Holokai Grill/Waikiki: FOR SALE! Not smooth sailing!

Aloha Kakou,
We found out recently that the Holokai Grill is now for sale at the heart of Waikiki (the restuarant was launched April of 2007), on the second floor of the newly redesigned Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewers street. http://www.Tikimaster.com was really proud to execute unique art pieces for the Holokai Grill: 33 foot Waka canoe, five 8-foot Tikis, Hokulea sailing canoes, signage and hand carved Hawaiian storyboards.
The economic landscape made the launch difficult in addition to a rocky start. If you are interested, here is the price tag:
http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/4/7/C/47C8BE2F-A7B1-417C-BC74-6BC78F081E7B.pdf

Here are a few images of the launch!

Flying canoe over Waikiki:

Tikis welcoming guests:

33-foot Waka canoe:

Mahalo Nui Loa,
Kawika
http://www.Tikimaster.com

[ Edited by: TikiMaster 2008-04-18 11:51 ]

The following was just announced.....

Holokai Grill at the Waikiki Beach Walk abruptly shut down on Saturday, following dismal sales and lower-than-expected foot traffic at Outrigger's $535 million project.

The 152-seat restaurant, which has been on the market for the past three months, was unable to generate enough revenue to cover operating costs.

http://starbulletin.com/2008/05/07/business/story02.html

Truly a shame. It had an inspired Tiki decor, excellent service and a sunkissed ambience, perfect for Waikiki.

What is even more surprising is that the development was the biggest in Waikiki in decades, so one would have thought there should have been more traffic.

Maybe it was just a few years premature, as there are several towers, including the Trump tower, in various stages of construction going up nearby.

Hate to say it, but their food and drink was about the same as Chili's. Anyone know what happened to all the storyboards?

yeh, lots of money spent does not guarantee tiki ambiance. From what I can see it looks like a hotel restaurant in a Marriott.

I was only there for their breakfast buffet, which was excellent.
Maybe they should have had a larger bar, as alcohol sales has a higher profit margin and they could have pulled the crowd from the brewery on the corner.

On 2008-05-15 16:13, alohacurrent wrote:
Hate to say it, but their food and drink was about the same as Chili's. Anyone know what happened to all the storyboards?

You go to Chili's? I don't remember seeing any storyboards at Chili's, not that I go there??!!

LOL

PTD

Aloha,
We were just with the owners last week removing all the art pieces from the restaurant. Most of the tikis have been placed at Tikis & Grill the "sister" restaurant. The storyboard pictured on the post is staying as it is pretty much part of the wall...the restaurant is being turned into a meeting room for Outrigger (landlord of the Waikiki beach walk).
We will be taking back the 33-foot Waka canoe to help facilitate the sale and some other art work like Tikis and storyboards.

Mahalo Nui Loa,
Tikimaster
http://www.tikimaster.com

They could have thrived if they would have hired my friends to play thier hot brand of truly classic Hawaiian music, as will any joint on Oahu who has those now impossible to find kind of smarts.

Not suprising. We were there this past February. There was not near the people on BeachWalk to support such places. Most were lookers (like us). We enjoyed the old Lewers St area, and hated to see it go. It had character from the old Outrigger Edgewater to the Reef Towers. Now it's just another sanitary no character shopping area.

Rex

On 2008-05-15 18:11, TikiMaster wrote:
Aloha,
We were just with the owners last week removing all the art pieces from the restaurant. Most of the tikis have been placed at Tikis & Grill the "sister" restaurant.

Good News.

That IS good news. I like TIKIS.

Tiki's is way out of place on the main drag along Kuhio Beach/Kalakaua Ave.
A tiki bar near a nice beach sounds idylic, but blaring live rock and roll over all else in the vicinity is not my idea of an enjoyable evening strolling along the beach at sunset, and I can't imagine it fitting the ambience of the room.
I found it quite irritating, and quickly made it down the block the other night trying to get away from it.

On 2008-05-19 09:56, msteeln wrote:
Tiki's is way out of place on the main drag along Kuhio Beach/Kalakaua Ave.
A tiki bar near a nice beach sounds idylic, but blaring live rock and roll over all else in the vicinity is not my idea of an enjoyable evening strolling along the beach at sunset, and I can't imagine it fitting the ambience of the room.
I found it quite irritating, and quickly made it down the block the other night trying to get away from it.

Give the manager a copy of StereoExotique by the Tikiyaki Orchestra and tell him to stick closer to more tiki related musical activities.

To my surprise, it was a live covers band, and rather good, but NOT what you want to hear at this time and place, unless you are in complete spring break heat or hooked on 'classic shlock' radio, which seems to be the crowd they cater to.
Not much chance of getting them to try anything else/better.

On 2008-05-19 16:55, alohacurrent wrote:

On 2008-05-19 09:56, msteeln wrote:
Tiki's is way out of place on the main drag along Kuhio Beach/Kalakaua Ave.
A tiki bar near a nice beach sounds idylic, but blaring live rock and roll over all else in the vicinity is not my idea of an enjoyable evening strolling along the beach at sunset, and I can't imagine it fitting the ambience of the room.
I found it quite irritating, and quickly made it down the block the other night trying to get away from it.

Give the manager a copy of StereoExotique by the Tikiyaki Orchestra and tell him to stick closer to more tiki related musical activities.

Yea, Good idea !

I like the way you think Bradley !