Duke Kahanamoku's, Honolulu, HI (restaurant)

Name:Duke Kahanamoku's
Type:restaurant
Street:International Marketplace
City:Honolulu
State:HI
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
Duke Kahanamoku's restaurant occupied the Don the Beachcomber's location in the International Marketplace in Waikiki in the late 1960's. Hosted Don Ho and other famous Hawaiian musicians as well as Martin Denny.

Here is a postcard I have with Don Ho.

An exterior postcard from Duke's (from Mimi Paynes website) compared to the postcard from Don the Beachcombers.

Some brochures from ebay advertising the music (with the Surfers and Martin Denny) and the food.

A swizzle.

DC

Here are a few more items from Duke's from the internet.

The famous Suck Em Up glass from the Don Ho shows.

A couple of albums recorded at Dukes

Don Ho Suck Em Up

The Hawaiian Surfers

DC

Nice line up, D.C.! I could make good use of some of these items for THIS page in my next book:

Though I am not a Don Ho fan per se, that baby's gotta go in there! :)

I like that brochure, and that shirt ! Here's the cocktail menu from Duke's:

Bigbro and Puamana,

Thanks for posting the great shirt and menu. The shirt definitely has to go in the Look of Tiki with the glasses, menu, etc. What a classic!

Here is another style Suck Em Up glass posted Super Eight by on the Suck Em Up thread.

DC

Man that is one cool shirt.

A Duke and Suck em up matchbook from ebay.

DC

Here's the Green Suck Em Up shirt, would love to score one of these beauties.

DC

Found this photo online of a young woman siting on the Bamboo bridge at Duke's. You can see the bridge in the postcard when it was Don the Beachcombers.

DC

I just found this site tonight and am thrilled! I've got a set of four of the SUCK 'EM UP! tumblers plus a woman's dress in the famous SUCK 'EM UP! print.
I'd post a photo of the dress, but I'm new here and have NO clue how to do that!
Anyone care to give me instructions? Thanks!

Cancel that. I think I've figured it out. Let's see:

Oh, yeah! It worked!

(Is there a function here that will notify me by email if someone replies to my post? Thanks!)

What is the price value on one of those Suck'em Up shirts? They are bold and beautiful.

Teakey I know where there is one and I believe the guy wants $300-$400 for it.
They are not easy to come by, especially in XL .

Well what-do-ya know, Duke's had a custom Coconut mug. Saw this on ebay, it is way cool!

Looks like a spin-off of the Don the Beachcombers mug with a Hawaiian manufacturer.

DC

Ironically, the Dukes on Mauai as well as Kauai are places to go where the wait staff will be totally devoid of anyone with Hawaiian blood, from my observations (Maui twice and Kauai once).

A few more images of Don Ho and Duke's at the International Market Place from an oversized postcard I purchased.

Also another matchbook from ebay with Duke and and the Kimo Wilder McVay Don Ho show.

DC

Aloha,

On 2011-05-11 20:27, Dustycajun wrote:

DC

That card did make it into Waikiki Tiki! I love the maori warrior...

I found a matchbook and a drink table card from Duke's.

Some other matchbook styles as well.

Here is the table card.

That Don Ho was a hard working performer with shows at 8:30. 10:45 and 1:00 AM.

A finally a great photo of Don Ho in action at Dukes.

DC

An old ad for Don Ho at Dukes with the Aliis. The show also included the great Tavana's Tahitian Review.

DC

Today's matchbook find

Did a little more digging for info on Duke Kahanamoku's Restaurant at the International Market Place. The restaurant opened on September 1, 1961 with non-other-than Donn Beach handing over the keys to Duke.

The manager who ran the place was Kimo Wilder McVay, seen in these photos.

Duke hired Don Ho in 1963 when he was playing at his mom’s bar, Honey’s, in Kaneohe. The two became very close.

Do Ho performed at Duke's for many years and recorded his first album there.

Duke even hosted his surfing event awards ceremony at the restaurant, as seen here with Fred Hemmings and Miki Dora.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2016-12-20 15:49 ]

Martin Denny was also a featured performer at Duke Kahanamoku's

He even recorded his "Martin Denny in Person" album there with some live action photos on the cover.

DC

Man, that was a walk down memory lane for me; thanks for posting!
I grew up in Honolulu during the '60's, and spent a lot of time at the International Market Place. We never made it to Don's/Duke's; out of our price range, but Duke and Don Ho were a constant presence on TV and radio in those days. Hawaii was stil a fairly isolated place then, with much more of a small town feel than one would expect from if you've been to modern Honolulu.
Somewhere I have some old photos of a young me on the bamboo bridge. I'll see if I can dig them up.
,

Cool photo streak there, Dusty!

I used the live intro for that album on my "Sound of Tiki" CD, the announcer's voice is so enigmatic when he says: "...the Exotic Sounds of...MARTIN DENNY!" It's almost like you are there.

On 2016-12-22 19:25, bigbrotiki wrote:
Cool photo streak there, Dusty!

I used the live intro for that album on my "Sound of Tiki" CD, the announcer's voice is so enigmatic when he says: "...the Exotic Sounds of...MARTIN DENNY!" It's almost like you are there.

That's where that intro came from!

kevin

Dusty- nice run of pics
Thanks for posting

News article from May of 1961 announcing the sale of the Don the Beachcomber restaurant to Duke Kahanamoku.

The article recounts all of Donn's other ventures at the time.

DC