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KAHIKI Columbus, ohio tiki bar restaurant. Bill Sapp, the catalog |
Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
|  Posted: 2009-09-01 6:35 pm Permalink
Also posted this over on Trav's thread on General Tiki. The pictures are from the Kon Tiki restaurant at the Sheraton Gibson Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. Explains the confusion a little bit.
Here is a postcard I have from the Kon Tiki.
DC
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ZuluMagoo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 468
From: Denver, CO
| Posted: 2009-09-01 6:41 pm Permalink
When I saw these pics my first thought was that the interior was designed by George Nakashima. The reason I say that is because George loved to use those half round green vinyl booths in his designs. George and his design partner Florian Gabriel did the design work for Steven Crane and the Kon Tiki chain. I think these photos are from the Kon Tiki that was located in Cincinatti, not far from Columbus and cold have easily been mistaken for the Kahiki by someone who didn't know anything about tiki restaurants.
Here is a postcard for the Kon Tiki in Cincinatti.
But let's take a look at the pics/details and try to develop some hard evidence.
Diagonal bamboo trim on the wall appears to be the same.
The screening and the roof structure with the extended bamboo poles appears to be the same.
This one is a little harder to make out, but the table top green tiki lamps appear to be the same.
And the tiki appears to be the same. Kind of difficult from the angle in the shot and the plastic foliage is a little different.
My money is on the Kon Tiki Cincinatti. There was also a Kon Tiki in Cleveland which may have also had the same interior decor, so that is a slight possibility too. However, I don't think it would match this closely.
Zulu
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ZuluMagoo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 468
From: Denver, CO
| Posted: 2009-09-01 6:43 pm Permalink
DC - sorry for the duplication, I was working on my pics while you posted your postcard.
Zulu
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2009-09-01 7:11 pm Permalink
Zulu,
No worries, thanks for that exhaustive research and comparison on the postcard and the photos.
Or Got Rum also posted this info on Trav's other thread about the mystery photos.
PS - The Kona Luanii room is looking awesome!
DC
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1894
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2009-09-04 08:13 am Permalink
I have those table top green tiki lamps DC.
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tikiskip
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Nov 26, 2005
Posts: 2085 | Posted: 2009-09-04 1:45 pm Permalink
Mr. Leitwein was the commercial contractor
who built the Kahiki.
(shawnee construction I think it was called)
He also built the Grass Shack, Top of the Isle,
And the Desert inn in Columbus Ohio.
As well as all of the Hustler clubs.
I was told this by Mr Leitwein.
He said that the first contractor quit
shortly after starting the Kahiki. (Jack Liberatore was his name)
This may be the reason you can not find the blue prints.
Also Mr. Leitwein does not have the blue prints or anything
else from the Kahiki.
Mr. Leitweins Birthday is on Sept 22.
I think he will be 86.
[ This Message was edited by: tikiskip 2009-09-04 14:00 ]
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1531
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2009-09-26 06:50 am Permalink
Just a little side note. I contacted the Ohio Historical Society and told them about the mistake with the labeling and posting on the Kahiki page. It has been corrected and is now the Kon Tiki page.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2009-09-26 09:19 am Permalink
Nice work Uncle Trav! Getting things like that fixed always feels good.
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1531
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2009-09-28 05:34 am Permalink
Found this great image on the Columbusmusichistory.com web page. A great shot with lots of good stuff to find in the picture.
Here is the caption.
North High School student Sally Ruault entered a Dan Dee Potato Chips contest in 1966 and won first prize: dinner with the Dantes at the Kahiki restaurant. At the table from left to right: Miss Dan Dee Potato Chips manager (name unknown), unknown lady, Dave Workman (Dantes, lead guitar), Carter Holliday (Dantes, bass), Shana McCabe (Miss Dan Dee Potato Chips), waiter, Sally Ruault, unkown lady, Lynn Wehr (Dantes, rhythm guitar5), Barry Hayden (Dantes, vocals), Joey Hinton (Dantes, drummer)
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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Or Got Rum?
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 29, 2009
Posts: 289
From: Wisconsin
| Posted: 2009-09-28 07:05 am Permalink
Great pic Uncle Trav...is that Drew Carey on the left? Maybe he really meant Columbus ROCKS!
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3923
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2010-03-08 3:25 pm Permalink
Tikiskip,
Just went through the entire post and really enjoyed it. Thanks for all of the great research.
This rather rare Kahiki matchbook sold on ebay recently. I must admit I have never seen one quite like this before. Great renderings of the building an the Moai.
DC
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1961surf
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1894
From: Newport Beach, Ca .
| Posted: 2010-03-08 4:28 pm Permalink
I bid on it DC ...you know the outcome .
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tikiskip
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Nov 26, 2005
Posts: 2085 | Posted: 2010-03-09 3:25 pm Permalink
Glad you like.
And thank you for posting that matchbook!!!
I have one of those somewhere.
So that makes like 4 different matchbooks for the Kahiki?
That is the cool thing about kahiki, they had TONS of different
Mugs, napkins, matchbooks, ECT.....
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tikiskip
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Nov 26, 2005
Posts: 2085 | Posted: 2010-04-04 05:20 am Permalink
Not much going on in Kahiki land.
New stuff comes slower to light as we
have seen so much.
A tiki peep and I went to the Windward passage for dinner last night.
Well this person had found a cool Hitiki cannibal statue.( Long live the beaver god!)
People at the bar were calling it the beaver god, Man we had fun!
Hitiki sold stuff to the Kahiki gift shop.
They don't want to post it because when stuff is posted people go dam I
just saw four of those at goodwill and passed em up cuz they were like a buck each.
I see that point, and that's cool.
I'm kinda over the collecting mode at this point and just want to out
as much info about the Kahiki and all tiki for that matter.
Sooo... we start talling about the Kahiki. and this guy tells us he knows who has the blueprints
for the Kahiki!
Well tiki peep and I went whaatt?
It's is just getting odd how many times this happens to me.
Will let you know if we find anything.
Tiki peep most likly has the thing framed and in their home by now.
Jeff you missed a good night!!!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2010-04-04 07:36 am Permalink
It would certainly be interesting to see more of Jack Hite's Tiki work...and those blue prints. 
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