For what it's worth, here are the notes I made on my research along the way:
1947
Dobb's House airline catering business sells 2.5 million airline meals annually.
1954
Joe's Palm Room opens at 13th and Magazine.
1957
Trader Vic's Chicago opens
Carling Dinkler Jr. opens the Atlanta Luau. According to his son Carling Dinkler III, he was inspired by Trader Vic's Chicago.
1959
Atlanta Luau sold at great profit to the Dobb's House Restaurant chain. Maybe because he was ill?
1961
An illness leads Carling Dinkler Jr. to leap from his penthouse balcony. Luau sold to Dobb's House airline catering and restaurant chain, who use it as a blueprint to open Luau rooms in airports across the country.
1962
The Welcome to Greater Louisville Guide for Feb 7th, 1962 has an ad for Gordon's Golden Horse Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge 637 S. 4th in downtown Louisville and their Luau Room, located at 635 S. 4th. Phone: JU3-5439 "We have all American dishes (they mention charbroiled steaks and chops) plus exotic polynesian food. For a south sea island vacation away from the strife of life, visit our unusual Luau Room. Dancing Wed. thru Sat. Hula Dancing nightly by Leilani. Free hula lessons Wed. thru Sat. Font extremely similar but not identical to Dobb's House Luau promo material.
Elsewhere in the same dining guide they are listed separately, with no mention of each other. The Luau Room listing mentions a "Chinese Chef."
There is a third listing for each in the same guide. Gordon's Golden Horse here mentions offering lobster. They call themselves "Headquarters for Kentucky Mint Juleps" and say they have given away 34,010 souvenier glasses.
The third listing for The Luau Room reads, verbatim:
"One of the most attractive and newest restaurants is the Luau Room at 635 S. 4th Street. In fact, the Louisville Central Area Inc., gave the management of the Luau Room a 'Certificate of Recognition for uniqueness. What's more there is free dancing Wednesday through Saturday. Come have fun. There is no cover - no minimum.
The Luau Room offers and exciting Polynesian atmosphere for your dining pleasure, and is the only restaurant in downtown Louisville where you can find a genuine Polynesian menu. Chef Eddie Chinn, from Hong Kong, offers the most exotic dishes you can imagine at truly moderate prices.
Want to learn the Twist and the Hula? Lovely Leilani, who thrills the patrons with her Twist and Hula dances is happy to give patrons free lessons on Wed., Thurs., Fri and Sat. nights. So, take a vacation trip to the fabulous Luau Room and learn to do the Twist and the Hula to perfection."
Riney's South Seas Bar and Lounge - "414 W. Walnut (now Muhammed Ali) between 4th and 5th. Here's the place to get a Mint Julep. Take home the souvenier glass." So they were openly competing with Gordon's? Piano and guitar entertainment.
No mention anywhere in the guide of either Dinkler or Dobb's.
1963
John Shanchuk hired as a dishwasher at the Luau Room in the airport. He was 15. (57 in 2005)
1968
Dobb's House airline catering business sold to Squibb Corp.
1973
A regular caller to Reed Yadon's radio program on WAKY was a redhead getting off-shift from The Luau Room at the airport at 7am.
1977
Luau Room listed in Louisville phone book two ways. The first was simply as itself, "Luau Room Serving Polynesian and American cuisine. Valet parking. 2nd floor above Delta Airlines. Standiford Field 363-2669." The second is as "Dobb's House Luau Room. Standiford Field 363-2669." According to a Dobb's House Luau menu, there was a location in Louisville, and here we see it was true. There was no ad.
There are also listings for Dobb's House Standiford Field catering, airport restaurant, and gift shop; plus listings for a Dobb's House office at 1136 S. 4th (at the front of the parking lot of what would be Winn-Dixie) and two Dobb's House Snack Bars, one at 2410 Brownsboro Road and the other at 4213 Shelbyville Road.
Old Louisville Newsletter 2003: "1136 S. 4th St. (Old Dobbs House Restaurant) - has been recently purchased by Bob Bajandas at a Commissioner’s sale. He is pursuing the use of the 25' x 60' building as another restaurant. He indicated that much of the kitchen equipment is still there and could be reused. It will be several months, however, before he has clear title due to the 'Dower Rights' law." Next issue says "Formerly the Dobbs House and Steak and Egg". They mean a Steak N' Egger which was vacant when I arrived in town (1990). Located in the parking lot of the Winn-Dixie, it was in very bad condition when I used to shop there (before 1996). Looked like drug addicts might be living inside. It was demolished a couple years ago (looking back from 2007), probably by this Roberto J. "Bob" Bajandas character.
Joe's Palm Room in phone book. 1821 W. Jefferson 583-9228
Blue Hawaii Restaurant listed as Shelbyville Road Plaza 895-5434. 1/4 page ad in phone book said: "Polynesian and Chinese Cuisine. Individually prepared dishes at reasonable rates. Aloha complete dinner. PUU PUU tray (Appetizer) Free. Cocktails. Exotic Polynesian drinks. Open 7 days. Dinner. Mon. - Sat. 5pm - 11:30pm Sun 3pm-10pm.
There was a Golden Horseshoe Bar and Lounge listed at 12600 Dixie 937-9153.
No Gordon's Golden Horse listed.
No Polynesian Palace listed.
1979
All Dobb's House and Luau Room listings unchanged from 1977 phone book.
John Shanchuk's son John, who was 6 at this time, recalls a host of glassware: skulls, tikis. I have highball glasses. Someone else has brown Luau Orchids of Hawaii mugs, probably from the Dobb's House Luau chain. If they were affiliated with them they probably all used the same mugs.
Polynesian Palace listed in phone book. 2239 Oak 776-9505
Blue Hawaii Restaurant listing unchanged from 1977.
?
John Shanchuk became manager of The Luau Room.
1983
John Shanchuk's son John says The Luau Room closed this year, but according to the phone book, three years from this point it was on 4th Street. He also says he was 10 in 1983, and that he was never in the 4th Street location. He says his father, with silent partner Ben Edelen, took a big tiki, a table and chairs (for his home dining room), several recipes and several employees, and opened John E's. (2005 article about John E's says "In the almost twenty years he has owned the restaurant...") BTW, "Celestial Chicken" may have been a Dobb's House recipe. See the August 2006 post below about the Houston Dobb's House.
1984
Dobbs House airline catering and food-service is a subsidiary of Chicago-based Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Maybe it wasn't airport expansion which closed the Luau Room. Maybe Carson Pirie-Scott cut them loose?
1986
Luau Room 2420 S. 4th 635-6638 Ad says "Polynesian and American Food and Exotic Drinks. South Seas and Hawaiian atmosphere. Originally located at Standiford Field." The font and icons are now identical to the Dobb's Luau chain. The drawing is of a freestanding building, similar but not true to 4th street location. Sign in drawing says "Welcome to Luau" and two giant tikis are shown outside.
Only remaining Dobb's House listing is for catering, Standiford Field.
John E's Restaurant and Lounge 3708 Bardstown Road 456-111
Joe's Palm Room still at 1821 W. Jefferson with new # 581-1251
Polynesian Palace listing unchanged from 1979.
Blue Hawaii is not listed.
1990
2420 S. 4th is a Mexican restaurant.
2002 /2003
2420 S. 4th is a Salvation Army thrift store.
2003 /2004
2420 S. 4th sporadically operated as B2 Dreams, a hip hop club. The B2 Dreams equipment was removed in January 2007.
Nineveh, aka Nancy Beranek
