Tiki Bars
Honolulu Harry's - Corona
Corona, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 2003.
A Polynesian "concept restaurant" with two locations, this one and another in Chino.
Closed in 2007.
Honolulu Harry's - Chino
Chino, California, United States (Closed)
A Polynesian "concept restaurant" with two locations, this one and another in Corona. It opened in 2003, operated briefly as Kealoha's in 2012, and closed in 2013.
Lakanuki
Mammoth Lakes, California, United States
Lakanuki opened in 2003 in the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes, in the Village. The decor is a sort of modern surf-tiki mix, with thatch over the bar and mural-size artwork on the walls. There are front and side patios, and an interior dining area.
Hukilau - San Jose
San Jose, California, United States
Modern Hawaiian restaurant. Opened @ 2005.
There was another slightly older Hukilau in San Francisco, but it has closed.
Hukilau - San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States (Closed)
Hukilau was more modern-Hawaiian than retro-Poly Pop. They opened @ 2004 and closed in 2012.
There is another Hukilau in San Jose.
Spa Tiki
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
Spa Tiki was a large full-service spa. The spa took up two floors, and had tikis by Bosko sprinkled throughout the place. It felt very much like a modern, upscale spa, with relaxing music and dim lighting. There was a shop near the front counter with beauty supplies and soaps with a Hawaiian bent.
The investors in Spa Tiki were also investors in nearby Mister Tiki's Mai Tai Lounge. Spa Tiki opened in 2003, and closed in late 2009.
Trade Winds - Oxnard
Oxnard, California, United States (Closed)
Trade Winds was erected by developer Martin "Bud" Smith, and opened March 4th, 1964. It quickly became the hot place to be in town.
The restaurant had a lagoon leading up to a soaring A-frame entrance; inside were a series of themed rooms, including a central gazebo-shaped structure, the Samoa Hut/Tiki Temple. The predominant theme was Polynesian, but some of the rooms included an East Indies room, a Sadie Thompson room, and a Zanzibar room, all designed by 20th Century Fox designer Fred Moninger, and decorated by Ione Keenan. There were many tikis, carved by Richard M. Ellis. There was a Polynesian floor show.
Some time in the 1960s, Hop Louie (of Latitude 20 in Torrance, Minnie's in Modesto and the Islander in Stockton) took over the restaurant. In the late '70s, it became a Don the Beachcomber.
In later years, it became Coconut Joe's Warehouse Restaurant, and then later still around 1981, it became Hawaiian Cowboy (some of the decor was removed to make room for a mechanical bull and a BBQ pit. About a year later, it became an ice cream parlor, and in 1984, the building was demolished. The site is now a road.
Leilani Hut
Long Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Leilani Hut was in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach. Open at least as early as 1938 and closed in 1974 when it became "The Stockpot".
At one point it was owned by Don May. Don was also the owner of The Hawaiian and The Gay 90's on Signal Hill. He also started the continuing tradition of the lighted floating Christmas trees in Belmont Shore.
The interior had some large Hawaiian scene murals.
It is now a Legends sports bar since 1979.
Tropic Cafe
San Diego, California, United States (Closed)
The Tropic Cafe (1935-1946), arguably San Diego’s first pre-tiki nightclub, was helmed by ‘Skipper’ John S. Ewing, and originally opened at 11th & Market. Ewing opened The Tropic Cafe to serve the large transient military population of San Diego. Business was so good, two years after opening he moved to a larger space in the old Gates Hotel building (1894), just across Third Avenue from the U.S. Grant Hotel Coffee Shop.
In 1939 he opened the Tropic Village room, with moonlit dining and dancing amidst a grove of faux coco palms, and music by Stone’s Hawaiians. A freighter-shaped bar — the S.S. Tropic — served tropical rum drinks. Design and murals were by local artist Russell Dale Moffett (Mexican Village murals).
Eventually, Ewing sold The Tropic Cafe to ‘well-connected’ Sicilians establishing themselves in Sailor’s Row. In 1946, The Tropic Cafe was re-opened as The Hula Hut by Frank and Liberante ‘Leo’ Matranga. Next door, brothers Joe and Gaspare Matranga opened the Cuckoo Club, and then the Aloha Club.
Tiki Room - Pomona
Pomona, California, United States (Closed)
Tiki Room in Pomona was open at least as early as 2000 and was a rental space used for bands to have live shows.
It was a spacious venue, with dim lighting, glow-in-the-dark paintings, caged go-go dancers, a stage for dancing and a maximum capacity of about 2,000 people.
It closed in 2007, and the building that housed it has been demolished.