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the lost chapter: Hop Louie and the Stockton Islander (image heavy) |
Urban Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 18, 2004
Posts: 527
From: The Tropical Isle of Manhattan
|  Posted: 2005-08-15 05:50 am Permalink
Welcome to Tiki Central. We look forward to hearing about the history of your father's contributions to our cultural history.
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2983
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2005-08-15 11:53 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-08-15 00:30, Hop Louie's wrote:
I am one of Hop Louie's daughters, and I just signed on this forum yesterday.
FYI: Hop did not lose the Islander to gambling.
I am checking with my other sisters about some of the things we might have left from any of the restaurants since the 1950's.
Please understand that that I am not a real computer/internet savvy type and it will take me a while to get a hang of this and I will try to post interior shots of Hop's restaurants when they were happening.
Mahalo ...
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Now if your name was only Louise, you could be "Hop Louise"... 
If you have any trouble posting images just ask & most of the members'll be glad to help.
_________________
Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S
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tikicleen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 324
From: ripon: almond capital yet no orgeat
| Posted: 2005-08-15 10:06 pm Permalink
welcome "hop louie"! 
i think i can speak on behalf of all of tiki central in saying that we are really excited to hear of your experiences with your father and his infamous polynesian restaurants. thank you for contacting me and taking the time out to join tiki central. your father was truly an amazing visionary of the polynesian-pop movement.
since you helped out at all of the restaurants, did you have a personal favorite?
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 got tiki?
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Hop Louie's
Member
Joined: Aug 14, 2005
Posts: 3 | Posted: 2005-08-16 02:07 am Permalink
Each restaurant was unique; as many of you know.
I can't recall the name nor the type of motif of my parent's second restaurant in Lodi, CA. (I will check with my family).
Next, they owned a restaurant in Sacramento, CA. which had a Chinese cafe-style decor with leather booths. Then came the Minnie's in Stockton,CA.
Tikicleen did an excellent job in her research of Hop's restaurant career.
I have many fond memories of Minnie's in Modesto, CA (haven't been their since the family moved to open the Islander in 1962-63) but recently, someone did give me a golf shirt from there.
Favorite?? I would have to say that it would be a toss up between the Islander and the Latitude 20 in Torrance, CA.(great outside luaus, dancing, etc.). BTW, the Islander was the only restaurant that Hop had built from scratch. He saw to every detail. From the architectural design of the building, to the design and the selections on the food & drink menus, getting Richard to carve the Tikis, and even going to Hawaii to book the Hawaiian entertainment!! Minnie ran the restaurant and Hop was the bartender.
Enough...
Mahalo !!
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tikicleen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 324
From: ripon: almond capital yet no orgeat
| Posted: 2005-08-23 08:59 am Permalink
the following photos are from the copyrighted collection of Elaine Mae Woo and the Woo family.
these are both from 1964. the first is what you saw as you walked up the "gangplank". don't you love the sign?!
the next is an interior shot of the stage area. this is the first glimpse of how grand the design of the islander truly was!
i would like to thank Elaine and the rest of the Woo family for allowing me to post these pics. i have been searching for YEARS for an interior pic of islander in all of its glory and the day has finally arrived!
happy happy happy cleen!
FYI: we have proof that Hop DID NOT lose the islander gambling. he in fact never lost the islander and was the owner of the property until the early 1980's. he actually sublet the building to tommy lee in 1966.
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edited for larger pics.
[ This Message was edited by: tikicleen 2005-08-23 16:57 ]
[ This Message was edited by: tikicleen 2009-05-26 18:27 ]
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2005-08-23 09:45 am Permalink
Love this thread. Thanks for posting the new photos - they are priceless. Thanks for clearing up the myth of losing the restaurant gambling - wonder how that rumor got started originally?
Sabu
_________________
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2005-08-23 09:48 am Permalink
That's fantastic! Thanks to Elaine for sharing those, and to tikicleen and paranoid123 for making it happen!
[ This Message was edited by: Humuhumu 2005-08-23 09:49 ]
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Tangaroa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 25, 2002
Posts: 1550 | Posted: 2005-08-23 09:50 am Permalink
Wow! Thanks so much to the Woo family for sharing & to Tikicleen to posting them.... Ever since I saw that one lonely postcard of the Islander, I've been wanting to see more of the building! Does the Woo family have any more photos they would be willing to share...?
_________________
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2005-08-23 10:04 am Permalink
I wish I knew where my picture of me in the Chicken Kitchen's (old Islander) jail was!!
_________________
I'm the most thirstiesterest of all!
TRADER VIC'S, Vintage, Vegas & more on EBAY 1957SPUTNIK
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If you like it, it is ZAZZ! If you don't it is RAZZ!
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3056
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-08-23 6:57 pm Permalink
nice work!!!
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Rum Balls
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Oct 04, 2004
Posts: 828
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2005-08-23 7:37 pm Permalink
Wow...this is great stuff. One of the things I love about reading the tiki drinks, art, lifestyle, etc. books is the history and stories. Time to pour myself a drink in my three-face OMC mug from the Islander, and toast to all your hard work!
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the drunken hat
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 20, 2003
Posts: 331
From: Modesto, CA
| Posted: 2005-09-08 2:16 pm Permalink
in spirit of the savage renewal movement i decided to post these now. i was waiting until we replaced our scanner so they would be better images of the articles but i will replace these pics once that happens.
the first is actually a recent discovery and a great article for the opening of the add on latitude 20 (that's how it escaped our research the first time around). this is first interior shot of stockton's latitude 20!
close up of the article
this write up is just prior to moving the building to its current location at pollardville. it talks about the monetary exchange a bit. i've been told that the pollard family paid the unbelievable sum of $1 to lincoln center for the rights to move the building! compare the palm trees to the postcard.
enjoy!
_________________
i ain't drunk.......i'm jus drankin. albert collins
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thejab
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2984
From: Forbidden Island, CA
| Posted: 2005-09-08 2:35 pm Permalink
Great finds! What year did those come out?
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the drunken hat
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 20, 2003
Posts: 331
From: Modesto, CA
| Posted: 2005-09-08 3:19 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-09-08 14:35, thejab wrote:
Great finds! What year did those come out?
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the latitude 20 article ran on nov. 13, 1966
the one about the move to pollardville ran sometime in 84 or 85.
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don't let the bus leave without me!
[ This Message was edited by: the drunken hat 2005-09-08 15:20 ]
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Tangaroa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 25, 2002
Posts: 1550 | Posted: 2005-09-09 08:40 am Permalink
Great to see another view of the building... thanks!
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