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Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / Hawaii Kai, New York, NY (restaurant)

Post #533597 by donhonyc on Tue, Jun 1, 2010 11:29 PM

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On 2010-06-01 23:11, Dustycajun wrote:
Donho,

My Beachcomber post had no mention of the Lanai because this is the FIRST TIME that anybody has figured this out. Monte Proser opened the Lanai in 1961 at the same spot he had The Beachcomber in 1940! The Lanai then became the Hawaii Kai of Tiki fortune and fame (not to mention the movies).

I found these two little clips from a 1961 Palm Beach newspaper about the opening of the Lanai. This is way-cool history.

DC

Wow. So basically that location next to the Winter Garden was the Beachcomber from 1940-1961, and then it was the Lanai for a while and then Hawaii Kai? Man! That's great history but again, I have to totally kick myself because I moved here in 1986. Hawaii Kai and Trader Vic's were both stil here in business. That means that the Hawaii Kai existed in one form or another for over 40 years! And I missed it!!! Damn!!!!