Post #276969 by Mo-Eye on Fri, Jan 5, 2007 3:58 PM

Aloha TC,

It is with great sadness that I update you on some of the current happenings in Waikiki. With our Stor being there, I walk through the International Market everyday on my way to work. In the past few weeks, they have removed almost everything related to tiki, for which they used to be so well known.

On the Kuhio Ave side of the Market, near the new Hart and Huntingdon Tattoo shop, there were 3 very tall tikis that were the sign for the Market. As I recall, they were at least 10-15 feet tall. The maintenance people even just repainted these last month. Last week, as I walked by, all that was left were 3 stumps, as they were gone, just sawed off at the base. I have snooped around and asked some maintenance people, security guards, and the management office. Everyone has basically said that the city/county forced them to take them down as they didn't meet code, which doesn't make any sense as they are old enough they would have been grandfathered in before any new code/law.

In the center of the Market Place, near the food court is the circular building that was the old Trader Vic's. It is now Capt. Zack's and Bobby G's Spot bars on the lower level, and a work shop on the upper level. Well, as I walked by today, they have already put up a fence around it and will be tearing down the building this week. They were also removing one of the big old trees next to it, most likely so that they can bring in heavy equipment. There were about 5 great tikis that were still on the walls of the building, but they were already gone by this morning. Word is the maintenance people did take them off.

There was also one room on the second level of the Market, which had become known as the Tiki Treasure Room. It was just an old storage room, that had one little window that you could peek into, and see hundreds of old tikis, signs, and other elements of the Market. This room has since been cleaned out, but from what I can find out, they did just move the stuff, and did not trash it.

I went up to the management office today to see if I could find out any info, but they were not that willing to give out much. They have been very secretive about the whole project, and not many know what is really going on. They did say that all of the tikis were being kept and that they are in storage now. The one thing to remember is they said the exact same thing about the 2 old moais from Don the Beachcomber's. They were removed a couple of months ago, but did end up going into the dumpster (luckily another shop owner saved them). I take everything they say with a grain of salt now.

I will monitor what is going on, and keep everyone updated.

Weeping in Waikiki...