Post #444459 by TabooDan on Thu, Apr 2, 2009 6:47 PM

On 2009-04-01 23:01, Humuhumu wrote:
So, first off, I've added this place to Critiki:

The Beachcomber, Vancouver

But as I was entering it, I had one of those waitaminnit things happen... the address of this place is the exact same address as another location already in Critiki, the Hawaiian Village:

The Hawaiian Village, Vancouver

But they have more than just the address in common... compare the menu from Hawaiian Village to one from another Beachcomber location, the one in Winnipeg:

That's definitely our old friend, the Beachcomber tiki, on both of those menus. Even the lettering for both names looks nearly identical. The menus are from puamana's collection, and she's dated both of them to circa 1960s.

Tiki Wahine has a number of Hawaiian Village mugs in her collection, which I've always understood to be from that Hawaiian Village in Vancouver. Now I'm thinking I've had it confused, that the mugs came from a restaurant in the Vancouver area, but actually in New Westminster (a location that is currently missing from Critiki). What would the connection have been, if any, between the New Westminster Hawaiian Village and this possibly-brief life of Vancouver-Beachcomber-as-Hawaiian-Village?

Help us, TabooDan, you're our only hope!

Hey Humuhumu, Well, that's just it....a mystery! As far as all the research I have done, there has never been a Hawaiian Village at that address! Only the Beachcomber! That menu is exactly the same as the Beachcomber one so it is connected however I believe it to be either a mistake or possibly the Beachcomber owners were planning a different name for this location at the beginning.

I find it unlikely that too many would have been printed as the only one I know of is the one Mimi has and I have never seen another. That being said, doesn't mean they aren't out there.

The Hawaiian Village that you have seen the mugs for and the one TikiWahine speaks of is the one and only location in New Westminster, BC. Never one in Vancouver as far as I can find out. They did not have another location, just this one on 8th street. The owners did however seem to have another Polynesian restaurant that was in Vancouver (not near Georgia St. location) but it was a differnt name. I have very little info. about this place but will post it here soon.

So back to the above menu........it's a mystery! The Hawaiian Village in New Westminster did not open until some time after the Beachcomber opened so it isn't possible that there was a argument or issue with the same named restaurant. The Beachcomber could have been the Hawaiian Village if it wanted, just there is no listing or mention of it anywhere.

Sorry for rambling!! More to come!!!
Mahalo, TabooDan