Trader Vic's, Scottsdale, AZ (restaurant)

Name:Trader Vic's
Type:restaurant
Street:77 W. Fifth Ave.
City:Scottsdale
State:AZ
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
I did not see a thread for this old location so I thought I would put one up. Opened in 1962 and closed in 1990. That's about all I know. Here are a couple of vintage photos from the Scottsdale Historical Society ca.1960's

and a matchbook from my collection.

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2010-06-26 06:52 ]

Trav,

That Arizona historical site has got some nice photos, good research.

Here are the postcards I have from the Trader Vic's in Scottsdale.

The rendering of the building from the TV scarf on Tiki Gallery.

And a photo of the interior from a mag I grabbed on the internet.

The gal is drinking a Fog Cutter and splitting a Volcano Bowl, should be a fun date!

DC

On 2010-06-26 07:54, Dustycajun wrote:

The gal is drinking a Fog Cutter and splitting a Volcano Bowl, should be a fun date!

DC

LOL!

Here is picture of the old Trader Vic's Scottsdale building as it is now. Sad, but you can still see the old Vic's ghost in the roof line.

I was hoping someone would post a currant photo. I was searching the internet for one yesterday and couldn't find anything. Whenever I learn about a temple that is defunct or vanished I always wonder what is there now and what traces or artifacts might be left behind.

It is very sad to see these tiki temples desecrated and ruined. But these photos are also necessary to document their historical record.

Thanks Digitiki for this updated photo and nice postcards-n-stuff DC!

Thank you for these photos, what a loss.

Last week we drove by the Stockton Islander location and it had been demolished. Just flat land. Such a sad view. Thank you Abstractiki for the bamboo piece from there. Wendy.

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2010-06-27 09:09 ]

The above BEFORE and AFTER photos are such a great example of how the changes in architectural taste went parallel to car design, how the soaring A-frame phase (both in Tiki and in Googie architecture) only lasted from the late 50s to the early 60s, just like the tail fin phase for American cars.

Tail-finned cars and buildings!

Castrated A-frames

The fact that they capped the tips of A-frames like the one above, (and added more cut-off A-frames in front), has another parallel in that at the beginning of the 80s they sawed off the Outrigger beams jutting out of A-frames gables

It was like one big push to castrate the enthusiasm of mid-century America: What "jet-age" !!? WHO says "The Sky is the Limit" !?...Let's put a lid on that !

Cars-

1959:

1964

Outrigger beams:

Contemporary "huts":

Funny thing is that chain architecture has become so boring, that nowadays we might
think that the Pizza Hut photo is cool !

Also in the 1980s, the so-called "browning of America" did away with such amazing interiors as this coffee shop

...and created flat hung ceilings, with hanging plants, brown "rustic fabric" curtains and brown seating areas:

Aaaah! :(

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2010-06-27 13:49 ]

On 2010-06-27 12:57, bigbrotiki wrote:
It was like one big push to castrate the enthusiasm of mid-century America: What "jet-age" !!? WHO says "The Sky is the Limit" !?...Let's put a lid on that !

Very well put! It corresponded with the changes in most popular music in the late 60s/early 70s too: mellow and laid-back.

Funny thing is that chain architecture has become so boring, that nowadays we might
think that the Pizza Hut photo is cool!

I do think it's pretty cool, mainly because I used to go there when I was a kid. The graphics and signage were definitely better than the new ones (which I won't insert due to copyrights, but we all know what they look like).

Back to the Trader Vic's in Scottsdale. I picked up this postcard with a view from Fifth Avenue that has a little peak at the Trader Vic's building.

DC

Aaah, the quaintness of a small town shopping mall street, with the Tiki temple being the highest building. And all those great cars! Is that a golden Studebaker Hawk turning in on it there?

On 2011-06-18 00:07, bigbrotiki wrote:
And all those great cars! Is that a golden Studebaker Hawk turning in on it there?

A 1957 golden Studebaker Hawk indeed.

What a cool car that was - those great 57 fins.

DC

This just in from the Trader Vic's Scottsdale Facebook page:

We regretfully announce that after dinner on Saturday, July 30, we will no longer be in operation. Please come and visit us before then! Stay tuned for an exciting new dining concept from Hotel Valley Ho; details will be announced soon.

Yep! Just heard this.
Too bad, so sad, but we kinda saw this coming :(.

Happy to have thrown our bash there when we did.

AZ tiki is dying out...
1st Drift, and now TV's.

Happy we still have Hula's, The Bikini, and Kon Tiki!

UGH! I just saw this and I have a tiki road trip to AZ planned in September!
Boohoo!

I got another postcard showing the view down 5th Avenue in Scottsdale starring Trader Vic's!

Close up of that crazy Tiki out front.

DC

On 2013-02-08 21:28, Dustycajun wrote:
I got another postcard showing the view down 5th Avenue in Scottsdale starring Trader Vic's!

DC

DC, Without a doubt, you have the ultimate collection of tiki and mcm ephemera.
How do you store/catalogue/file your vast collection so you can retrieve and post an item so quickly?
I have a lot of stuff in various containers, drawers,etc. and I once had the idea that I would keep much of my "stuff" in photo albums(tiki, Pacific isle,and MCM themed).The process went swimmingly for several hours on many attempts but always ended in total frustration.
Any Tips?
Cheers
Btw, My intention was not to derail this most excellent thread so pm me if you would please

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2013-02-09 00:17 ]

Here is a nice little table topper announcing the opening of the Trader Vic's in Scottsdale (from ebay).

DC

Here is another postcard showing the Trader Vic's building in the Scottsdale skyline.

DC

Picked up another aerial photo postcard showing the Trader Vic's in Scottsdale.

Close up.

DC

Wait. Which building is it now? :D