Last Hurrah for the Royal Hawaiian ???

According to Humu, THe Royal Hawaiian has been sold!!!!
http://blog.humuhumu.com/2006/01/10/end-nearing-for-royal-hawaiian
We need to send this one out with a bang. I say we have a night of ribs, tikis and Lapu-Lapus. Who's in, this joint has been open since '47, we need to usher it out in style.
Mahalo,
Al

This sucks. The Royal Hawaiian is another one of those places that I've always meant to go to, but I'm never in Laguna late enough in the day.

If you plan something for a Friday or Saturday night, I'm definitely in.

Kate

It's actually according to Scott McGerik, as mentioned in my blog. He heard the news when he was visiting there recently.

Al, I still have fond memories of my first and only visit to the Royal Hawaiian -- that's where I met you for the first time! I'd like to try to make it down to pay our (last? hope not) respects to the place.

When???? We will try tobe there!!!
Mahalo,
Spermy

Oh why couldn't of been Billy's at the Beach instead? The Royal Hawaiian was pretty cool. What a bum deal.

Chongolio

Let's try to get at least a three week notice for us Tiki Heads from afar please.

Sounds like a plan! I know WooHooWahine is up for it and I can't resist the Lapu-Lapus!!!!

might make an apperance, please keep us updated.
Thanks,
TT

I think we can make it on Saturday, February 11. How does that date sound?

PERFECT!!!
Mahalo,
Al

BooHooo!!! :( The Royal Hawaiian is one of my favorites. I just got off the phone with The Royal Hawaiian and they said, "That the restaurant has been bought and will remain open for 60 more days. After that they are not sure if the new owners will keep the restaurant open or not." Let's keep our fingers crossed.

What the... That SUCKs... Is it definately closing???
If so, let's plan a major closing event!!!! How about a big Bon Voyage on Saturday, February the 18th. It's a 3 or 4 day weekend for many of us.

I am willing to help with the planning. PM me so we can get something together.

Be careful... the tikies are watching

[ Edited by: MTKahuna 2006-01-19 17:41 ]

Mike!!!,
The 18th sounds good, let's go with the 18th. What do you say people?
Mahalo,
Al

BoooHoooo! :( Holiday Weekend, Soccer Tiki and I were planning on going to Oakland :(

I'm out of town too

Are we sure it is finally closing, heard that when asked recently, a bouncer replied, ya, im buying it tommorow." Someone is supposedly always about to buy it. I want to make sure and go down there if this is actually gonna happen.

The 11th works better for me.

In

dammit! i hope they don't screw the place up! i like the royal hawaiian!! cleen and i may have to make it down there for the (hope not) send off party.

if anyone is keepin track the holiday weekend would be better for us.

dh

I am ok with 18th.

11th bad. 18th good.
Even if we can't make it for the gathering, Tiki Bird & I are past due for a visit.

Either of those dates would probably work for us, we'll try to keep it open. I'm sad to hear WooHoo's confirmation of the news so far -- I'll keep hoping for the best. Support your local tiki!

What should be done about the tikis in front?

Perfect! The day after my thesis defense! Of course, if it's the last time I go to the Royal Hawaiian, I'll be royally bummed (pun intended).

Yep, I heard they entered a 90-day escrow on 12-17-05, so we may be looking at a potential closing in mid March. The purchasers are buying the Hula Hut, the jewelry store next to the parking lot, and the parking lot for a real estate investment. They don't want to operate a restaurant, although I've heard they would entertain an offer to continue it. This probably isn't feasible, because a change of ownership will likely require the restaurant to be brought up to code..... A friend of a friend has put in an offer hoping the building inspection report will discourage the potential buyers. So far, it's not looking very promising.

The Royal Hawaiian is great! All of you local TCers better get your butts in there and pay it the respect it deserves! See ya there.

Mean Gene has spoken!

http://www.fallingcocos.com

[ Edited by: MEAN GENE 2006-01-20 08:04 ]

It looks like roughly half the votes are for Feb. 11th and half for the 18th.

There might have to be two events!

If you go in there right when they open during the week and tell the early local boys at the bar that Mean Gene sent ya, watch what happens....

I will be making as many appointments in OC as possible during the next couple months.

http://www.fallingcocos.com

[ Edited by: MEAN GENE 2006-01-20 08:19 ]

Does anyone know if the Royal Hawaiian is planning a closing event? That may solve our problem.

If not, we'll have to have an appropriate closing ceremony. Therefore, the more time for planning... the better.

Be careful... the tikies are watching

[ Edited by: MTKahuna 2006-01-20 09:05 ]

I was there on 12/30 during my New Years pilgramage and was told by the lady in charge that while they were indeed being sold the new owners would be keeping the Royal Hawaiian open as a Polynesian place.

On 2006-01-20 11:45, rugbymatt wrote:
I was there on 12/30 during my New Years pilgramage and was told by the lady in charge that while they were indeed being sold the new owners would be keeping the Royal Hawaiian open as a Polynesian place.

That's what they all say...

Yes Please,
Let's confirm that the Royal (God Forbid) is closing or remodeling before we make a pilgrimage.

On 2006-01-20 15:11, Unga Bunga wrote:
Yes Please,
Let's confirm that the Royal (God Forbid) is closing or remodeling before we make a pilgrimage.

That's exactly the line of thought that will ensure its demise. We've got to support these places and keep them thriving! I can't guarantee my schedule will let me be there, but the threat of it closing is the alarm clock/kick in the pants I need to get there, whether the threat is real or not.

Sadly, the threat does sound very real to me -- if you wait for confirmation, it might come in the form of pictures of a post-wrecking ball lot.

I think I'm gonna cry!! I just went to look up hours and saw the sad news! The Mr and I are going tonight for our 14th anniversary. I think I'll haunt the place every weekend until they close...

Whether it is closing or not, I say we go anyway and do some OC crawling. 18th is good.

Soccer Tiki and I are heading over to The Royal Hawaiian Tonight!!! Hopefully we will have some information for everyone after we return :)

OK. The Mr and I went last night and got to talking with the bar waitress. She said the dude buying it owns...hold on to your sandals...the CHEESECAKE FACTORY! Nice. She said the escrow is 60 days and could still fall out. She also said she doesn't know (no one working there does) about his intentions. However, he can't turn it into a cheesecake place (not enough square footage according to code).
Then I asked her if she had been, you know, kinda eyeing a few of the treasures hanging around. She said for sure, but only eyeing them with longing, as they had no clue what was going on yet.
She stated some crazy people came in a few days ago and told everyone they wanted to purchase a lot of the lamps, pictures, TIKIS! The employees were not too happy about that, "everything's like, 40 years old and would probably go on Ebay for a ton"...I guess they had quite a time getting the people to leave with out any treasures. So I said yeah, you better start watching every one as they leave. Make sure they don't all of a sudden look like a pregnant lady, only with puffer fish spines sticking out of her shirt. Or a dude wearing a really long, bulky coat that clanks.
I mentioned the folks from TC would be coming around to party. She didn't seem to know what that was. But said yeah- come on over and let the (maybe)new owner know how much we like it there.
I say let Mr Cheesey know how much we NEED it to stay just the way it is!
I'll be there again tonight voicing my opinion!
AND, I just had a thought. I have a few friends working for the city of Laguna. One in code enforcement and one in property preservation!! I'll make a few calls today and see if Mr Cheese has been asking about changes.

Sorry I can't fly out and join the Ohana this time 'round.

Would it be appropriate to use TC to circulate a petition to show Mr. Cheesecake just how much it means to people all over the place (i.e. people who patronize his establishments elsewhere)?

Just an out of the box thought.

This is ridiculous! The Royal H has been a Laguna Beach fixture for years and years. I can't believe that the owners would sell it to the Cheesecake factory! It's not like the place isn't busy any more. I know tons of people that I grew up with in Newport Beach that don't give a f*ck about tiki, but love the Royal H. This just doesn't seem right, especially after they went to the trouble to replace some of the old weathered tikis with new ones a few years back.

In, 11th or 18th, prefer the long weekend, though.

On 2006-01-21 08:09, Hau 'oli Tiki wrote:
OK. The Mr and I went last night and got to talking with the bar waitress. She said the dude buying it owns...hold on to your sandals...the CHEESECAKE FACTORY! Nice. She said the escrow is 60 days and could still fall out. She also said she doesn't know (no one working there does) about his intentions. However, he can't turn it into a cheesecake place (not enough square footage according to code).
. . .
I'll make a few calls today and see if Mr Cheese has been asking about changes.

Please do. The Laguna Beach code states the property is too small for a new restaurant, even though its current use is a restaurant?

Has Mr. Cheesy filed for a variance with the Zoning/Planning dept?

On 2006-01-20 15:19, Humuhumu wrote:

That's exactly the line of thought that will ensure its demise. We've got to support these places and keep them thriving!

Well said.

Nevertheless, has there been a decrease in revenue at the Royal Hawaiian?

WooHoo and I Spoke with the son of the owner last night. They want to travel. He (Jr) hasn't been to Hawaii since he was 4 (now 48!) After his dad died (the original owner)his mom, he and his sister have been managing the place and not taking any "real" vacations....He says the family loves the place and all the guests, but they're ready to move on. He said he would welcome a group of TCers to come in and use the banquet room anytime.

Now the valet feels things are going to change...If anyone knows who I'm talking about, then you know he has some tikis and artwork in his little garage/cubby hole where he spends his time waiting for cars to pull in. He sold me a couple items last night!

We plan on going back Wednesday (they have some good specials before 7pm!! And for those who haven't been in a while...The food is good!!! Of course the Lapu Lapus are 2nd to none and the drink prices are reasonable!

On 2006-01-21 08:09, Hau 'oli Tiki wrote:
She said the dude buying it owns...hold on to your sandals...the CHEESECAKE FACTORY!

Yikes! These are the same folks that took over and killed Beachbum Burts in Redondo Beach back about 20 years ago...

On 2006-01-21 18:27, SoccerTiki wrote:
WooHoo and I Spoke with the son of the owner last night. They want to travel. He (Jr) hasn't been to Hawaii since he was 4 (now 48!) After his dad died (the original owner)his mom, he and his sister have been managing the place and not taking any "real" vacations....He says the family loves the place and all the guests, but they're ready to move on.

Why cant they hire a general manager and keep the income?

The probable demise of the venerable Royal Hawaiian shouldn't come as any surprise. The place is sitting on some choice real estate, and with So Cal's obsession with 'redevelopment', it was only a matter of time before some punkass developer bought it for upscale yuppie condos. Or some consortium used eminent domain to take over and tear it down.

Let's hope that there is an outside chance the Royal Hawaiian will be saved. But at the very least, the treasures that it holds will find it's way into the hands of enthusiasts, rather than the local dump.

I just might try to make a jaunt up there tomorrow for a Lapu Lapu!

Alrighty then,
Let's plan a gathering for the 18th. If any has connections on getting a room reserved, send me a PM.

I assume you all mean Feb. 18th right???

I've been to RH about 6 times over the past 10 years. Always very good food. But it was before I started to Drink. So I'm lookingforward to test driving some drinks there.

I Pass by that place 2 times every week while making my rounds on my Pool Route.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2006-01-22 12:37, MTKahuna wrote:
Alrighty then,
Let's plan a gathering for the 18th. If any has connections on getting a room reserved, send me a PM.

According to Hotels.com, the Best Western Las Brisas is $150 on the night of the 18th. (Its $100 on Sunday night).