The Lucky Tiki opened in December 2004.

The first incarnation of the Lucky Tiki was as a short-lived tiki bar in the San Fernando Valley, opened by Bobby Green, who is also responsible for a number of popular themed bars in the Los Angeles area (Bigfoot Lodge, Little Cave, Thirsty Crow, Harlow, Idle Hour). The Lucky Tiki location, near where the 405 and 118 freeways meet, was once The Wild Cherry, a bar dating from the 1950s. Some of the artists responsible for the decor included Crazy Al Evans, Tiki Tony and Kevin Kidney.

In early 2006, the property the Lucky Tiki leased was purchased by a new owner and they closed soon after. The entire interior, including carvings and art, were put in storage.

Bobby Green wanted to reopen the Lucky Tiki in another location, initially in North Hollywood, then in the Palms neighborhood of West Los Angeles, but nothing gelled for several years and he became pre-occupied with other bar projects.

Finally, in March of 2024, after 20 years, The Lucky Tiki re-opened nearby Tail O' the Pup in West Hollywood.

Served "Authentic Cantonese Food". Also offered "Dining, Dancing, and Cocktails".

This location is now apparently Temple Liquor.

New Zealand Maori-inspired restaurant and bar, next door to the Best Western Orchard Inn just off of Highway 99, appealed to the early-20s set of Turlock. Whanga Rei featured an outdoor patio with a sand volleyball court and a mechanical bull, but there were tiki touches inside, with a few large carvings, and an interesting seating area with a wave overhead. Whanga Rei opened in July 2004 but, by mid-2005, it was converted to a sports bar, and the tikis were removed.

During the '90s and into the early 2000s, Cacao was a retro-themed coffee house decorated with a variety of kitschy items with a Hawaiian & tiki emphasis, combined with sci-fi. Cacao had a typical laid-back coffeehouse atmosphere, serving high-quality coffee beverages. Being a coffeehouse, there were no alcoholic beverages, and the food menu was limited. Cacao provided free wireless internet access, and periodically featured musicians and poetry nights.

Cacao was opened in 1990, but didn't get its sci-fi/tiki theme until new owners Bobby Green and Alastair Newbery took over in 1993. Bobby Green went on to own The Lucky Tiki in Mission Hills, and a thriving group of beautifully themed bars throughout the Los Angeles area. Jeremy Bell, a longtime Cacao patron, took over ownership of Cacao in 2000. Some time around the end of 2017 or in 2018 the name was changed to Good People Coffee Co.

Today, no tiki theming remains.

The Kona Kai apartments were built in 1962. The decor was outfitted by Oceanic Arts. There is an identical apartment building in Granada Hills, the Kona Pali. The building has a dramatic A-frame entrance, with a tile mosaic of the Hawaiian islands. There are carved tikis throughout the grounds.

Built in 1965.

These apartments, now apparently condos, are less than a mile north of the now-closed Bahooka.

In addition to architectural details, the grounds feature some standing tikis and a working waterfall feature.

There is also a kidney shaped pool on the grounds.

This building was designed by Mayer Construction in 1961 and its working title was the "Lanikai", later changed to "Kapu Tiki". The decor was provided by Oceanic Arts.

This apartment building is in a row of three Polynesian-themed apartment buildings, the others being the Paradise Island Apartments and the Aloha Arms.

Facing them, from left to right, this would be the first location in the row.

Today, the Kapu Tiki looks quite different. First, the A-frame entrance was completely removed. Then, later, the tiki masks on either end were removed. There is a ghost of the "TIKI" lettering detectable on the front and the lava rock on either end is still there, however.

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.

This apartment building is in a row of three Polynesian-themed buildings, the others being the Kapu Tiki Apartments and the Paradise Island Apartments.

Facing them, this would be the last of the three on the far right.

Opened in 1996.

Aloha Cruz was a vintage Hawaiiana store with some tiki offerings. Vintage tiki mugs, tikis and other tiki collectibles were for sale, along with vintage aloha wear and rattan furniture.

Aloha Cruz used to be located in Hermosa Beach, but in April 2004 relocated to a smaller space in Redondo Beach.

The storefront has been closed, and the owner now sells items online only.

For 10 years (1998-2008), Aloha Cruz organized a large vintage Hawaiiana collectibles event, called "Da Show."

Opened in 1998.

Rock-a-Hula was a small vintage and new clothing store in the heart of the trendy Melrose shopping district. All sorts of clothes could be found here, but there was an emphasis on aloha wear, including a handful of very nice '40s era rayon shirts in a locked case. The inside of the store used bamboo, rattan, lauhala matting and thatch extensively, but there was very little in the way of actual tikis here -- only a handful of small mugs for sale.

Closed in 2006.

Now home to a different vintage clothing store -- 2nd Street.

This Kelbo's was the first of two, built in 1947. Two men, Thomas Kelley and Jack Bouck, combined the first syllables of their last names and invented Kelbo’s, a small chain of Hawaiian barbecues whose food was not all that Hawaiian: burgers, barbecue meat sandwiches and some miscellaneous seafood. The concession to the islands was that every plate was garnished with a piece of pineapple and the fried shrimp was coated with coconut. They also served very sweet (but very good) barbecued ribs and had a menu of tropical drinks, some of which came flaming or served in a skull mug. Eli Hedley was the main designer and he was also responsible for the interior of other tropical-themed restaurants like Don the Beachcomber. Kelbo’s felt like a place that had been decorated in the thirties or forties and then no one changed anything. The second Kelbo's was on Fairfax in La Brea, opened in 1950 across from CBS Television City, and was later torn down. It was a popular hangout for crew members who worked across the street at CBS Television City in the fifties and sixties. This first Kelbo's was over on Pico at Exposition.  After this Pico location was shuttered, the building was converted into a bikini bar called Fantasy Island for a time.  Much of the Kelbo’s advertising art was done by Bob Hale who otherwise turned up on Los Angeles TV from time to time as a cartooning weatherman. (He was also active in Seattle where he owned a popular hobby shop that bore his name.) Hale’s drawings of a fat Hawaiian guy in native garb could be seen on Kelbo’s napkins and menus, and both of the outlets had huge Bob Hale murals on the outside.

Closed in 1994.

NOTE: Fourth photo is of Jack Bouck in aloha jacket. Seventh photo shows Sonny Heideman at bar. Last photo shows Tom Kelley on the right.