Post #13760 by Sabu The Coconut Boy on Thu, Nov 14, 2002 1:33 PM

When Doctor Z and I make our garage-sale forays into the South Bay each Saturday, we frequently pass this old defunct tiki bar called The Tahitian Room:

It's part of a small shopping center at 3529 Torrance Blvd in Torrance, which includes a liquor store and a florist. The same family has owned this center for years. The Tahitian Room once had a previous incarnation in the 1960s as "The Tapo Room", but even as the Tahitian, it's been closed for as long as Doctor Z and I can remember.

As you can see, it's one of those tiny places that maybe had matchbook and a napkin made, but probably never appeared on a postcard. The front is almost completely obscured by giant birds-of-paradise plants that haven't been trimmed back in decades.

The two of us have always talked half-seriously about opening the Tahitian Room back up and drawing in the crowds from the nearby Del Amo mall, bookstores, and restaurant row on Hawthorne Blvd, just a few blocks to the north. It's pretty ideally situated. And it has a huge lot with plenty of parking:

Unfortunately, the lot was just too valuable and we recently learned from the local paper that the whole mini-shopping center has been sold and will be bulldozed soon. So much for our dreams of re-opening a bona-fide old tiki bar.

Here's a view behind the plants, showing the old facade and neon sign. Does anybody out there know much about what it would take to salvage and restore an old neon sign. Is it worth trying to save? I think the sign to the Tahitian Room would look great on somebody's tiki-bar wall. (not necessarily mine). Equally intriguing are two iron re-bar struts that protrude from the stonework just below this photo. Did they support another sign? A large wooden mask? Did they anchor two large tikis? I guess we'll never know.

Then, just last week, Doctor Z and I found another South Bay tiki bar!

This one is called the Kona Kai Bar and it is also part of an old strip mall, including a liquor store. It is on Western Blvd in Gardena, just east of the 405 Freeway. It's been closed for awhile as well, but the sign on the door say's it's for lease!



As you can see, it's a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint as well. But I think the Tiki Ti in Hollywood is just as small. The inside is completely stripped bare - not even a bar. So you'd have to start from scratch.

I doubt that it has the potential to draw the crowds that the Tahitian Room has. There are several large Japanese shopping centers down the street, but not the usual tiki-bar crowd. More the sake-bar crowd.

Still, just two blocks away is the Kings Hawaiian Bread Factory, and I see that they have opened a new showplace Hawaiian Restaurant on the property just last month. So maybe the polynesian food patrons would be interested in seeing the nearby Kona-Kai Bar re-open as well. I haven't checked out the new Kings Hawaiian Restaurant, but am planning to soon and will let you all know what it is like.

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2002-11-14 13:35 ]