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Sam's Seafood Last Hurrah Crab Crawl 5/22 |
tikijackalope
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 23, 2003
Posts: 814
From: KS/MO
|  Posted: 2006-05-22 10:20 am Permalink
While all of Sam's artifacts are still in one place, while it's employees can be reached (and if its owner can be reached), it might be a good idea (and fun!) for someone to seek out the the most knowledgeable people there and take a little walk around while asking questions.
Who started the business and did they have connections to other restaurants?
Who owned it at the time the tiki decor was brought in? Did they own other restaurants and were they tiki?
Where did the tikis come from?
...one source or several?
...made to order or from a catalog?
Is the name of the carver(s) known? Some look like the work of Milan Guanko, others look Guanko-esque but less complex than many of the ones at Tucson's Kon Tiki.
Why does one of them have what looks like a neck tie painted on?
And what about the other decor...any good anecdotes behind particular pieces?
I was told on the phone that there had been a fire in the early 60's (1960?) and that the reconstruction resulted in the current building. Is that when tikification occurred? The gentleman I spoke with also told me it had tikis since its founding, but that's not likely.
Are there any photos in the office of the place in
earlier days that can be copied now, while they are easy to get to?
Think like the place is already gone, its people lost to the vast LA employment pool and its artifacts displaced and/or scattered. Here's your chance to earn the gratitude of future urban archaeologists.
I tried lots of these questions on the phone when I was researching to write text to go with photos I took last year for a blog entry - I got practically nowhere. Good luck, have fun and remind many crustaceans of the food chain.
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www.thelope.com
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Monkeyman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 04, 2003
Posts: 2300
From: Vista, CA
| Posted: 2006-05-22 11:01 am Permalink
I will be video taping tonight and have a cordless mic that we can pin on whomever is knowledgable enough to answer questions.
I would like to capture the Sams walkthrough/tour in all of its detail.
What time? The more light the better.
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ookoo lady
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 24, 2004
Posts: 779 | Posted: 2006-05-22 11:11 am Permalink
Before you interrogate the employees, please remember that these people are losing their jobs. We are all fascinated with the history of these tiki establishments, and we care about the ultimate fate of artifacts inside. The soon-to-be-unemployed people may be more worried about their next paycheck.
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WooHooWahine
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Mar 04, 2005
Posts: 2900
From: Mission (Impossible) Viejo, Ca
| Posted: 2006-05-22 11:19 am Permalink
SHHHHH! As of now the closing of Sam's is very hush hush. Only the Managers and the cooks know about it and what they know is very little.
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bigtikidude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 8252
From: Anaheim,Ca.
| Posted: 2006-05-22 11:20 am Permalink
Um yeah,
I had forgotten to tell my Dad about that,not to say anything to the employees about it.
And as he asked the Nite Manager guy when the place was closing, and why. He was like "uh your telling me I may not have a job soon"?
with the look of horror in his eyes like he had seen a ghost.
I felt so bad for him. and for telling my dumb ass dad to not say anything.
I may get there early( like 5 or so) if you need help MM
Jeff(bigtikidude)
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Monkeyman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 04, 2003
Posts: 2300
From: Vista, CA
| Posted: 2006-05-22 11:34 am Permalink
This is bad ju ju. We are going to a restaurant to celebrate before its demise and the staff doesnt even know about it?
Are we sure we have all the facts straight?
Management most certainly should not be leaking information about its closing to the public before notifying the staff.
This is a big group. Its a tough crowd to keep quiet.
I fully agree with you Ookoo. Its good to be sensitive to those that are losing their jobs. Interrogation would be bad. Asking polite questions would be better.
[ This Message was edited by: monkeyman 2006-05-22 11:39 ]
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johnnievelour
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 444
From: LongBeach
| Posted: 2006-05-22 11:49 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-05-22 11:34, Monkeyman wrote:
This is bad ju ju. We are going to a restaurant to celebrate before its demise and the staff doesnt even know about it?
Are we sure we have all the facts straight?
Management most certainly should not be leaking information about its closing to the public before notifying the staff.
This is a big group. Its a tough crowd to keep quiet.
I fully agree with you Ookoo. Its good to be sensitive to those that are losing their jobs. Interrogation would be bad. Asking polite questions would be better.
[ This Message was edited by: monkeyman 2006-05-22 11:39 ]
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Not telling the staff in the restaurant business is common. The managers usually tell them the day they are closing or dont even tell them. The employees just show up to a locked door and a note. management wants teh staff to work to the end, if some people know they were going out of business they wouldnt even show up.
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elsewhere
Member
Joined: May 22, 2006
Posts: 5 | Posted: 2006-05-22 12:46 pm Permalink
Hi all--
You don't know me... but I lurk here now and then oogling the fantastic tiki stuff everyone posts about.
I happened upon this thread about Sam's closing and was very dismayed! I've driven by it for YEARS and kept saying to my husband "I want to see the SHOW!! Let's go let's go let's GO!" but it just never came about.
Well... y'all got me off my behind to call. I was able to make reservations for this coming Friday (May 26th)... but the gal who does the show has "moved to another venue". 
I'm very sad about this as I really always wanted the full experience. But.. I have no one to blame but myself.
I mentioned to the gal on the phone that I'd heard they were closing and she said rather cryptically, "Well.. that's the rumor"
Anyway... I hope to bump into some of you, someday. I'm sure I'll need advice on decor eventually. After we open our vintage store in a couple months, we plan on FINALLY making our sunroom into the "tiki room". It's been called the Tiki Room for 3 years, now... but there's just been so much STUFF stored in there in preparation for the store that we couldn't begin!
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elsewhere
Member
Joined: May 22, 2006
Posts: 5 | Posted: 2006-05-22 12:50 pm Permalink
OOps... I hope I didn't let yet another cat out of the bag on this one. Before I called Sam's and then wrote my post, no one had yet said anything about not mentioning the closing to the employees who may/may not know.
Eek! I'm sorry!
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WooHooWahine
Grand Member (7 years)
Joined: Mar 04, 2005
Posts: 2900
From: Mission (Impossible) Viejo, Ca
| Posted: 2006-05-22 4:26 pm Permalink
WooHoo!! The following people are in for Sam's Seafood Last Hurrah Crab Crawl on
May 22. See you tonight!!!
*SoccerTiki
*WooHooWahine
*Riptide
*Tiki Bird
*Utopian Dream
*Monkeyman
*Al-ii
*Bigtikidude
*Hau'oli Tiki and Mr.
*Tikihai
*Polynesianpop
*Tikitatt & Mrs.
*PiPhiRo
*Sabu + Tikibelle
*Spermy
*Whalerider
*Tigerlily
*Roxanne
*Tiki-Kate
*MT Kahuna+3
*The Pineapple Poet + 3
*Mean Gene
*Johnny & Mrs. Velour
*Dr.Z & Pandora
*Traderpup
I just talked to Sam's and we will be sitting in The High Chief's Room
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2771
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2006-05-22 9:30 pm Permalink
Elsewhere what kind of vintage store are you opening and where?
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Traderpup
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 1041
From: Long Beach, CA
| Posted: 2006-05-22 9:54 pm Permalink
What a huge crab night!
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elsewhere
Member
Joined: May 22, 2006
Posts: 5 | Posted: 2006-05-22 9:58 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-05-22 21:30, hiltiki wrote:
Elsewhere what kind of vintage store are you opening and where?
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hiltiki -- we tend to focus on 40's, 50's & early 60's. The store (if all goes as planned) will be a "vintage department store" of sorts. Housewares department, appliances dept. ladies dept, etc, etc. We have a very large space with several large picture windows that we plan to change often -- using department store displays from the 40's & 50's as inspiration.
It'll be located down near Long Beach's 4th St "Retro Row".
I can't wait to get all this stuff out of my HOUSE!
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WooHooWahine
Grand Member (7 years)
Joined: Mar 04, 2005
Posts: 2900
From: Mission (Impossible) Viejo, Ca
| Posted: 2006-05-22 10:45 pm Permalink
WOOOOHOOOOO! Mucho Mahalo to everyone who came to Sam's tonight for The Last Hurrah Crab Crawl What a fun night! Hope to see everyone again on Saturday.
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SoccerTiki
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Feb 24, 2005
Posts: 1724
From: TheSoccerTikiGrotto, Island of LongBeach
| Posted: 2006-05-23 09:33 am Permalink
What a great night for crabs!!!!!! We counted 56 seats occupied in the High Chief's Room!!!! 56!!!!!! And that's nothing compared to this coming Saturday night!!! PM WooHooWahine now to get your spot!!!! $35 dinner and the BIG SHOW!
Wooooooo Hooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
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