Tiki Bars
Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room - Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California, United States
This is the second location of Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room, the first being down the coast in nearby Monterey. This newer location, which opened in late 2006, goes even further with the tiki theme than the original spot. The owners got assistance with the decor from Bosko, 'Onatiki, Tiki Tony, Polynesiac, Oceanic Arts and Munktiki, and consulted with Forbidden Island's Martin Cate in developing the bar. The space is warm, lined with lauhala matting and filled with carvings, floats and tapa lamps.
Then, Hula's Modern Tiki opened in Phoenix (2009-2018) followed by Hula's Modern locations in Scottsdale (2014) and High Street (2020). The first Hula's Modern Tiki in Phoenix re-located on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 to a new location on Seventh Street north of Camelback Road, less than a mile away from the original.
The Beachcomber - Winnipeg
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Closed)
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 Victoria.
The Beachcomber was located in the Carlton Motor Hotel in Winnipeg; the motel opened in 1961, and the Beachcomber was open at least as early as 1962. The restaurant had a "star-lit sky" ceiling, and had thatched huts, and an open "steak pit" area where patrons could see chefs at work. An alcove dining area had floats, tapa and beachcomber lamps.
The Beachcomber was open until 1990.
The Carlton Motor Hotel became the Carlton Inn, and the then non-Polynesian restaurant on site was called Paragon.
The building was torn down in 2012 when what is now the RBC Convention Centre expanded.
Pago Pago Club - Burbank
Burbank, California, United States (Closed)
The Pago Pago Club was reportedly a hangout for staff at the Disney Studios, which were located across the street. Exact dates of the operation of the club are not known, but it was open as early as 1947 (per a postcard drawn by a Disney artist). Guitarist Paul Page played off and on at the Pago Pago for ten years.
Not a lot remains aside from the occasional drink token that pops up from time to time...
Mahiki - Dover Street - London
London, United Kingdom (Closed)
Mahiki opened in November 2006 in London's Mayfair District. Mahiki was designed and decorated by London-based tiki outfitters Cheekytiki, with menus designed by Tiki Racer. More of a nightclub than a simple lounge, Mahiki quickly became a celebrity destination once word got out that Prince William and Prince Henry were semi-regulars. Rihanna celebrated her birthday here in 2009.
In late 2011, a second Mahiki location opened in Dubai, located at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and closed in 2018, due to “unforeseen circumstances during the renovation” of the hotel, as stated by the owners at the time.
In 2017, Mahiki's owners further expanded and franchised the brand. In the course of that year, Mahiki Clubs opened in Marbella, Spain (Mahiki Beach/open), in the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia (now closed), in Manchester in collaboration with Gary Neville's company GG Hospitality Management Ltd. (closed in 2018, but re-opened in 2019, and closed again in 2020) and at a second London location (Mahiki Kensington, closed in 2019). There was also a Mahiki club in Gothenburg, Sweden (closed).
This flagship location in London's Mayfair District closed in July 2021, due to COVID shutdowns.
Tiki Room - Arvika
Taserud-Arvika Östra, Arvika, Sweden (Closed)
Reputed to have burned down and then re-built and re-opened in 2006.
Tiki Room was a nightclub, and it does not appear to have had any connection to the Tiki Room in Stockholm. Some evenings, live bands performed, other nights were DJed music nights. There were some pieces by Bosko on the walls.
Appears to have closed @2009.
The Castaways - Manitou Springs
Manitou Springs, Colorado, United States (Closed)
The Castaways restaurant, which was part of the Castaways Inns & Suites, opened in 1971. It retained its original tiki decor until it closed in early 2013. A large tiki pole from the Castaways could be seen at Liki Tiki in nearby Colorado Springs until its close in 2019.
Kon-Tiki - Kuwait City
Kuwait City, Kuwait (Closed)
Opened in 2004. Kon-Tiki was a Polynesian restaurant in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Salwa, a sort of suburb of Kuwait City. It is right on the Persian Gulf. Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait, and so this was a restaurant only. The design of the restaurant was very unusual, in that it actually sat directly beneath an authentic Kuwaiti dhow, the Al Boom, which is in permanent dry-dock; the hull of the ship formed a dramatic curved wall and partial ceiling for the restaurant. It did appear to have some tikis.
Closed in 2008. Replaced by Rangoli Indian Restaurant. As of 2019, The Kimchi Korea Grill occupies this location.
Polynesian Room - at the Yankee Clipper - Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States (Closed)
The Polynesian Room was in the Yankee Clipper hotel, which opened in 1956. The hotel still stands, but has been re-named the B Ocean Resort and the Polynesian Room closed sometime in the mid-'70s. The Polynesian Room had seating for 300, and a full Polynesian floor show. The architect for the Yankee Clipper also designed the nearby Mai-Kai. The hotel still has a nautical-themed bar, the Wreck Bar, that dates from the same time as the Polynesian Room. The Wreck Bar has a window that looks into the hotel's swimming pool, and originally the hotel had "mermaids" swimming there to entertain guests of the bar. The mermaid shows were discontinued in 1965 but returned in 2006, when Marina and the Aquaticats brought back the shows as an homage to the past.
Don the Beachcomber - Oxnard
Oxnard, California, United States (Closed)
This Don the Beachcomber opened at the former Trade Winds around 1976 or so. It operated for a few years and closed in the late '70s. In later years, this location briefly became Coconut Joe's Warehouse and Hawaiian Cowboy, and the building was demolished in 1984.
Thatch
Portland, Oregon, United States (Closed)
Thatch opened in northeast Portland in January 2007.
It featured a sunken bar, booths rescued from a nearby original Armet & Davis Denny's, lots of bamboo, and of course, thatch. Some of the tiki decor came from the nearby Jasmine Tree, which in turn got its decor from the Portland Kon-Tiki when it closed.
Thatch closed in late spring 2012, and reopened in late August 2012 under new ownership as Hale Pele.
Polynesian - at the Fisherman's Wharf - Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California, United States (Closed)
Polynesian was on the Redondo Beach Pier and opened in 1969.
It was open throughout the 70s and into the 80s.
Much of the Pier burned down in 1988.
By then Polynesian had become the Edge Restaurant, which was destroyed in the fire, but it is unclear when the Polynesian closed and the Edge opened (probably some time between 1983 and 1988 since the Polynesian is said to have acquired a Barney West tiki from Helen Yue in 1983 that was previously at her restaurant, the Lahani Haloha).