Post #623652 by tikicoma on Sat, Feb 4, 2012 9:38 PM

Thought I'd post an image of a poster Bigbro put on another thread and a menu cover from the topless years.

The menu may soon be coming to me so I can scan it and see if there are any interior shots. It looks like there may be some bamboo in the background of one of the photos on the menu.

I've read the newspaper articles mentioned and there was no useful info or photos in them.

The Tiki was opened "by 1963" and was originally a respectable polynesian/tropical/tiki restaurant. A customer where I work, who's in his late 50's, went there many times when he was a boy. He recalls it having lots of tropical decor. When I talked to him later he said there were tiki carvings, bamboo and more, both times he told me about this was after a few pints though. Oddly it turns out his former father in law was one of those convicted of racketeering in the arsons and attempted murders associated with this location and others.
I've also talked to musicians from the 60's tacoma rock bands The Galaxies and The (fabulous) Wailers who played there but they don't remember much about the place. Some of the geezers who come in were I work recall the topless era but their studying of the "decor" didn't reach the walls, or maybe snickering impairs memory. That's all I've got so far.

edit, I forgot to mention that about 1979 I went to a bar (the Ram) next to the Tiki location. After I parked I looked up at the end of the building strip that these business' were in and saw what I recall as two, tiki like, masks painted on it along with the words, Tiki or Tikis restaurant. I went looking for it but only found the locked door to the Peking.

aloha, tikicoma

[ Edited by: tikicoma 2012-02-04 23:40 ]