Post #185573 by Humuhumu on Fri, Sep 9, 2005 12:59 PM

It's true that we're continuing to lose tiki places, but they're also opening at a faster rate now than they were just a few years ago. Nothing lasts forever, and these new tiki places will someday be gone, too. That's why it's important to support your local tiki! If one isn't out patronizing the establishments near you on a regular basis, then one can't be surprised when they close.

New England tiki has a bit of a different flavor than tiki around the rest of the country. Many of the locations opened up a little later, and bigbrotiki has cited the decor used in them as a sort of beginning-of-the-end -- prefab, lower-quality tiki out of the later Orchids of Hawaii catalog. Just as they were a bit behind the curve when they opened, perhaps they are also a bit behind the curve in their closing.

Some of the recent closures (and rumored ones) have indeed been alarming -- the Honolulu in Alexandria and the Chicago Trader Vic's leap to mind. And of course it's sad to see any older restaurant go. But then there are also older restaurants that have seen recent rejuvenations in their bottom line: the Mai Kai, Atlanta Trader Vic's, the Alibi.

So to summarize -- yes, we are losing tiki, but I think the rate at which we're losing it has been stabilized, for now. It's definitely better than in the early to mid '90s. And the new tiki places are getting better and better.