Post #409443 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Sep 22, 2008 9:41 PM

I have a more pragmatic view. Since Michael Tsao took the place over in the 80s, he did a fine job at keeping it alive and in good shape, just like many Asian staff members did when they took over Polynesian places from the original American owners. The white middle class owners decided to retire, just like the whole Tiki style "retired" at that time, and the hard working, frugal minded Asians were able to turn a buck even though the trend had died out.

I do not LIKE what happened to the Kahiki, for sure, but I cannot see evil in a business man taking a Million dollar offer for a business he invested a lot of work and money in. If at all, the evil lies in the Wallgreens conglomerate to ignore a National Register of Historic Places nomination and buy it to tear it down instead of going next door.

I never gave Tsao's talk of re-building a new Kahiki any weight, it just wouldn't have been the same anyway.