.
Misfit Tiki Bar is created to honor tiki culture's past and reinvigorate it here in the north. Located in the city center of the arctic capital, Tromsø. Misfit Tiki Bar features a variation of both original and modern tiki-tails, as well as a few simple yet delicious bar snacks.
Misfit Tiki Bar offers a large collection of rum from numerous countries around the world, while handcrafting a wide variety of homemade ingredients. The bar taps into the history of Tiki, paying homage to the heritage and indigenous artforms of Oceania’s treasured past that originally inspired Tiki culture. The decorations are crafted by both local and international carpenters and artists, from Norway to The UK and Hawaii."
Misfit Tiki Bar is located above their big brother bar, the Bastard Bar, known as a thriving live music venue that started in 2009.
Polynesian Village - Westbrook
Westbrook, Maine, United States (Closed)
The movement of Chinese restaurants into suburban locations continued in 1972 when the Sing family, which had operated Sing's Polynesian Restaurant and Lounge since 1969 in the Penobscot Plaza in Bangor, Maine, decided to expand southward to Greater Portland. They opened Sing's Cantonese Polynesian American Restaurant and Lounge at 152 Main Street, Westbrook. The family lacked the management structure necessary to operate two such widely separated restaurants and closed the Westbrook location by 1976. This site soon after became Polynesian Village until its close in 1997.
Kon Tiki - Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri, United States (Closed)
Opened March 1963.
The Kon Tiki opened as part of the new La Louisiane Restaurant, owned by Rube Levine and Jimmy Sholtz -- featuring steaks, seafood, and Italian cuisine.
Rube and Jimmy retained Mr. Edward Chun, formerly of the Polynesian Room of the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Mr. Chun was nationally famous for his Cantonese specialties, and personally supervised the preparation of the Kon Tiki's Cantonese creations.
Later, La Louisiane became House of Chun, so presumably Mr. Chun took over the main restaurant as well.
This space was reputed to have become a gay bar in its later years.
Kon Tiki was open until 1990.
The area, south of Linwood Boulevard to 34th Street, between Main and Gillham, was deemed blighted and ridden with crime in drugs in the late 1980s, and these buildings, as well as other homes, apartments, and commercial buildings, were demolished in the early and mid-'90s as part of the so-called "Glover Plan" to be replaced by the Midtown Marketplace development, a large commercial development anchored by big box retailers Home Depot and Costco.
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.