Keentiki, Keene, NH (restaurant)

Name:Keentiki
Type:restaurant
Street:45 Main Street
City:Keene
State:NH
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:
OK, here is an old Tiki establishment from the great Tiki state of New Hampshire.

I picked up this advertisement from the Keentiki, located in the town of Keene. It came from a 1966 New Hampshire tourist guide book

A nice looking logo Tiki, from the rendering I would guess that this was a real tiki found at the restaurant. Anybody recognize the carving style?

Check out the graphics on the lettering for the name, I wonder if the restaurant sign looked like this?

I could not find much on this place. A small reference in a historical book from Keene indicated that the restaurant was gutted by fire in 1967 and had a map showing where it was located on Main Street.

Another one for the history books.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2011-02-07 22:18 ]

Wow! Tiki was the beginning AND the end for those folks! No wonder that we have never heard about this place, if it only lasted a year or so....I wonder if anyone in New Hampshire remembers that fire on Main Street.
Cannot say much about the logo Tiki, could have been an Orchids of Hawaii pole perhaps?

Here is a postcard for an old restaurant called "Bon Ton" at this location. Address is listed as 45-47 Main St. Keene New Hampshire.

Abstract,

Thanks for that post, I was trying to figure out why the words Bon Ton were included at the top of the E and the E in the Keentiki sign.

I was thinking it was some sort of Cajun music reference.

That's how I roll.

DC

Wow, that's an old postcard, abstract T., looks like the place originally was from the 30s. Seems they decided to update to the Tiki theme, but just a tad late. Maybe it was an insurance fire cause the concept bombed?

You're welcome DC. Good eye! I didn't even notice those small words. That definitely establishes a connection between the two other than just the location.

The postcard shows large landscape or seascape murals on the walls. It also looks like a lifesaving ring from a ship in the upper right picture. I wonder if the Bon Ton was almost a bit "pre tiki"?

Here is a Bon Ton matchbook from the 50's. On the back is reads "The Best in Sea Food".

Here is another postcard from five years earlier than the last one. The sign out front says Sea Grill at the bottom.