Post #527849 by Bali O Hai O on Tue, May 4, 2010 3:08 AM

There is very little history to be found on the Bali Hai... i wish we could get a good picture of it in it's heyday... I only found this on the Canton rep website.

I worked there as a server from 1968 to 1975

It was right on the Lincoln highway and opened in 1959, Emil told us it wasn't unusual to see Don Rickles or Steve Allen drinking after a show at the Casablanca which was a mile down the road and was a huge nightclub in the 1940's 50's he said the marx brothers once walked in the door at 3 am during cleanup and wanted food and drinks, he opened back up for them. In his office he had photos signed of all of the traveling entertainers of those times, it was really something to see. My favorite photo was Jackie Gleason sipping a Mai Tai with Emil at that Witco tahiti bar. It always reminded me of a big pineapple.

Your bar set was indeed from the restaurant and was bought through Cheton furniture in Canton. Emil the owner had the set in the village room, our smallest room, later he had it at his home then sold it to a friend who must have later sold it to you. it was very expensive at that time and I only wished then I had enough to buy it .... I always wondered where the huge Easter Island statues went, they were sold at auction when the place closed, sold for 50 bucks each and were made of lava rock like in your grill, they looked heavy but were lighter than you thought.... those are someplace in stark county in a backyard... I bought the torches for $25 and never used them, I think my brother scrapped them in the early 80's. ...The Witco stuff inside was all sold and carried off ... a sad sad day in Stark county .... The building is still there and if I squint hard enough I can still see the Statues and those Flames burning, Oh god how I wish someone would return it to it's Tiki splendor!!!

[ Edited by: Bali O Hai O 2010-05-04 03:10 ]