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Bora Bora, San Francisco, CA (restaurant) |
Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3925
From: Santa Barbara, CA
|  Posted: 2010-10-09 08:02 am Permalink
Name:Bora Bora
Type:restaurant
Street:1040 Columbus Ave
City:San Francisco
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
I grabbed these images of a matchbook from the Bora Bora restaurant located in San Francisco featuring a rather unique Tiki. I have not been able to find any other information on this one, so I thought I would post it and see if anybody has heard of it. Maybe Trad'r Bill can do some of his stellar research on this one.
DC
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Trad'r Bill
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2008
Posts: 450
From: Hercules, CA
| Posted: 2011-05-18 4:13 pm Permalink
DC, you probably already noticed this, but 1040 Columbus Ave. was the one-time location of Skipper Kent's. (Thanks Ms. Bifcozz for pointing this out!) Neither I nor the bifcozz's know anything about the transformation... yet 
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2011-11-10 09:41 am Permalink
Drink menu was just on Ebay. I know Robert Van Dorpe, first GM at the Mai-Kai, was involved with this project, but not a lot of detail beyond that. At this time he was very close with DtB and they worked together on many projects. Could Don have been involved here? I will try to find out.
Cover art by Herb Kane. Van Dorpe always got Hawaiian artists into his projects as much as possible. He was a huge patron of Herb and really helped cement his status.
The names are changed, but have similarities to DtB and TV drinks, not unlike every other place around.
At the bottom we have the Mai-Kai's Mariano Licudine recipe the "Derby Daiquiri", but right above it, the "Black Magic" renamed "Motu Magic"!
They always seem to have them drawn the same when they rip them off. The straws, swizzles, garnish, they tend to put them in the exact same place...
I bet this was a late 70s to 80s venture at the time when DtB was opening up in failed Tiki establishment locations.
It would be funny to find Don was involved and they ripped off the Mai-Kai who ripped off him!
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[ This Message was edited by: Swanky 2011-11-10 09:42 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-11-10 9:43 pm Permalink
Great menu! Though it seems to come from late in the game. But then again, when did businesses stop using letters in their phone numbers?
Wonder if that swizzle ever got made. Judging by the rarity of the menu, the place might not have been around for long.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2011-11-11 09:12 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-11-10 21:43, bigbrotiki wrote:
Great menu! Though it seems to come from late in the game. But then again, when did businesses stop using letters in their phone numbers?
Wonder if that swizzle ever got made. Judging by the rarity of the menu, the place might not have been around for long.
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Sven, that's a good point I had missed. The drink prices! This is not a 1980s menu with those prices. It would point to something more like 1963 maybe, when BVD left the Mai-Kai. Did Steve Crane take over the Bora Bora space? The 57-ish Mai-Kai menu has the Black Magic at $2.75 and Derby Daiquiri at $1. Exactly the same as here!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-11-11 10:30 am Permalink
I would also say mid to late 60s, now.
Gentlemen: I must be gettin' old, or why did it take me THIS LONG for my Tiki spidey senses to start tingling, and get the "click" of where I had seen this Tiki before !!!:
 
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=41150&forum=1
So is the Bora Bora actually the "place up North" where this legendary "bad luck" Tiki came from? If it actually stood outside the old Skipper Kent's on Columbus Avenue, why have no photos of it surfaced so far? Was its existence there so short?
MORE questions!
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Or Got Rum?
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 29, 2009
Posts: 289
From: Wisconsin
| Posted: 2011-11-11 2:02 pm Permalink
As far a the phone number thing, a few sources say 1967 in Southern California. I know it was early 1968 in Northern Virginia.
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Trad'r Bill
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2008
Posts: 450
From: Hercules, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-11 5:45 pm Permalink
What great info has come out on this location - nice job connecting the dots with the logo tiki Bigbro. Still hoping we'll find the Robert Van Dorpe connection...
I dove into the newspaper archives and found some great info... it involves socialites, murder, intrigue... and Don Ho
In 1965, the Bora Bora Club was owned by SF nightclub tycoon George Lavery. After a night of hard drinking, a violent fight broke out between Laverly and his newlywed socialite wife, Gail Woodfield Lavery. The young wife shot and killed her husband during the altercation - the deceased had apparently threatened her with bolt cutters during the fight.
The Bora Bora club survived this incident long enough to host the one and only Don Ho in his first mainland appearance(!) in November of 1965.
But the Bora Bora was closed by the time this article was written in January of '67
On a lighter note, the Bora Bora also held Karate lessons M-F from 6-8 PM and 12-2 on Saturdays 
Enjoy!
-Trad'r Bill
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-11-11 6:05 pm Permalink
Great diggin', Bill!
Yup that's some bad luck alright, getting shot by your wife. But we have yet to confirm it actually stood there.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3925
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-11 6:24 pm Permalink
Wow, some great developments on the Bora Bora here. The Bad Luck Tiki, Skipper Kent, Don the Beachcomber. Will we ever know the real story? Keep diggin Trad'r Bill.
DC
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abstractiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 582
From: Lodi, CA
| Posted: 2011-11-12 08:03 am Permalink
Nice work TB!
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2011-11-14 09:50 am Permalink
I did not get around to talking to Bob Van Dorpe this weekend. This history is my first question next weekend. Thanks for names to drop to jog his memory Bill.
I know he was part of the project. I just do not know his entire role and if had become close with DtB by that time. I should know more next week.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2011-12-26 08:32 am Permalink
Came across THIS bit today about the singer Marie Mariterangi, who performed in the Molokia at the Mai-Kai in 1965. It says she first played at the Bora Bora in 1960.
I should be talking to BVD soon to see what he recalls about the place.
My blog post on here is HERE.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4806
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2012-01-09 08:59 am Permalink
Bob says the Bora Bora project was his from the start. He arranged the financing, created the drink menu, etc. He also mentioned Marie Meritarnagi before I could ask as one of the performers who came through there. I know that he left the Mai-Kai in October of 1963, so the 1960 date for Marie is wrong. It has to have opened in 1963 and probably 64 or later.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-01-09 09:50 am Permalink
Tim, is there any chance Bob can confirm the existence of that Barney West Tiki at that location? That puppy is a huge, two stories tall statue that IF it was made for the restaurant (and put there) would not be easy to forget.
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