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Luau, Fresno, CA (restaurant) |
pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
|  Posted: 2007-08-30 6:50 pm Permalink
Name:Luau
Type:restaurant
Street:1663 Fulton St.
City:Fresno
State:CA
Zip:93721
country:USA
Phone:559 237 4722
Status:operational
Description:
This place isn't in Tiki Road Trip. I had to use Google Earth's tiki finder add-on. Best $39.99 I ever spent. The building was there; it hadn't been made bulldozed to make a freeway or sunk into a tarpit or leveled by an earthquake. So I called it on the phone--still open! (They close at 8:00 tonight.)
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2007-08-30 6:53 pm Permalink
Actually, I just posted that to post this:
(from the Fresno Bee, 19 June 1964)
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10560
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2007-08-31 12:25 pm Permalink
I wonder if the cool modernist sign is still there:
I have a standard black Moai mug from it. The fact that the mug was used at TWO Fresno Tiki places shows that they were both owned by the same Chinese Family:
I believe the Leilani is long gone, though:
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2007-08-31 12:33 pm Permalink
Jungle must see. CleenHat wanna do a roadtrip?
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tikicleen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 11, 2003
Posts: 324
From: ripon: almond capital yet no orgeat
| Posted: 2007-08-31 12:38 pm Permalink
hat's been to both locations about two years ago. he took me by one of them to further inspect the inside. a large bar still remains, but it doesnt look like it is used. its your run-of-the-mill chinese restaurant.
oh, so NOW you want to do a roadtrip jt??! after im back at work and all? figures...
i'll have to dig up those pics we took.
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 got tiki?
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Fres-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 11, 2007
Posts: 109
From: Fresno, CA
| Posted: 2007-09-03 1:48 pm Permalink
The great sign on The Luau is still there.
Here's a current pic...
As for The Leilani it's no longer The Leilani - definitely "not" worth a road trip. The place used to have a great towering palm tree sign out front, with painted palm fronds and a trunk. Alas, the sign is still there in it's palm tree shape, but it's been painted black. The Last time I was in the Leilani was in the 90's. At the time I told my friend "this place looks like some kind of 'haunted' Chinese palace." Not sure if they changed the decor with the sign change, but not worth a trip! As for the connection between the two restaurants, I think it was discussed in one of the postings here on Tiki Central.
[ This Message was edited by: Fres-tiki 2007-09-03 13:50 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Fres-tiki 2007-09-04 13:32 ]
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Tiki-Kate
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: 1700
From: Yucaipa, CA
| Posted: 2009-06-02 11:39 am Permalink
This matchbook was used for both the Luau and the Leilani.
 
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Tiki-Kate
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: 1700
From: Yucaipa, CA
| Posted: 2009-06-05 1:41 pm Permalink
Just got this in the mail. I had originally thought that "Chinee Smorgie" was a type-o. Apparently not. Yikes.
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pa'akiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 26, 2005
Posts: 70 | Posted: 2009-06-05 2:40 pm Permalink
Dam'it Im missing a color!
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3916
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2009-06-14 10:32 am Permalink
There is also a white one.
DC
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tikidon
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Oct 06, 2003
Posts: 30
From: portland OR
| Posted: 2009-07-20 4:37 pm Permalink
  ............chinee Smorgie still there
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tikidon
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Oct 06, 2003
Posts: 30
From: portland OR
| Posted: 2009-07-20 5:23 pm Permalink
http://tikiroom.com/img/1394x4a650154.jpg BBCode Start -->   ..................The old Leilani is now the Pho Galaxy with a green paint job on the palm tree sign
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abstractiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 582
From: Lodi, CA
| Posted: 2009-09-02 8:35 pm Permalink
I'm on the trail of another Luau restaurant (closed for some time) that has the same tiki pic and font in advertising. The owner was named Jimmie Dunn. Could this be a franchise or chain restaurant? Does any one have any info or more history on this restaurant?
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Fres-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 11, 2007
Posts: 109
From: Fresno, CA
| Posted: 2011-06-09 12:27 am Permalink
I just bought one of the mugs used at both the Leilani & Luau restuarants. It jogged my memory - a friend once told me he went to school with a daughter of one of the owners. I did a little digging online and found an obituary for Roy Dunn who died in 2008.
Here's what it says:
"Roy Dunn peacefully passed away surrounded by his loved ones. He was born in Hanford, Ca. where he attended Zhong Wah Hok Haw Chinese School and he graduated from Hanford Union High School.
Roy's parents immigrated from China and opened the Lotus Bowl Restaurant in Hanford where Roy and his ten siblings worked. During World War II, Roy served in the U.S. Army, stationed in the Phillippines. Returning home after the Army, he attended Armstrong College in Berkeley, Ca. where he earned his B.A. degree in Business. In 1951, Roy and his brother Jimmie opened the Leilani and the Luau restaurants in Fresno which the Dunns successfully ran for 35 years. As many people know, Roy was an excellent chef who enjoyed cooking and developing the signature menus at the restaurants. His family will forever remember the delicious meals he cooked for them at home every night."
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abstractiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 582
From: Lodi, CA
| Posted: 2011-06-10 9:09 pm Permalink
Here is the phone book ad from the little known Stockton location.
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