New Don the Beachcomber opening in Hawaii? Photos

Borntiki,

I'd be interested in a Tiki Bob's mug. PM or e-mail me at [email protected] if you decide to part with one.

Thx,

Kanaka

On 2004-12-18 13:04, BornTiki wrote:
put a whole s***load of Don the Beachcomber stuff away, recipe books, floor plans, pictures that span the years, etc.

BornTiki, as author of the Book of Tiki I am very interested in anything like documents/ephemera/floorplans/PHOTOS you may find about Don the Beachcombers, one of my future book projects is on the Beachcomber Style with Don (and Eli) as figureheads.

Also, my friend Jeff Berry, author of the Cocktail chapter in the BOT, and of the Grog Log, Intoxica and Taboo Table, would love to obtain more insight in the recipes, food or drink.

And I am glad to have not lost contact with the Tiki Bob family: when I discovered Raffles on Market, Florence loaned me the menu and some pics to photocopy, and I put them in the Book of Tiki.
I am most curious about the distributor of the mug wares, Takahashi. The manufacture and distribution of Restaurant Tiki mugs, and the history of Otagiri Enterprises are still one of the darkest, undiscovered chapters of Tiki history.

I have no intention to compete with Chef Mikel's request for original items, but I want to ensure that any and all remaining pieces of Tiki history will be saved for posterity and are available to be published, and do not dissappear into obscurity.

Please e-mail me through my homepage below.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2005-01-06 13:48 ]

BornTiki,
I was sort-of joking about purchasing your intellectual properties but thought I'd further legitimize my interest in your offer of "if'n anyone wants..." by placing a "tip" in there.

No disrespect intended to either you or your Grandfather.

I went to find the Don the Beachcombers in Kaanapali, Maui last week. I'm sorry to have to say at this point don't bother. The beautiful building as pictured at the start of this thread is not being used. When I visited it had a few chairs stacked up in it and that was it. I asked at the hotels reception when Don the Beachcombers would open and she looked at me as if I was stupid, 'It is'. I said that it looked pretty shut to me and she pointed into the hotel and said it's there. And she pointed into the hotel bar.
We ventured into the bar she pointed at in the hotel named Don the Beachcombers. Apart from some bamboo covering on the walls that was it. No tikis, no floats etc
They did have very new non-tiki furniture and 3 TV's blaring, showing football.
It looked like a cheap hotel/sports bar and the Mai Tai's were poor.

Sorry to have to give this bad report.

I thought it might be fun to dig some of this up for Savage Renewal. I was on Maui for my honeymoon in January 2004, and saw the DtB building (I actually got really excited when I saw it). It was nighttime, and we were on our way to the luau, so I didn't get a chance to take pictures, but wanted to know if someone had info about this site.

When I was on Maui, it looked to me like the building was a very old one about to be gutted, not a new one about to be opened. Did a DtB used to exist at the Royal Lahaina sometime in the past, or was an old building just being refurbished?
I've also been curious about the Louis B mugs that seem to float around on eBay from the Royal Lahaina. Were those mugs given away at the luau, or were they associated with a bar/restaraunt in the hotel? If the DtB is in fact, an old building, were those mugs give-aways from that location? I've tried e-mailing Louie B, and will post a response if I get one. Does anyone know anything more specific about these guys, like year of production, or anything?
Also, does anyone know what's going on with the Don the Beachcomber's at this time? Is it actually still open as a bar, and what happened to the building outside? Still used for mattresses?

On 2005-01-24 06:50, Kon-Hemsby wrote:
I went to find the Don the Beachcombers in Kaanapali, Maui last week. I'm sorry to have to say at this point don't bother. The beautiful building as pictured at the start of this thread is not being used.

????
Doesn't make any sense.

Why invest in the land, invest in building a bar, maybe pay for the license to use the name, and then not open it?

That's why I'm wondering if maybe the Don the Beachcomber's location that existed there was actually an old building and not a new one. It looked old. And not just a few years old. Old enough to have been built when the hotel was.
I wonder if anyone has seen it recently, or if there's still anyone on Maui who can check for us?

I saw it in January and it looks like an old building. The back of it has fallen into dis-repair and it was being used as a storage room.

A real waste.

On 2005-09-13 04:08, Kon-Hemsby wrote:
I saw it in January and it looks like an old building. The back of it has fallen into dis-repair and it was being used as a storage room.

A real waste.

When I saw it a few years ago, I thought how great it would be for them to open it. I think I'll try e-mailing the Royal Lahaina and see if they've got any info about it.

Don the Beachcomber is alive and, well...open for now. This is your intrepid globe trotting Polynesian preservationist, Hukilau Brown reporting live from the 6th floor ocean front the Royal Lahaina.

I was sequestered to Maui several days ago to celebrate a birthday, methinks, and after checking in at 9:51 pm this evening, learned the bar would close at 10. Still a bit groggy (pun intended) from the multi-day celebratory rum infusion, my comely floral-clad partner in crime and I raced to the bar. I flung open the door and announced to the inhabitants, "Stop the presses! I have a fruity rum drink to order!" Fate was kind as Saintly Luke, the bartender and lone occupant was not only kind enough to pour us a couple stiff ones, but to allow us to take a gander at the decor and exit thru the luau grounds before closing down for the night.

I will investigate further in the morning before flying back to the mainland, but initial findings are not favorable for the venerable lounge, an original part of the 1962 structure. More as the story "develops".

H.B.

Don the Beachcomber is indeed open! we stopped by for drinks and to take pictures. sad to say, the drink was aweful ~ we watched as the bartender poured something orange over ice in a tumbler and splashed some dark rum on it, tossed in a straw and gave it to the folks ahead of us. i asked for the Dreamsicle, to which the bartender said "is that a drink?" i read favorable reviews on Kevdo's site.. so i know i wasnt hallucinating. the bartender pointed to the drink menu... so i just picked a virgin pina colada. todd knowing that the "mai tai" was the drink described above.. ordered a zombie (which the bartender said he knew how to make)... same orange goo with a splash of dark rum, over ice in a hurricane glass and a straw. F- for drinks. no mugs or swag for sale. no swizzles, no napkins... and you have to order the drink before sitting down.

the decor was a mix of wonderfully old and some not so good new, but at least they were putting tikis onto the walls.. the lamps were awesome. 3 foot diameter shell lamps with tapa bottoms looked vintage, and some of the "crushed glass" 6 sided lamps too. the building has great "bones", carved support poles, many booths with tall backs. downside, the big plasma tv with ESPN on fairly loud...and the music was some alternative stuff.

so much potential.. its a HUGE building, with a full kitchen. its located right outside the Luau grounds at The Royal Hawaiian.

i took photos, which i'll post when we return to Seattle (i forgot the cord to download).

elicia

That's so exciting, yet so depressing. Maybe it will only get better from this point on?

From their website

Royal Lahaina Resort
2780 Kekaa Drive,
Kaanapali, Maui, HI 96761

"Don the Beachcomber Lounge ~ A combination of the exotic Polynesian and Tiki retro styles blend together to create one of the best traditional bars that Kaanapali has to offer. As you soak in the soothing sounds of sexy jazz as it fades into the tropical and luscious surroundings enjoy a tantalizing tropical drink while being guarded by Tikis."

we were quite excited when we found Don's open! i wish it were daytime to take better pictures of the building (but perhaps Hanford can repost his) we were a little put off by the sign that tells customers to order from the bar before finding a seat. much more put off by the bartender with attitude. i guess he's more used to opening a bottle of bud than (god forbid) mixing anything.

its a huge building, and the lights are dimmed ~ i wanted to be impressed..

front sign

outside door tikis

couple of crazy things that don't match decor

(the hula maniquin, not me, silly)

and a monkey riding a banana, what the?

The space has wonderful structure


carved poles

i went to the restroom in hopes of finding more decor, instead i found a bathroom scarier than a truckstop. i took pictures of the door handles, which seem to be of resin.

restroom door handles

fantastic lamps and lahua matting on the ceilings



these are huge, probably 3 feet in diameter!!

cozy booths



tapa tablecloths and cute coconut monkeys

back entrance from the Luau

if i lived on Maui ~ i'm not sure there would be any reason to revisit this Don the Beachcomber. They serve no food or bar snacks. The bartender is devoid of personality, is "ass" a personality trait?. At least the alternative music [ooh grunge, just what i wanted to relax to!) and ESPN are not up full blast. no matches, napkins, swizzles, mugs or anything at all! fer crying out loud, every little plate lunch joint we went to had souvineer shirts!

there is so much potential! they have a full kitchen area (looks like the appliances are gone). Don's is right next to the Luau area ~ and could be a great source of clients who want to get away from the "drinks" served to tourists (but alas, the drinks served to us, were of the same quality.. and cost us 16 bucks for a "zombie" and a virgin pina colada.

the hotel bars are packed on Oahu, with less atmosphere, but the draw is the music.. local Uke players, trios, traditional hula dancers... all make for a great place to meet and drink. Don's could easily be such a destination.. they need a push in that direction!

but if you're visiting the island, i recommend you stop in, and maybe things will improve with time.

elicia

hm, maybe things could improve if we forward this thread to the manager (if its not the same lame bartender we met...)

Looks "bland" to say the least. Who runs it? Lawyers?

photo's from Don the beachcomber Kona.steak and shrimp $29.95 see the tiki farm s&p shakers no mugs for sale I have more photo's if anyone wants to see them

On 2003-05-24 22:04, RevBambooBen wrote:
I heard Taco Bell, inc. bought the name Don the Beachcomber. I just did a bar for them. Maybe it'll be a fancy taco hut?

By the looks of the photos, I believe your right Ben.

Hey Don! We're gonna make a better tribute to ya than this, for sure.
(just in case you were wiggin) :)

I just posted some pics from the Don the Beachcomber's Big Island location over in Tiki Travel (along with some other Big Island photos) here's the link:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19149&forum=16&0

Word from the manager at Don the Baachcomber on Big Island is that the Maui location is being completely overhauled as part of a $330 million renovation of the resort.

Should be reopened soon.

They're dropiing $5 million alone on DTB, so time will tell if that cashed is used poorly (fiberglas palm trees and 117" plasma televisions) or wisely (lots wood Tikis and intense bartender training).

$330 Million, including $5 Mil on DTB.
That's a huge, huge, longterm investment.

The hotel corporation must be adding several new towers, and several additional restaurants/bars, a huge spa and 2 golf courses in order to recoup that type of investment. How much interest does one have to pay on a $330 Million loan?

Or maybe they are just selling 150 $3 million ocean front condos and really only sprucing up the hotel.