Snapshot of Don the Beachcomber Sign In Hawaii 1940s

Since I am an obssessive collector on the hunt for Disneyland photographs, I am always looking at snapshots at swap meets. This is one that was found in a bunch of other 1940s snapshots, the original Don the Beachcomber Himself sign in Hawaii. I like the tiki poles which bracket the sign. Take a look:

Man...great shot! Excellent archeology!

As we say here at POCKETIKI..."KEEP LOOKING MY FRIENDS AND YOU SHALL FIND!!! Not necessarily on eBay either!". Wonderful find...the hunt goes on!

Trader Jim - Make mine a Mai-Tai!

Three vintage 8x10 photos of a Luau taken at the Don The Beachcomber in Waikiki were just sold on eBay. I managed to win one of them, but thought I'd post all three eBay photos here as a historical reference. The photographer was Billy Howell, and he looks like he was a professional. Wonder if these were slated to be publicity photos.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2008-07-18 01:40 ]

Keep the torch burning, Sabu. You're the best.

Tiki Central : The Early Years

A drink in every hand, but nothign more than maybe a bamboo glass as far as I could see. When I saw them I really hoped to see some mug that could be dated by these pics.

Shirts not required!

These pictures really capture the informality and "escape from the gray flannel suit" quality that first a trip to the islands, and later a visit to a mainland Polynesian restaurant meant for mid-century men and women --(even though they did not dress up to THAT extent on their mainland forays).

Swanky, two reminders:

Don The Beachcomber = Pre-Tiki

Tiki Culture = Tiki Mugs = Mainland, not Hawaii

On 2008-07-18 09:37, bigbrotiki wrote:
These pictures really capture the informality and "escape from the gray flannel suit" quality that first a trip to the islands, and later a visit to a mainland Polynesian restaurant meant for mid-century men and women --(even though they did not dress up to THAT extent on their mainland forays).

Sven - good point. I hadn't really connected the two experiences: going to a Luau in Hawaii and re-living the experience at a Poly-pop restaurant here in the States. It gives another hint why Tiki restaurants were so popular here. After having an experience like the folks in these photos are having, I can see why you'd want to re-visit that atmosphere again once you got home.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2008-07-18 09:47 ]

Thank you. As a point of caution though: These DO look like they are not your average Don's Luau, but professionally shot, perhaps for promotional purposes. Like Don called all his friends and said: Everybody dress in island gear and come on over for a photo shoot...

But then again, I seem to remember from invites I have seen that Aloha garb was mandatory at the Waikiki Beachcomber Luaus, so these could not have been that far off.
And anyway, just like with the material I chose for the BOT and Tiki Modern, we shall be not concerned with the REALITY and mediocre examples of Polynesian pop, but embellish and perpetuate it in its highest forms only, and THAT will become our reality --so these ARE what ALL Luaus looked like, period! :)

PS: Are these from the same seller that has been selling off Don the B. Waikiki photos bit by bit?

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-18 10:02 ]

Matterhorn1959 and Sabu,

Thanks for the pics, what great finds.

I've got a Don the Beachcomber brochure that has a shot of a Luau where the patrons are dressed up in Hawaiian garb as well, so it may be that this was more of the norm than just a publicity pic. Don't have time to post the brochure now, will follow up later.

On 2008-07-18 09:37, bigbrotiki wrote:
These pictures really capture the informality and "escape from the gray flannel suit" quality that first a trip to the islands, and later a visit to a mainland Polynesian restaurant meant for mid-century men and women --(even though they did not dress up to THAT extent on their mainland forays).

Swanky, two reminders:

Don The Beachcomber = Pre-Tiki

Tiki Culture = Tiki Mugs = Mainland, not Hawaii

Well, Don started here and went there later. When did the Tiki mug start? I always also assumed the Don bust mug was a Hawaii mug. The lamps on the table are the sort that are in later Tiki establishments.

On 2008-07-18 09:46, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
After having an experience like the folks in these photos are having, I can see why you'd want to re-visit that atmosphere again once you got home.

... which is now why, since most of us don't have a good local tiki establishment to go to, many of us bring that atmosphere into the home in the form of a home tiki bar. (My mind's on that because my back aches right now from construction of our home Palace du Tiki.)

Also notice in those photos there are no tattoos or multiple piercings! Not that there's anything wrong with that... :D

On 2008-07-18 14:19, GatorRob wrote:
Also notice in those photos there are no tattoos or multiple piercings! Not that there's anything wrong with that... :D

Or Ponytails. :lol:

Hey... leave me and my midlife crisis alone.

Nobody does luau's like that any more, nor have they for decades, with only the rarest of excepted examples. That was one swanky get down. Even the mats and floor sitting is a thing of the distant past. I have similar shots of the Dillingham family at well to do Hawaiian luau's in the '40s/'50s, but even they didn't show up in such heavy tropical garb. This was deffinitely a 'come dressed in your finest' and put on a show for the cameras, to the highest degree, and in good taste.
Dig the atmosphere, wall coverings, and them Leeteg's! What fun!

Not that we can't create those type's of moments today, but where oh where have those times gone?!

On 2008-07-20 09:58, msteeln wrote:
Nobody does luau's like that any more, nor have they for decades, with only the rarest of excepted examples. That was one swanky get down. Even the mats and floor sitting is a thing of the distant past. I have similar shots of the Dillingham family at well to do Hawaiian luau's in the '40s/'50s, but even they didn't show up in such heavy tropical garb. This was deffinitely a 'come dressed in your finest' and put on a show for the cameras, to the highest degree, and in good taste.
Dig the atmosphere, wall coverings, and them Leeteg's! What fun!

Not that we can't create those type's of moments today, but where oh where have those times gone?!

You make a really good point about sitting on the floor. Amazing, but THAT really would make a tiki event more like a "Luau"....you're right, no one does that anymore. (a light bulb is glowing above my head right now!)

It's all fun and games until the ants and centipedes decide you've had enuf!

They cheated and obviously have a low level table of sorts instead of everything completely on the ground, but it makes for less mess and convenience of serving and eating.

Tonight, it's time for some REAL haupia!

On 2008-07-20 09:58, msteeln wrote:
Even the mats and floor sitting is a thing of the distant past. Not that we can't create those type's of moments today, but where oh where have those times gone?!

Sitting on the floor was informal and special and liberating for a generation that had strict table manners beaten into them by their parents (see Tiki Modern page 80). The young 60s generation did away with that strictness. These Luaus were a predecessor to the Hippies' "sit-ins" and "happenings" in the park. Now we all can sit anywhere we like, eat while we watch TV, and full family sit-down dinners are the exception...(not in all households, but more than in the 50s), so sitting on the floor has lost its kick.

On 2008-07-18 12:33, Swanky wrote:

On 2008-07-18 09:37, bigbrotiki wrote:
Swanky, two reminders:

Don The Beachcomber = Pre-Tiki

Tiki Culture = Tiki Mugs = Mainland, not Hawaii

Well, Don started here and went there later. When did the Tiki mug start? I always also assumed the Don bust mug was a Hawaii mug. The lamps on the table are the sort that are in later Tiki establishments.

I decided to make use of this opportunity to remind those folks who have the Book of Tiki of the "Evolution of Polynesian Pop" chart, and show to those who do not own it that there is a method to this madness (by the way, there is a hardcover on Amazon for 52.- bucks right now!)

Don, as important as he was to Polynesian pop, was never an exponent of Tiki style. His "Beachcomber decor" concept was born in the Pre-Tiki era (see chart) and even after the war, Don's franchises never used a Tiki as a logo and very little in their decor. Unlike Trader Vic, who, beginning in the mid-50s, allowed his Pre-Tiki "Trader decor" concept (more nautical than Beachcomber) to expand to the growing Tiki trend and started to use Tikis on his menus and in his restaurants. But even Vic never served cocktails in Tiki mugs, nor did Don. Tiki mugs (cocktail mugs depicting Tikis) did not come into use until the late 50s/early 60s. The Don The Beachcomber mug is just that, a Beachcomber mug, NOT a Tiki mug, (and was not used until the Getty-owned period in the 70s).

I think Don's move to Hawaii after the war befitted his "classic" Polynesian pop sensibilities, I actually would not be surprised if he looked down on Stephen Crane's Kon Tikis and other, newer Tiki joints as too overdone in the Tiki department.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-21 22:41 ]

Okay, but, let's not be so literal. "Tiki" mugs now include the Don bust mug, not just mugs with tikis on them. This whole thing of serving out of special mugs and bowls defines "Tiki" and when did it start? Whether it was a ceramic coconut or whatever. Who invented that "gimmick"? And I suppose a ceramic coconut is the least likely mug to define the genre. A hula girl bowl or something more unique and less simply a tropical substitute would be practical here. So, leave out coconuts, pineapples and bamboo mugs.

Soooo......IF we agree to my theory that TIKI STYLE (and the TIKI PERIOD) is defined by the use of the TIKI LIKENESS as a primary symbol for Polynesia (when before it was the Hula Girl and other icons) AND that the TIKI MUG is THE embodiment of that so defined TIKI STYLE, can you still, in good conscience, call the Don The Beachcomber mug a TIKI mug?

Just because e-bay and the general public (which really doesn't care about such pop culture history specifics) do, does not make it so. By definition, a Tiki mug is a mug that depicts a Tiki. All others are Hula Girl/Skull/Fu Manchu/whatever mugs. That is not being narrow minded, it's being logical.

The exact time and origin of the FIRST Tiki mug is shrouded in mystery. Was it a small home manufacturer that made the first one, or an Asian wholesaler, most likely OMC? Here are my observations:

Trader Vic was the first to introduce the Tiki cocktail vessel with his TIKI BOWL. Bob Bryant, who used to be Vic's bar manager (!), left him and opened Tiki Bob's in 1955. He might not have used the Tiki Bob mug right away, but even if he did only by 1957/58, that makes him a candidate for being the first.

Stephen Crane took over The Tropics and opened The Luau in 1953, and even though he used a Tiki as a logo on the menu cover, match books and glasses, the Luau did not use Tiki mugs. The famed Steve Crane mugs did not come into use until the opening of his Kon Tikis and Ports of Call in the late 50s/early 60s.

Since most menus do not have dates, it will be hard to pinpoint the first appearance of a Tiki-shaped mug, but my money is on the Tiki Bob.

That's a nice theory you got going there, but I think a revisionist history muddies the waters a bit. The Tiki bar defines what is a Tiki mug and and by that definition we can call them all Tiki mugs, even without an actual Tiki.

By your definition, Don the Beachcombers may have never been a Tiki bar and Trader Vic's didn't become one until that Moai bowl showed up or something. The Mai Tai and Zombie were not created in Tiki bars... Most of those drinks weren't.

The only definite I have is via the Mai Kai, which is late to the scene, but does have the coffee grog with whatever that character is on the 1957 menu and the Mystery Drink bowl I have on a 1958 dated menu. They have Rum Barrels, but that goes with the coconut and bamboo as a sort of tropical depiction that is not exactly a "tiki" image. It's a sort of image of the decor and could be pre-Tiki.

So, maybe it's when was the first Tiki in a tropical bar? Surely there are post marked postcards out there to define that in a dated image. That tells us when we had a "Tiki" bar at least. Then, all mugs in that bar can be called Tiki mugs, or, at least we get an inference. Or, maybe a postcard with a mug in it will set a date.

So when was the first Tiki bar?

On 2008-07-22 08:57, Swanky wrote:

That's a nice theory you got going there, but I think a revisionist history muddies the waters a bit. The Tiki bar defines what is a Tiki mug and and by that definition we can call them all Tiki mugs, even without an actual Tiki.>By your definition, Don the Beachcombers may have never been a Tiki bar and Trader Vic's didn't become one until that Moai bowl showed up or something. The Mai Tai and Zombie were not created in Tiki bars... Most of those drinks weren't.

It is a good way to define it historically and in a time line. Making it all demarkated by the tiki icon.

Even that tropical decor was invented by someone back then, maybe Don. But as an "era" you would have to define it with the iconic tiki. On the menus, on the table, in the restaurants. It was at a height when the Tiki bar was. But even places without tikis in that era can be called tiki bars. I suppose there is a calculus of factors that make it tiki or simply tropical.

I'd bet there is a parallel to when tourists started bringing home mass produced tikis from Hawaii, though that may have follow the mainland as it did with many other island traditions.

Yes, Don, Vic and Steve all imported their concepts and style to Hawaii, AFTER they had created it on the mainland.

Let's hear from some other folks on this, now! :)

I have a number of pieces that were made for and used exclusively at Trader Vic's. I've been able to date the pieces between 1940-1944 utilizing a 1941's original photo of a young Victor Bergeron standing behind a souvenir counter at his original establishment in Oakland. In the background, one can clearly see a Vernon Kiln’s Scorpion bowl as well as the earliest version of a Samoa fogcutter. Another source of information is a September 4, 1944 Life magazine article which displays several early mugs and bowls (PB2Y Gremelin bowl, Samoa fogcutter, skull mug, Kava bowl, Scorpion bowl) used at Trader Vic’s. I’ve narrowed down the manufacturer of these early pieces to either Tepco or Vernon Kilns based upon Bergeron's historic record of utilizing both companies for his drink ware. (The skull mug was at some point also manufactured by Red Wing.)

There is also a bamboo mug used by Don the Beachcomber which is unlike any of the more commonly seen pieces: very crude, most likely sculpted by hand without the use of a mold. It is has an engraving which denotes it as being from the Hollywood location. I have not been able to date it yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it pre-dates Bergeron’s ceramic drink ware.

WOW!!!

Thanks for posting this valuable information Kohalacharms.

Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff

Sven calls all those early bowls and mugs Pre-Tiki. Good stuff to know. Any idea when the actual mug shaped like a tiki first showed up? The places with logo designs are perhaps most likely candidates. Big Bro, you mentioned 1953. What confirms that date?

Well that's when The Luau opened. No Tiki mugs in sight then. And I bet you the Trader did not call those mugs Tiki mugs either. :)

Thanks for chiming in, Frank. The patent for the skull mug that you see in Tiki Modern was filed by (or granted to) Vic on Nov. 14, 1939. The Tiki stem glass patent however was applied for on July 9th, 1958, and patented March 22nd, 1960. (What, did they have to TEST it for over a year? :D ). Another one of the numerous proofs of my Pre-Tiki/ Tiki-period time frame theory.

Still a bummer about that lost OMC connection, wonder if there would be someone who could actually say: "This is the first mug we made that looked like a Tiki, and we made it in 19??".

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-22 16:56 ]

On 2008-07-18 09:57, bigbrotiki wrote:
Thank you. As a point of caution though: These DO look like they are not your average Don's Luau, but professionally shot, perhaps for promotional purposes. Like Don called all his friends and said: Everybody dress in island gear and come on over for a photo shoot...

But then again, I seem to remember from invites I have seen that Aloha garb was mandatory at the Waikiki Beachcomber Luaus, so these could not have been that far off.

OK, I am just catching up with this thread after vacation and I see that it has morphed into Tiki mug history, which, by the way, is fascinating.

I wanted to post a couple of pics from an early Don the Beachcomber brochure I have from Hawaii. The first is a picture of the Luau party which shows the guests decked out in island garb. You can also see that they are using a bamboo styled mug rather than the coconut mugs that were in Sabu pictures.

The second is the text from the brochure which describes the thrills of dining Polynesian style. You will note at the end of the text it states that "Appropriate South Pacific Garb Mandatory". Thus the photos from Sabu may not have been staged.

The text from the brochure certainly echos Bigbro's description of the Pre-Tiki Polynesian experience that was Don's.

I decided to make use of this opportunity to remind those folks who have the Book of Tiki of the "Evolution of Polynesian Pop" chart, and show to those who do not own it that there is a method to this madness (by the way, there is a hardcover on Amazon for 52.- bucks right now!)

Sven,

Thought you should know the BOT was reviewed and chosen as QMR Book of the week 7/7/08 on http://www.bookthink.com/0124/124qmrx.htm

Caveat; it's recommends buying it on eBay for $5-10, because it could resale for up to $50. Apparently they're not paying attention. At $10, I'd have a bunch of them.

The Angry Idol
"When the kava hits the lava, I'll be paddlin' home to you."

[ Edited by: Angry Idol 2008-07-22 18:27 ]

Ha, thank you!
Maybe he knowingly pretends that it's still available for 5.- to 10.- bucks and predicts it will gain up to 50.- bucks in value so that when people go look for it, and find it starts at 50.-, they will take note and say: "Man that Craig Stark sure knows what he's talking about, there you go, it's over 50.- bucks now!" :lol:

But back to the STIMULATING "Pre-Tiki/Tiki period" and "When did the 1st Tiki mug appear?" discussion...

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-22 18:54 ]

...with THIS example, for example:

This beauty is being offered by 1961surf right now,
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29182&forum=12&0

...and apparently it is dated, 1955, and voila!, not ONE Tiki mug. But we do know that the Miami Luau did have a Tiki mug, which can be seen on Page 65 of Tiki Modern...WHEN did it appear? Menu collection owners, please?

Sorry to steer this back to DTB luaus, (maybe this should be broken into 2 topics??) but I had to post these pics I also recently purchased on ebay. Not sure if they are from Don the Beachcomber, but they are also taken by Billy Howell (just as Sabu's are).

Can anyone identify where these were taken?

...and notice no tiki mugs

Nice shots. I love the crispness and rich b&w contrast of those old photos.
...now I'm hungry! I'm gonna go and make myself some yams.

Great photos that started up this topic and now the mug debate.
Menu's would probably be the best place to help track down the right information but they very seldom have dates on them and if they do, it may be just a copyright date. For a quick example, some Trader Vic's have a date of 1946 on them. That doesn't mean they were serving those drinks in those mugs back in 1946.

I don't want to ramble but give me a minute here. Go grab another drink now!

I think to really try and track the dates down of when the first mugs were used and where, we all really have to go through and hunt over old pictures, postcards, advertisements of bars and restaurants and really try to see what is in the background or how things were being served. At least with some of these postcards or photos you may have dates of mail or something else that can help you.

I would say the old authentic bars that were actually in the Pacific had the first 'Tiki' mugs. Probably the most underrated mugs (for their historical reference) out there are the hand carved Tiki mugs and Head/Face Lady/Man carved mugs. I believe these to be the first, as we would say, traditional mugs.

I also think that the REAL Bamboo, Coconut and maybe even the Pineapple mugs were the first to be drunk out of at some of these bars. The natives would have only had these to drink out of so I don't think they would have used anything else.

This one is an old bamboo mug very simply marked "Trader Vic's" on it in black letters. Maybe this is one of the first mugs that they used?

Now enter the travelling Westerners coming over to the Islands and paying close attention to how the natives lived, what they ate and what they used around their habitat.

The sophisticated Westerners thought it would be great and also exotic to have another piece of the tropical paradise back home if the common people could experience these things that they saw on the Islands. So why not import the Bamboo, Coconut and carved mugs along with all that rum and other decor!!

I don't think these mugs were carved into the exact Tiki mugs that you see for the tourist trade of yesterday and today. Those I do believe to be exaggerated to make them a little more fierce and interesting. They also wouldn't have had names of places on them but I do think the general idea is close. Example:

But I do believe, as can be seen in many Oceanic books, that mugs and bowls used for drinking were hand carved and had been for a long time. When actual drinking holes did start to pop up across the Islands (during the 1930's and 40's) they used variations of these mugs.

Once these real mugs were here in the West, they had a impact. People liked the fact they were actually one step closer to some savage in the jungle or using something that came from the Tropics (Which it probably didn't specifically). We were still Westerners though, and I don't think that everyone really liked drinking out of carved wood or coconuts. We liked the look but maybe wanted a little cleaner approach.
Maybe that too is why the big switch to ceramic. The options and possibilities with ceramic over wood/natural is also a hell of alot larger!! Restaurants/Bars here probably wanted more pieces, more color, something to put their name or logo on. I think that is what started the rush of the ceramic drinking vessels here.
Plus, how many people here were carving and making mugs? Much easier to shop through a catalog and tell them what you want. Times were changing!

I guess just one small example of what I am trying to get across here with the research we need to try to do would be the following great picture:

This picture is of a great looking Tiki Bar called The Makihana Bar at the Kokee Lodge on Kawai. I believe this picture to date pre-1955 but am not certain. Awesome decor, great carvings and hey...what's that....behind the bar....a stack of coconut mugs and also a hand carved face mug. Not a Tiki but a lady's face.

Just like the following mug that you see all over the place today. Some are old some newer made specifically for the tourist trade.

Now you do see variations of this but pretty much this is probably one of the mugs that started it all. Wouldn't you rather have a nice ceramic mug over one of these? I know I would but I do believe that every Tiki mug collection out there should at least salute the earliest of mugs.

Oh, I guess I did ramble. Oh well, thanks for tagging along!!
TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2008-07-22 22:05 ]

I'm inspired by sabu's photos, and enlightened by sven and swanky's volley. In my own logic "tiki" has become anything non-walmart!

An admirable theory, Taboo Dan, perhaps akin to Thor Heyerdahl's attempt to prove the Polynesians came from South America by noting the similarities between Pre-Columbian and Tiki statues. Very interesting and unique angle, very much in the Kirsten-school-of-thought.
Unfortunately his theory got shot down by the scholars. :( ...BUT it was hugely influential (as we all know and love), and if you can make this thesis into a bestseller, maybe yours will be too, no matter how skewed it is! :D

Copyright dates on menus can date it, but very often when you get old menus they do have a penciled in date from when the original person visited and brought it home as a souvenir. So, it can be found on a menu that way, not just a postmarked card.

So, if I print a menu in 1944 and it says copyright 1944, what does that entail? Does it not date the origianl art or images on that menu to 1944, or is it for the trade name, etc?

On 2008-07-18 01:38, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
Three vintage 8x10 photos of a Luau taken at the Don The Beachcomber in Waikiki were just sold on eBay. I managed to win one of them, but thought I'd post all three eBay photos here as a historical reference. The photographer was Billy Howell, and he looks like he was a professional. Wonder if these were slated to be publicity photos.

Thanks for sharing Sabu fascinating photos here and EXCELLENT quality, it looks like William H. Macy loved Tiki too :roll:

Sven? I love your "Method to this Madness" quick explanation, good reminder. Just for the record, I'd love to Luau on the floor any time gang, it's getting up that's the hard part. Great Thread, I'm staying tuned...

So, was the genesis - or, at least, the proliferation - of "tiki" mugs (and their cousins - Fu Manchu, Hula Girl, et al.) largely as a take-home souvenir for the customer, do you think?
I don't recall the specialty mugs and glasses from visits to Trader Vic's (back in the day), so much as in Chinese restaurants. It seems that as the Poly Pop/Tiki places were in decline (1970's), their bar menus were adopted and lived on in Chinese restaurants, after a fashion. They used lots of fancy mugs, and mimicked the style of drink descriptions, but in unintentionally confused and hilarious "chinglish" (Suffering Barstard, Viscous Virgin).

On 2008-07-25 03:47, Hiphipahula wrote:

Thanks for sharing Sabu fascinating photos here and EXCELLENT quality, it looks like William H. Macy loved Tiki too :roll:

Sven? I love your "Method to this Madness" quick explanation, good reminder. Just for the record, I'd love to Luau on the floor any time gang, it's getting up that's the hard part. Great Thread, I'm staying tuned...

William H Macy ! LOL. He sure does look like he's enjoying himself. Nice Lei.

Well, Being on the floor means having less distance to fall down once you've drank too much, in which case you won't need to get up. :)

On 2008-07-25 08:43, Limbo Lizard wrote:
So, was the genesis - or, at least, the proliferation - of "tiki" mugs (and their cousins - Fu Manchu, Hula Girl, et al.) largely as a take-home souvenir for the customer, do you think?
I don't recall the specialty mugs and glasses from visits to Trader Vic's (back in the day), so much as in Chinese restaurants. It seems that as the Poly Pop/Tiki places were in decline (1970's), their bar menus were adopted and lived on in Chinese restaurants, after a fashion. They used lots of fancy mugs, and mimicked the style of drink descriptions, but in unintentionally confused and hilarious "chinglish" (Suffering Barstard, Viscous Virgin).

The COMMERCIAL raison d'etre for the Tiki Mug is certainly that of a Restaurant Logo souvenir, with it's name and location on the back or underneath. These mugs cost the restaurateur less than a buck a piece, and they tacked that on to the cocktail. It's a good point to note that the idea to make a Tiki into a mug was probably commercially motivated. But WHO thought of it and WHEN? :)

On 2008-07-21 22:39, bigbrotiki wrote:
....But even Vic never served cocktails in Tiki mugs, nor did Don...

While I would say that by the 70s there probably still were quite a few genuine Polynesian restaurants around (those that had survived) that served their cocktails in Tiki mugs, you are certainly right that by the 1980s the only eateries left (with the exception of the great survivors like the Kahiki and the Mai Kai) serving drinks in Tiki mugs were the Chinese restaurants...even if the establishments were not Tiki in style. That was a function of the fact that A.) Chinese restaurants jumped on the Tiki wagon kind of late, and B.) that their wholesale supplier for Chinese restaurant decor and wares offered Tiki mugs as cocktail vessels.

By the time I began seriously researching Tiki in the early 90s, I did not encounter one restaurant in Southern California that still used Tiki mugs as daily drink vessels.

..don't forget...chef shangri-la opened in the mid seventies, and that place is loaded with vintage decor...i'm sure there were others too....it's nice to know that i'm older than at least one vintage tiki bar out there!!!

On 2008-07-25 11:24, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
..don't forget...chef shangri-la opened in the mid seventies, and that place is loaded with vintage decor..

As I note in Tiki Modern, with the LAST batch of decor Witco made before they closed! Chinese run Tiki restaurants are definitely a 70s thing, as I said they lagged behind. Also, together with the Tiki mugs, the other thing that was still offered by Chinese restaurant suppliers into the 80s was a good variety of the bamboo/resin/shell LAMPS, so in many 70s Chinese joints you have some bamboo, the mugs and the lamps, but not much Tikis and other artifacts.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-25 11:33 ]

On 2008-07-25 11:28, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2008-07-25 11:24, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
..don't forget...chef shangri-la opened in the mid seventies, and that place is loaded with vintage decor..

As I note in Tiki Modern, with the LAST batch of decor Witco made before they closed! Chinese run Tiki restaurants are definitely a 70s thing, as I said they lagged behind. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-25 11:33 ]

Are you sure about that ?

http://www.critiki.com/cgi-bin/pictures.cgi?loc_id=555

http://www.critiki.com/cgi-bin/location.cgi?loc_id=47

http://www.critiki.com/cgi-bin/location.cgi?loc_id=55

Sure I'm sure. I am talking about the restaurants that Limbo Lizard mentions, the ones with mugs into the 70s and 80s. Mostly on the East Coast and in the Mid-West. And I am talking about it in GENERAL terms, about the majority. Of course there are exceptions, but exceptions don't disprove the trend.

I do not know when Wan-Q became all-out Tiki, but I doubt it was in the late 50s/early 60s. From the BOT:

The Polynesia was owned by a white restaurateur. if you want to count Chinese wait and kitchen staff, then Don The Beachcomber was a Chinese Restaurant. But it is exactly because Don's invented "Polynesian" food was largely based on the Chinese menu that years later Chinese operators were able to go into the Tiki business on their own.

The Chin-Tiki opened, strictly viewed, after the PEAK period of Tiki (1958-1964), in 1967.

The China Trader turned Tiki exceptionally early, but it probably was a Chinese restaurant first.

King Yum may have opened in 1953, but I bet you it went Polynesian much later.

To get back to my original point: The shift in Tiki joint ownership from Caucasian to Chinese being fairly late makes sense, and Chef Shangri La is a perfect example:

Only after having worked in the Poly pop business and having gained experience for a long time, 10/20 Years, Chinese managers and chefs decided they were ready to go into business for themselves. Michael Tsao, for example, was a manager for Trader Vic's before he took over the Kahiki.
Plus, the original Caucasian owners and founders of Tiki temples like the Kahiki, or Tiburon Tommy's, or many other places, had made their money, and by the 70s they had lost their spark, and wanted to retire. And maybe they even saw the waning of the trend, so they gladly passed their business on to their Chinese Managers, who with diligence and hard work kept them going. And at that point "Polynesian style" became "the thing to do" for other Chinese restaurants too.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-07-30 07:40 ]