Post #800075 by Dustycajun on Thu, Jan 16, 2020 7:29 AM

Mike Hooker,

Here is an article from 1973 when Trader Vic was visiting the islands to promote his new line of food and drinks for United Airlines. In the article Vic recounts how the deal went sour with Granny Abbott and describes the buyout by Lynch in 1963 and the subsequent sale to Spencecliff. Vic states in the article that he went to the Ward Drive location in 1973 to find it “all torn up”.

This article documents the move to the International Market Place in 1970 and the name change to "Old Plantation".

So here is my slightly different version of the Trader Vic’s Hawaii time-line.

1940 Trader Vic and Granny Abbott open Trader Vic’s on Ward Drive as partners

1941 Granny Abbott buys out a dejected Trader Vic after he slyly incorporates the Trader Vic’s name in the territory of Hawaii

1945 Fred Mosher comes on-board briefly, most likely as a restaurant manager as he would later do at the Outrigger Canoe Club

1950-1955 Granny Abbott’s son (also Granny Abbott) takes over as manager until at least 1960

1963 Robert L. Lynch from Southern California buys Trader Vic’s, presumably to franchise it to the Spencecliff Corp

1964 Lynch puts the Trader Vic’s property up for sale

1967 Spencecliff buys the Trader Vic’s Corporation from Lynch and announces that a two 16 story buildings will be constructed
on the site.

1970 Trader Vic’s moves to the International Market Place and the Ward Drive location becomes the Old Plantation

1973 Trader Vic’s on Ward Drive is being torn down when Victor Bergeron visits