Post #444901 by artsnyder on Sat, Apr 4, 2009 6:43 PM

Aloha!
Complain all you want. The Sahara DTB had no relationship to the restaurants that Donn actually designed and put in place himself. This "slick Polynesian" buildout was a part of the consequences of Donn's divorce settlement with his first wife, who took all the rights to DTB on the Mainland while Donn took the rights to Oceania. His first Hawaii location was back to the Hollywood theme that was always his, and stayed his until his death.
Most Tiki Central readers have seen, I am sure, pictures of the lovely building at the Royal Lahaina in Maui, which was built in the 1960's by Amfac Hotels when they managed the Royal Lahaina, and who Donn had authorized to use his name, and approved the design. (Amfac took the name with them when they left, and it was only recently when Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays, who own the Royay Lahaina, put the name on it again without authorization.) In any case, Donn WAS true to his original Tiki concept throughout his life, though sometimes his first ex-wife was not when she granted franchises.
Mahalo,
Art Snyder, Managing Partner
Marisol,ltd, dba
Don the Beachcomber
(PS: Drop in to the new Don the Beachcomber on PCH in Huntington Beach, SURF CITY, USA!
No "slick Polynesian" for us! Back to Hollywood and Waikiki!