Tiki Bars
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.
Kona Kai Motel - Wildwood Crest
Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1962 by Manuel Santos. Designed and built by Lou Morey.
This motel had a wonderful lava rock wall front entrance with neon signs and tiki torches.
It was 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.
Before closing in the early 2000s, the owners appeared to be trying to restore things back to their original 1960s look.
Demolished in January of 2006.
Ala Kai Motel
Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, United States
The Ala Kai Motel was opened in 1963. Its original owners were Kurt and Gertrude Burghold.
It is 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.
It still has its cool neon sign with a surfing hula girl and the basic structure is the same. Fake full-size palm trees adorn the exterior. It also has a large pool.
However, other than these details, it is a basic family-style motel.
Tiki Docks - Riverview
Riverview, Florida, United States
Opened September 10, 2020.
There are 2 Tiki Docks locations -- this one in Riverview and another one in St. Petersburg, Florida. Both locations have indoor and outdoor waterfront dining.
The Riverview location is 15,000 square feet and has tiki murals on the exterior. The interior is a huge open space with blue painted support beams and blue floors, a large central bar with lots of televisions stacked upwards, and several Bosko carved masks behind the host area in front. The bathroom hall features a mural of an octopus that extends into both the men's and women's restrooms.
Orchid Island Hotel
Hilo, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
Built in 1967 at the site of the Legionnaire Clubhouse.
The hotel itself was a standard multi-story structure, but with the addition of an ornamental 6 story A-frame entrance and huge standing tiki next to it out front.
Inside was The Monkey Bar. Live monkeys were in a large cage behind the bar with a glass window.
Ownership changed hands a couple of times, and then the hotel went out of business and finally closed in 1977.
The building burned in 1986, and the lot was cleared.
The property is now part of Reed’s Bay Beach Park.
Undertow - at The Century Grand
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Previously at Sip Coffee & Beer Garage next door, Undertow closed their first location in December 2020 and re-opened in this larger location at The Century Grand in March 2021.
This larger space allowed Undertow to enhance the experience by adding more audio and visual effects, decorations, and a little bit more seating.
They've added six more seats to the bar, a second six-person booth, an additional two-person table, more portholes, and cinema-quality sound.
Some of the newest decorations include a new hand-carved bar by Tiki Diablo (Danny Gallardo) and "Emily," a real figurehead that was salvaged from the bow of a ship
As of October 11th, 2022, there is also a sister location in in Gilbert, Arizona.
House of Ming
Madrid, Spain (Closed)
House of Ming was a much venerated tiki bar and Chinese style restaurant located in Madrid, Spain. It opened around 1965 and is said by many to be the first tiki bar in Spain.
Some of the oft touted perks of visiting House of Ming were its: -Uninterrupted Hawaiian music -Tapa cloth from floor to ceiling -Incredible index of tikis per square meter -Drinks served in custom OMC vintage mugs -Waiter with jacket -Absence of TV
Closed in September of 2007.
Apparently the owners had three separate Chinese restaurants at one time, including one called China Doll.
Jungleland - at Storytown USA
Queensbury, New York, United States (Closed)
In 1954, Charles Wood invested $75,000 on five acres on the east side of U.S. 9 between Lake George and Glens Falls, launching Storytown, U.S.A., an amusement park themed by the Mother Goose rhymes. It closed in 1983 and is presently known as Six Flags Great Escape.
Jungleland was a walkthrough attraction at Storyland that was supposed to show the African jungle complete with animals, warriors, chiefs and temples. They incorporated South Pacific Style huts, bamboo fencing, and Witco carvings into their front entrance.
As the years went by other attractions were added.
Some of the exhibits would be considered politically incorrect by today's (or any) standards -- like the white explorer being cooked in a cast iron pot by caricatured African natives.
Eventually through multiple remodels, neglect, and a change in ownership, the attraction was in need of a major overhaul.
Eventually, Six Flags Great Escape took over and turned Jungleland into “Elmer Fudd’s Rabbit Seasoning”. A revamp to make Jungle Land fit into the Looney Tunes National Park children’s area. There is very little little left that resembles the old Jungleland.
Tanela Restaurant & Lounge
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States (Closed)
For a number of years during the mid-1970s, the Tanela Restaurant was a fairly popular location for local people to get some Polynesian cuisine.
The Tanela was known for its large Moai statue and Polynesian-themed décor on the outside of the building. The business added several motel-like apartments at the rear of the property, but soon fell on hard times, the restaurant closing down, but the motel units remaining in operation.
During the early 2000s, an attempt was made to revive the location, and it re-opened as a heavy metal-type venue called “Trance Buddha.” That didn’t work out either, and soon closed. Within a few more years, the apartments were closed.
The building, along with the large Moai statue, remains intact at the Rt.e 20 location, although they are deteriorating. The property appears to be abandoned.