Kona Kai, Philadelphia, PA (restaurant)

Thanks Hiltiki, John-O, Tiki Tom D, Swanky and PTD for your responses. I had to vent and I appreciate your support.

Tiki Tom D, another great find on the LA Times article. Can you imagine 9 TONS of Polynesian art and building material coming into the Port of Los Angeles for shipment to the Kona Kai? That is amazing!

Swanky, I hear ya, the facebook like button seems to be the tool to leave our footprint these days. I am always torn about the simple bump post, as I like to add something of value to the thread when I post.

PTD, Yes, Yes and Yes. Post on Tiki Finds but more importantly post your finds in the appropriate thread on Locating Tiki. I know, from following your posts, that you have a ton of great material that can be added here.

Now, back to our show. I picked up two Kona Kai postcards with the artist renderings. The first one has been seen before from the menu I posted, finally got the postcard.

Here is the second, gives you and idea of how big the Marriott complex was after it was expanded and explains why this was the flagship location for the Kona Kai.

Close up of the Kona Kai entrance and gardens.

DC

Like!

I found this photo on flickr showing the Kona Kai entrance with fully mature landscaping.

A close up with a little enhancing.

Quite a different look than the opening day photo!

DC

The Marriott Kona Kai of Phildelphia,then newly opened, is featured at the very beginning of the TV series, Route 66, in an episode from Dec.8, 1961 (second season), titled, "The Thin White Line".

[->>King Bushwich 33rd

King B,

Nice find on that Route 66 clip showing the Kona Kai. Cool to see it at night all lit up like that. I grabbed a screen shot.

Here is an ad from the Kona Kai I found recently.

I also picked up two old swizzle pics that I had not seen before with the signature Tiki.

What a great place.

DC

Always nice to add something new to this great thread.

Picked up a drink and dinner menu set from the Kona Kai in Philly.

The nice dinner menu cover art.

The day-glo drink menu.

Some of the drink photos.

They illustrated the Tiki mugs and shot photos of the regular drink glasses - that seems a little backwards.

DC

To think...I went to high school about two miles from where the Kona Kai was, in the late 70's. I wasn't into Tiki then as I am now. If only I could go back in time.....

I just got this 1970's era Marriott postcard that has a little photo of the Kona Kai restaurant. How about that bed-cover!

Here is the interior photo. Lots of drink-ware on that table.

DC

On 2010-02-07 13:04, Or Got Rum? wrote:
This one is on Ebay (not mine) 99.99 BIN.

Here are some more pages from this menu:

Found this article from 1961 describing the design and construction of the Kona Kai, with a nod to architect Louis Armet including credit for designing the carvings.

DC

On 2009-11-15 15:27, bigbrotiki wrote:
And then there is ONE photo of which I am dying to find a good quality print of. It is the Kona Kai entrance lobby, and I only ever saw it as part of a collage in the Armet & Davis offices:

I zoomed into the collage and brought up the exposure, so we can appreciate what a glamorous Tiki Temple this must have been:

What I would give for that photo! Tiki at the peak of the style! Part of the proscenium made it back to LA, but the two Tikis? The one on the right clearly is the one in blueprint Nr. 2 on top of this post.

Birgro,

Found that photo on-line, it's a beauty.

Definitely from the blueprint.

It is part of the Jacob Stelman Architectural Photography collection See Here.

DC

Whooaaah! THANK YOU thank you thank you, DC, for that find. Now THAT'S the entrance to a Tiki TEMPLE :)

yeah, thanks for posting. i've been looking for that one too.

here's the curved entry trim panel right before removal in 1984 and today:

Now you gotta find those Tikis, Jordan :)

And the next mystery is: WHAT was the design in that translucent skylight? Must have bee resin panels...

On 2013-06-23 22:28, bigbrotiki wrote:
Now you gotta find those Tikis, Jordan :)

And the next mystery is: WHAT was the design in that translucent skylight? Must have bee resin panels...

looks like resin with ocean debris. if so, that's a pretty spartan pattern.

if it is, it says a WHOLE LOT about the difference of how tiki decor is today from how it was done back then. today, every square inch of those resin panels would be colored and brimming with objects.

Dead moths?

It could be anything :) :

Jack Bouck with "Conversation window" at Kelbo's

Another photo from Kelbo's:

People did some great stuff with resin then...
Someone was suggesting a map - I like that idea

Hey DC thanks again, that amazing entry shot is incredible, everything a Tiki palace needs is in the shot.

Holy hell. What a shame that place went down. I spent years in Philly looking for stuff, but to no avail.

A simple little ad from the Kona Kai bump this thread.

DC

On 2011-06-24 23:12, Dustycajun wrote:
Does anybody ever look at Locating Tiki anymore? Or has it become crap from some old place blah blah blah blah blah lets get to the next Tiki party dude.

A beauty ashtray from the Kona Kai from ebay.

One of these is up for sale again: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=261472842443

On 2011-03-05 23:46, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
An interior photo of the Philadelphia Kona Kai from 1974:

Looking at that picture, I realize that the lamp is the Kon Tiki lamp...

but with a rope shade...

I have an original Oceanic Arts rope shade from a ceramic tiki lamp. The retrofit works quite nicely and fits snugly on top of the glass shade. Oceanic arts handmade these rope shades and I believe the lamp is from Orchids of Hawaii. Looks like some sort of mashup. Maybe they replaced their original lamps with newer Orchids of Hawaii lamps but kept the original shades. At least, for me, it dates these metal lamps to the mid-70s.

Tattoo,

Nice lamp. I picked up a new matchbook from the Kona Kai and when I looked my collection I realized there were several variations.

Ah, the subtle life of a paper collector!

DC

Wow. I know this thread has been quiet for quite a while, so maybe no one will actually see this! But I just had to say thank you to everyone. I was actually in tears looking at all of the fabulous pics. Soooooo wonderful.

I pretty much grew up at Kona Kai. Born & raised in Philly, it was my favorite place in the world from my earliest memory. Every birthday, family celebration, special occasion was spent there. It was like walking into a magical land where the rest of the world's worries couldn't reach you. I've carried that with me throughout life & at 20 I was married at the Polynesian Resort in Disneyworld. I finally have enough space now to build an in-home tiki lounge--my own little Kona Kai. Been hunting for bits and pieces from it on eBay--a pair of salt & pepper shakers, a mug, a postcard...your pics will really help me re-create the magic in miniature!

It was a total trip to see the menus. I always got the Lobster Cantonese. And I always wanted a giant Paradise Punch, served in an Orchids of Hawaii 3 tiki scorpion bowl! It looked so decadent.

BTW, the long waterfall depicted in the rainforest sketches did materialize and was not scaled down. It was in the lobby, right inside the main doors, before you took the big stone staircase up to the actual dining rooms. I've been hunting all over the Internet for a photo of that fabulous waterfall, but still no luck. One of the pictures posted showed the top of the staircase, but not the base of it, where the waterfall was. How I wish my mom had taken more photos.

And since y'all brought up the very silly In Crowd movie, I'll throw into the conversation that I'm one of the teenage extras in that movie in the dance scenes (which were all filmed in one of the auditoriums at Temple U). Just look for the really goofy gal with the horrifically teased up hair, ugly green blouse, and pleated white skirt. Or better yet, don't look...it's just too silly. The film is truly ridiculous, but it's worth sitting through to get a glimpse of my Kona Kai again :)

Thanks again everyone for posting all of this!
Tara

Thank for sharing your memories KonaKaiBaby!

Thanks! Been searching for any photos from all of those birthdays and family celebrations, but no luck yet. Can't believe my mom didn't keep any! :(
But haven't given up hope yet...

Red and Green shown on page 1

Found a blue one today :)

(Did they use this/these at the other Kona Kai location too?)

On 2014-07-15 20:39, Dustycajun wrote:

Ah, the subtle life of a paper collector!

DC

hey DC, would this be another variation....? I got these both yesterday. I noticed the one was a bigger version with the Kona Kai words spread out instead of stacked.

Spotted this menu with a nice photo of the entrance bridge at the Kona Kai.

DC

Picked this menu up this morning at flea market. Not sure if it's from Philly, but I live not too far away.




Sorry, my first post. Turned my pics anyway it wanted to.