Post #329614 by pablus on Sat, Sep 1, 2007 7:07 PM

Long conversation with WIll tonight.
I think he is going to not worry so much about anything other than making the tikis look the way they were at the Mai Kai when they were originally done. Mostly by Leroy Schmaltz.

If they were painted then, they'll be painted now. If they were "authentic" then they'll be that way now.

The story is actually quite fascinating. Seems Bob Thornton had an employee there who took it on himself to have these tikis cast as he saw what time was going to do to them eventually. The molds were placed in a warehouse and just waited.

Will's story is interesting too. I like the part where he talked about riding down to the Mai Kai on his bike as a kid and jumping in the fountains there until he was chased out by the chefs. Now he can go in them any time he wants. Call it "research."

I hope he takes the time to post his story more detailed than I can. I just wanted to get across that he has a long history there.

Now some perhaps grave news. I don't know what I'd do if I were in the same situation but here goes.
Seems that the place has been zoned for a 10 story building. Taxes go up even if you didn't do anything. Also, there is a developer in the area who wants to make that block into a city within a city kind of thing with apartments and shops and all of that. Now, what would you do if someone came along and offered you a bazillion bucks for your prime piece of real estate?

I've got some ideas of my own, but not worth posting about. The thing is... what will Dave do?
I think he really wants it to stay the way it is and even improve on it. But there are certain economic factors involved that I can't begin to understand the magnitude of.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Kern but I will about the involvement of Mirielle in the artistic direction.

Big mahalos to Chip and Andy for having us over tonight. Great place and of course, perfect Mai Tais.

[ Edited by: pablus 2007-09-02 05:27 ]