Aloha, Niles, OH (restaurant)

Name:Aloha
Type:restaurant
Street:1212 Youngstown Warren Rd
City:Niles
State:OH
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
I came across this old drink menu on the internet from the Aloha restaurant located in Niles, Ohio.

Some nice illustrated drink graphics.

In researching this place, I found out that the building with the great A-frame entrance is still there and operating as the Sunshine Chinese Buffet. I wonder if there is a Tiki bar inside?

Here is a photo from the Tiki Architecture website.

The google street view.

Anybody ever been?

DC

I think I asked about this place in 2009 when Scottamus posted his pics of it. I knew it had to be an old Tiki joint.

Great A-frame! So that's gone now?....or does it still exist as a Chinese restaurant.

Sven,

The A-frame is still there, the restaurant is still operating.

Here is the nice photo from Scottamus.

DC

Niles is about an hour E/SE of Cleveland just NW of Youngstown. My nephew went to college at YSU, I'll see if he remembers the place.

So, I'm on the way to the in-laws in Niles, OH on Thanksgiving, when he says "Oh, we're right by The Aloha"... 17 years, nary a mention of this "Aloha" place, my head nearly exploded! There was of course the ensuing "I've told you about it","No you haven't" discussion.
We stopped, took pictures, no tiki in sight, asked the in-laws, nobody had been to it back in the day, so nobody could say if there were tikis or not. I left it like that with the intention to ask more at Christmas but didn't get a chance.

So glad to see the post and find out there were tiki mugs at least!

Now, back to hounding more of the family to see if anyone out there has recollections!

Is it just a coincidence that there's a sun in the tiki's hands on the front of the menu and the place is now Sunshine Buffet?

My wife discovered this place today, her friend was having a bridal shower there. She asked if there were any relics hiding in the back and the staff told her everything was cleaned out 15-20 years ago. She did snap this pick of some tikis hanging out inside.

Recently heard that this place closed last year.
here's a listing for sale with some photos:
http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18971008/1212-Youngstown-Warren-Road-Niles-OH/

Looks like nothing tiki is left.
But you could buy it and bring it back!

Nice A-frame!

C'mon, nobody here lives in Niles and wants to open a Tiki restaurant !? :wink:

Yeah, Who would want to build a Tiki Supper Club in Ohio??

We're lucky that someone wanted to build another one in Columbus (Grass Skirt). We have another one on the horizon but not sure how "Tiki" it will be!!

Very cool to find out about another Tiki place in Ohio though! Nice work dusty!! Anyway you can send me better pics of the menu? I'm trying to document Ohio Tiki!

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

"C'mon, nobody here lives in Niles and wants to open a Tiki restaurant !?"

Most of these small towns in Ohio are truly broken down desolate places.
Heck Dayton is a kinda big city in Ohio but
after NCR left it's a really depressing sight to see.

Columbus sucks, sooo these places triple suck.

This restaurant is now for sale at $225,000 by Howard Hanna Real Estate in case anyone wants to make a go of it. Skip? :wink:
"Prime restaurant, retail space on busy US Route 422 within .25 miles of intersecting Route 46. Over 2 acres with almost 220' of frontage. Includes all equipment, fixtures, etc. Owner willing to lease. Average Daily Traffic 17,000+."

Ha! not me that is a young mans game.

I had a chance to buy my old place back but my health would not allow me to do it.
Really do miss it though.

I say go to a restaurant that is family owned, now look at the people who own/run it.
Mostly family, Beat down tired people who have not had a vacation in years just waiting for that heart attack to take away the pain of living with all that a family owned place is.

And that's the UP side!

Now the new joints that are in good areas like some of the new tiki bars with their high price drinks if they are really busy they might make it.

How many people do you think Vacation in beautiful Niles, Ohio?

None, you get other beat down people looking for the cheapest prices they can get.
The place went out as a buffet, MAN talk about a hard way to make a buck, the buffets bring in the worst people the world has to offer and you make next to nothing on each one of them.

That's why many of those buffets are run by Asians as they are the only people willing to work so hard for so little.

Believe me, I talk to MANY other restaurant owners.