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Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room, Santa Cruz, CA (restaurant) |
Citibeach
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 21 |  Posted: 2006-12-09 1:55 pm Permalink
Name:Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room
Type:restaurant
Street:221 Cathcart Street
City:Santa Cruz
State:CA
Zip:95060
country:USA
Phone:831 426 4852
Status:operational
Description:
We opened two weeks ago, and the place is packed with very happy people. It is our second location, the original being down the coast in Monterey. I wont go on about how great I feel about the place because obviously there is a bias. I would like to share with you the names of many of the people that helped in the decor of this great space.
First off Bosko was a big help to me in working out design ideas and his work is represented throughout the space and the exterior facade of the building. Tiki Tony has carved 3 6ft. Gods. One being at the entryway of the Tiki Room, the other two sit on the roof of the building, overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. Very cool. Onatiki helped me with the lighting and we have 7 custom Tapa cloth lights and 6 wall sconces throughout. I think the biggest piece he has done to date hangs in the entryway. Munktiki has an incredible display opposite the tikiroom entrance in a custom Koawood cabinet. Polynesiac customized/lit 14 colorful glass floats of all sizes, they are fantastic. Thank you to the guys at Oceanic Arts once again for just being there and have great prices. Bob also sold me a Marlin off the wall that they only rented out. Looks great in the Tiki room. Martin Cale of Forbidden Island for your consulting work on the bar. Mark Ryden for the art prints, although you have no idea who I am, and dont even know that they are hanging in the restaurant. Tiki Farm for the mugs. Alan for doing such an amazing job on the bartop, all koa wood and 28 ft. long. A guy named Marc, who I met through EBay, great job on the Tiki Mug lamps that light all the booths. Nick at Tiki Magazine, a pre thank you for the great write up that you are going to do on the place. Wink, wink.
If I have missed anyone, I apoligize. I just wanted to put the word out to everyone that we are open, and would love to start hearing comments and suggestions for the place.
c
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-10 02:15 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-11 08:55 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-11 09:36 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-12 20:30 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-12 20:31 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2006-12-12 20:36 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Citibeach 2007-01-23 09:10 ]
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Tikitastic
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Jul 28, 2006
Posts: 266
From: Los Gatos, CA USA
| Posted: 2006-12-09 2:05 pm Permalink
Very cool news...been to Hula's in Monterey many times and the food and drinks are always excellent!!! The best part about a Hula's in Santa Cruz is that there is now a Hula's closer to me in San Jose.
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Molokai Mike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 26, 2003
Posts: 500
From: the birthplace of the Mai Tai
| Posted: 2006-12-09 2:40 pm Permalink
Great news!! Always good to hear of new Tiki places opening - especially ones done right!!
Best of luck ... May the Tiki Gods be with you!!
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PremEx
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 271
From: Houston, Texas
| Posted: 2006-12-09 2:48 pm Permalink
Am I correct in assuming you're not related to the Hula's Grill on Maui that's part of the TS Restaurant operation?
Good Luck at your new location! 
[ This Message was edited by: PremEx 2006-12-09 14:48 ]
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Citibeach
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 21 | Posted: 2006-12-09 4:24 pm Permalink
No relation to Hula Grill or TS Restaurants. Good guys though and a good company.
We do own the Hula Hut in Carmel, CA, which opened May, 2006. It is a quick serve tropical grill. My next project starts in a month. I am partnering with a couple of friends in Denver to do a tiki bar there. The location is on South Broadway and the name will be "The Hut".
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Helz
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 31, 2004
Posts: 415
From: Westminster, CO
| Posted: 2006-12-09 4:46 pm Permalink
Well, us locals are getting rabid with anticipation...
Got a friend that lives walking distance to the Hula Hut there in Carmel, and she raves!
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Matt Reese
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 09, 2005
Posts: 1119
From: San Diego
| Posted: 2006-12-11 05:49 am Permalink
No offense but 'Onatiki did the lamps for you. I wouldn't normally say anything but the weekend we delivered them was a crazy whirlwind adventure. At a couple points I do believe we were approaching near death experiences. After such a bizarre trip I'd hate to see 'Onatiki not get his props.
The place looks great. Buttermilk and Bacon did a fantastic job.
Cheers.
[ This Message was edited by: Matt Reese 2006-12-11 05:51 ]
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Citibeach
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 21 | Posted: 2006-12-11 08:53 am Permalink
You are absolutely right. Typed all that late in the evening and should have thought it out a bit more. Yes, Onatiki did do all the great tapa cloth lights in the place and Polynesiac(Jim) did all the glass floats. My bad.
I keep trying to edit my first message, but it is not accepting what I edit. WIll get it fixed.
Thanks for pointing that out to me, and I do remember that long road trip you guys took that day. Glad to hear that you both survived.
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Kanaloa
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 29, 2004
Posts: 49
From: Santa Clara, CA
| Posted: 2006-12-11 12:35 pm Permalink
We are SO there ... Been waiting for this birth for sometime. Great looking place.
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2006-12-11 1:16 pm Permalink
I am thrilled thrilled thrilled. My wish came true! Can't wait to make the short jaunt over the hill to check it out. I'm game for a get-together there someday soon, too.
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Chongolio
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 02, 2002
Posts: 2765
From: The Coast of Kauai
| Posted: 2006-12-11 4:11 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-12-11 13:16, Humuhumu wrote:
I am thrilled thrilled thrilled. My wish came true! Can't wait to make the short jaunt over the hill to check it out. I'm game for a get-together there someday soon, too.
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Count me in. I have yet to come out from under my rock and venture in since the opening. I did get a sneaky peeky when Ona and Matt rolled through and it was already looking pretty sweet. Nice work and congrats going out to all the artists involved. The guys did there homework and it shows. Unga, Stuckie and I were gonna check it out a couple weeks ago but it didn't happen. Maybe we can get a holiday get together planned. I look forward to doing it up proper unless I already got myself booted for my "Bacon and Buttermilk" comment. 
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PremEx
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 271
From: Houston, Texas
| Posted: 2006-12-11 4:21 pm Permalink
See you've added some photos (or they just didn't display for me when I first visited this thread)! Looks really great! Everyone that worked on it should be very proud.
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Coco Loco
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 21, 2004
Posts: 821
From: Exotic Isle of Alameda
| Posted: 2006-12-11 5:07 pm Permalink
Seein as we're in the S.Bay often, a hop skip and a jump over the hill is quite possible. We're looking quite forward to this. MaiTai and I were in Monterey one day a few months ago, on a tight schedule, and we drove past Hula's. Alas, we didn't have time to stop. We've been trying to get back there ever since. It'll be nice to see Unga and Chongo again too! We're VERY excited about this.
Quote:
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On 2006-12-11 16:11, Chongolio wrote:
Quote:
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On 2006-12-11 13:16, Humuhumu wrote:
I am thrilled thrilled thrilled. My wish came true! Can't wait to make the short jaunt over the hill to check it out. I'm game for a get-together there someday soon, too.
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Count me in. I have yet to come out from under my rock and venture in since the opening. I did get a sneaky peeky when Ona and Matt rolled through and it was already looking pretty sweet. Nice work and congrats going out to all the artists involved. The guys did there homework and it shows. Unga, Stuckie and I were gonna check it out a couple weeks ago but it didn't happen. Maybe we can get a holiday get together planned. I look forward to doing it up proper unless I already got myself booted for my "Bacon and Buttermilk" comment.
_________________
Lost-Isle
Coconut Wired Podcast
Barefoot bloggin'
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ZuluMagoo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 468
From: Denver, CO
| Posted: 2006-12-12 11:16 am Permalink
The Santa Cruz location looks great!! I know there are several us of here in Denver that are anxiously awaiting the arrival of 'The Hut'. I hope it turns out as nice as this place. You guys do nice work.
Zulu
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2006-12-15 8:44 pm Permalink
Hanford and I made the quick trek over the hill to Hula's last night, and had a truly fantastic time. The place is gorgeous, especially the Tiki Room (be sure to ask to sit there). The main area has plenty of Tiki touches, too, so it's no stark contrast, it all blends together really well. The food menu is diverse and yummy, much yummier than your average Polynesian restaurant. We got to chat quite a bit with co-owner Chris (citibeach), and he was excited to tell us that a new, expanded drink menu with more tropicals is on its way (with a bit o' help from Forbidden Island's Martin Cate, so it should be great). In the meantime, the drinks list is a little lean, but they serve a darned good Mai Tai in Trader Vic's style. The music was appropriate, even though it wasn't strictly tiki (it was more modern, lounge/trancey instrumentals), and the volume was at a pleasing level that it didn't intrude. Chris said that they do play tiki music each day from opening time (4pm) to about 7pm, and then it shifts over to the more modern music. The decor was fantastic, as you'll see in my pictures below. Chris is planning on adding more to the decor, and he's being very particular about choosing items that fit with the feel of the place, which is great, because he's got a good eye. The service was very, very friendly, and speedy.
The place was packed with people when we arrived; Chris said it's been that way since opening, without having to do any advertising. Hula's in Monterey has done really well, too. Both these locations are great examples of a successful tiki bar that hasn't had to compromise the quality of their tikiness to attract customers.
Check out California Events for info on a get-together there soon!
All the pictures from our trip are here:
http://photo.humuhumu.com/v/hulassc/
 The Tiki Room
Cabinet of Munktiki mugs (check out the tiki knobs from OA):
YATtM (Yet another Tiki tOny masterpiece):
This lamp from 'Onatiki is really a monster -- there are lots of his lamps throughout the place, and they look great:
This is one side of the main dining room -- as you can see, the non-Tiki Room parts of Hula's are still pretty darned tiki:
These floats from Polynesiac are all over the joint, and they're really pretty:
Bosko's stuff is all over the place, too. His distinctive style is easy to spot in the posts & plaques above -- the poles in particular I really loved. This massive mask is on the front of the building:
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