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Chin Tiki, Detroit, MI (restaurant) |
Feelin' Zombified
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 15, 2003
Posts: 1320
From: The Exotic Shores of Lake St. Clair
|  Posted: 2005-09-05 6:24 pm
Name:Chin Tiki
Type:restaurant
Street:2121 Cass Ave.
City:Detroit
State:MI
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
Opened in 1967 by Marvin Chin. Closed in 1980.
[ This Message was edited by: Feelin' Zombified 2005-09-05 18:50 ]
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Feelin' Zombified
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 15, 2003
Posts: 1320
From: The Exotic Shores of Lake St. Clair
| Posted: 2005-09-05 6:36 pm
I can't believe there wasn't a thread created already... anyway, I went thru Chin Tiki on Sunday armed with a really, really bad camera that was borrowed at the last minute. Here are the pics that were actually visible:
The first floor bar:
The stairway leading to the 2nd floor, at the top is a HUGE rockwall fountain (no pic good pic, sorry):
The outrigger at the top of those stairs:
The 2nd floor, pic taken from behind the very cool serpentine bar. The stairs are to the left... as is an octagon Witco table. to the right is the stage area:
Tikis on the back end of the stage:
A room on the first floor in the back left of the building:
Lastly, in that same room... Come to Daddy!
-Z
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Thank God The Tiki Bar Is Open
Thank God The Tiki Torch Still Shines...
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1533
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2005-09-05 6:40 pm
Wow! Kinda like touring a haunted house but it must have been awesome.
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3509
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2005-09-05 7:25 pm
Yeah! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Those are great. I'm especially groovin' on that brown carpet, and the green booths. That place must have been a blast when it was new.
What did Marvin Chin have to say during the tour?
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Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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cynfulcynner
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1800
From: Ocean Beach, San Francisco
| Posted: 2006-02-23 9:54 pm
While surfing the Web recently, I found this page about Chin Tiki. it has lots of exterior photos:
http://www.snweb.org/places/tiki
It appears that Detroit is THE place to explore modern ruins! (This is not necessarily a good thing.)
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lanikai
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 15, 2004
Posts: 490
From: Hawaii
| Posted: 2006-02-24 03:40 am
back in the day, sold much tiki decor and tiki mugs to the studios for the shoot of the segment of that Eminem 8 mile movie they shot there. never was paid or in any way reimbursed for it.
ah well...
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SNWEB.ORG
Member
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 2
From: Detroit
| Posted: 2006-02-26 8:06 pm
Thanks for the linkage!
I hope to get some interior photos in the future. I have been trying to contact the owner, Marvin Chin to gain legal access, but so far he hasn't been at this restaurant in Livonia.
-SNWEB.ORG
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teaKEY
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 09, 2004
Posts: 3382
From: The thumb !
| Posted: 2006-03-02 4:45 pm
Tell the owner that I will try to buy enough drinks to keep him open , if he opens
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Chub
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Jan 26, 2005
Posts: 214
From: Detroit, MI. but now in sunny CA.
| Posted: 2006-03-24 5:14 pm
Unfortunately, Marvin Chin is not interested in re-opening the Chin Tiki. Last fall he was telling me he was only interested in leasing the building out. The problem is, Mr. Chin sold the parking lot to Detroit's biggest slumlord and gravel parking lot king, Mike Illitch. Without parking, the Chin Tiki will probably never open. I get sad and mad every time I think about it!
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larryc39
Member
Joined: Apr 17, 2006
Posts: 9 | Posted: 2006-04-20 8:36 pm
Why he doesn't get a new building in a decent neighborhood and transfer the decor? Apart from the exterior most of it could be moved to a new location...one where it would be safe to park your car.
Maybe take over Bahama Breeze on Big Beaver in Troy and make it a real polyplace.
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3509
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2007-05-09 12:27 pm
Sad but not at all surprising news about the Chin Tiki building -- in February, the deed for the building passed to Ilitch Holdings, which has been quietly buying up enough of the surrounding land that they now own four contiguous blocks. The Detroit News has an article about it -- there's speculation that Ilitch Holdings is considering building a new hockey arena there; Mike Ilitch owns the Red Wings.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/BIZ/705090380
_________________
Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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sneakyjack
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 838
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2007-10-03 3:34 pm
What is the Chin Tiki status?- Is it truly gone?- I know its been closed ect. But is the building gone yet? - If so where did the insides go? I know there is another (different) location in Livona but I doubt it could hold all the goods. Just wondering??- I was there last in April 2007.
thanks for any response
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Tipsy McStagger
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 21, 2004
Posts: 2994
From: HELL
| Posted: 2007-10-04 05:01 am
..gotta stay current on your threads....do a search and you will find a thread about livonia chins and the descor it contains from the old place downtown....
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sneakyjack
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: May 25, 2004
Posts: 838
From: NYC Area
| Posted: 2007-10-04 06:43 am
Thanks again Tipsy - I guess I got lost in all the Cat talk in that tread - Anyway so the building is still standing and "some" of its contents have been moved to the some what re done Chins in Livona. Would love to be around for the scraps of the wrecking ball in Detroit. Keep us up dated man! Stay Golden!
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Tipsy McStagger
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 21, 2004
Posts: 2994
From: HELL
| Posted: 2007-10-04 07:24 am
..i've been in the old chin's and there really isn't anything worth salvageing except moldy carpet and moldy bamboo. there was very little decor and what decor there was has been removed by the owners.-some has been placed in the new chin tiki livonia and the rest is in a marlin chins garage...the best time to have been in there was before the film crew from the movie 8 mile raped the place....they stole cases of chin tiki mugs among other things from what the owner told us. they also moved some stuff around and damaged some things.....assholes!!
..someone mentioned in a post earlier here that the stuff was bought by the film company, but i have never heread that from either marvin or marlin chin....the version i heard is that the stuff was in another room they were not allowed in and they took the stuff anyway...
[ This Message was edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2007-10-04 07:27 ]
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