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New Don the Beachcomber opening in Hawaii? Photos |
hanford_lemoore
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 1864
From: Tiki Central
|  Posted: 2003-05-23 5:10 pm Permalink
Sorry if this has been talked about, but this is new to me. The thread on Kaanapali in Beyond Tiki made me remember this:
I was in Maui earlier this year and discovered a building with "DON THE BEACHCOMBER" on it. The building was closed. I asked around and found out that the place is supposed to open soon. I tried looking in the windows but I could not see anything 
I had seen the same building a year earlier and I took some photos. I took at look at the old photos and sure enough there was no sign on it in 2002. So the sign is new.
The building is on the grounds of the Royal Lahaina hotel (in Kaanapali, not in Lahaina) in Maui, and the hotel is somewhat old-school-Hawaiian in design. More Polynesian in feel than most of the hotels in the area.
Has anyone heard of this? Has it been discussed here before?
~Hanford
For reference, here's the pic I took of it (notice it has no sign) in 2002.
[ This Message was edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-05-23 17:11 ]
[ This Message was edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-05-23 17:14 ]
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GECKO
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2002
Posts: 1049
From: South Sea Arts Honolulu
| Posted: 2003-05-23 5:18 pm Permalink
I neva herd of this, but would like to learn more if anyone else has any more info. DAM I gotta get my website up!! with all these new establishments opening. I gotta geta hold of these peepz if it's still in da decorating stage.
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2003-05-23 5:22 pm Permalink
The Royal Lahaina website only says this:
Quote:
| Don The Beachcombers Restaurant offers a wide variety of Pacific Rim favorites, including Hawaiian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and American specialites, complete with cocktail bar and lounge area.
(Opening Soon) |
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http://www.hawaiianhotels.com/Web/Main/Rlr/RLR_Dining.cfm?Orig=RLR
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MauiTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 20, 2003
Posts: 680
From: A rock in the middle of the Ocean
| Posted: 2003-05-23 9:47 pm Permalink
I don't make it to Kaanapali often, but I'll keep my ears open for the grand opening. I'll give it a try and give you all the full report.
I know ecactly where it is, but don't recall it ever being open.
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Tiki Baron
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 14, 2003
Posts: 62
From: Culver City CA
| Posted: 2003-05-24 1:56 pm Permalink
Do you mean you want information on this particular Don the Beachcomber or on this chain?
Don the Beachcomber is like the real granddaddy of American-Tiki. To my knowledge most of these restruants were closed except one in Disneyland. If you go on ebay you can find all sorts of Don the Beachcomber trinkets. It would be sweet if this restruant chain were to make a comeback.
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hanford_lemoore
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 1864
From: Tiki Central
| Posted: 2003-05-24 5:12 pm Permalink
[quote]
On 2003-05-24 13:56, Tiki Baron wrote:
Do you mean you want information on this particular Don the Beachcomber or on this chain?[quote]
Yeah, let me clarify. I'm interested in this particular one becuase, as far as I know, there are no more open Don the Beachcombers anymore. JT (author of Tiki Road Trip) were talking a few weeks back about how Don the Beachcombers have all been long gone, but that someone must own the rights to the name. I think it's amazing to see a new one opening up again. This seems like a big deal.
The one in Disneyland (actually in Disney's California Adventure) doesn't quite count, since they actually don't serve drinks there. It's just the decor designed to match the old feel of the place. It's part of an indoor food court called Hollywood & Dine).
So that's why I ask. If this is really the rebirth of a new Don The Beachcomber's, then this "tiki resurgence" we've been hearing about for a while is bigger than I thought.
~Hanford
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7198
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2003-05-24 10:04 pm Permalink
I heard Taco Bell, inc. bought the name Don the Beachcomber. I just did a bar for them. Maybe it'll be a fancy taco hut? But, the bar went to their Irvine headquarters. Hmmmm.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2003-05-25 1:29 pm Permalink
Tiki Baron, the Don the Beachcomber in Disneyland is not really a Don the Beachcomber restaurant. It's actually more of a tribute to the original restaurant chain (it even says that in the menu). The Original Don the Beachcomber's Restaurant Chain has long since gone out of business. The info Hanford is looking for is related to the somewhat appearance of a new Don the Beachcomber opening in Hawaii (as pictured above). This is a VERY EXCITING proposition since there hasn't been a Don the Beachcomber restaurant open in years.
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Doctor Z
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 01, 2002
Posts: 1603
From: The Hale Moana Lounge, Torrance, CA
| Posted: 2003-05-25 3:14 pm Permalink
Alas, the Don the Beachcomber at Disney's California Adventure is gone too... Hanford's right: it wasn't even an actual restaurant - it was part of a food court inside this big corrugated tin warehouse in the Hollywood Backlot section, along with (if I remember correctly) a pizza place, a 50's hamburger style place and something else. The DtB simply shared a part of the warehouse with these other 'restaurants', but it still had plenty of good decor. They've closed the whole warehouse and put big security tape roadblocks up in front of it. Any time I've tried to get close (i.e. go under the tape), a cast member has come out of nowhere to turn me away. And (of course) they can tell me nothing about why it is closed or if it will re-open.
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hanford_lemoore
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 1864
From: Tiki Central
| Posted: 2003-05-25 5:26 pm Permalink
My guess is Hollywood and Dine will open again once Tower of Terror is completed and open at California Adventure.
Apparently they had way too many resturants to support the low attendance, and Hollywood and Dine is tucked away in an area of the park that gets no visitors. However, Tower Of Terror is being built there, and it's going to be a magnet for basically anyone that visits the park. So my guess is they'll reopen it then.
~Hanford
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Phillip Roberts
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 1489
From: OAHU, Hawaii.
| Posted: 2004-11-30 10:13 pm Permalink
[ This Message was edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 11:29 ]
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Unga Bunga
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 06, 2003
Posts: 5734
From: CaliTikifornia
| Posted: 2004-12-01 12:30 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2003-05-23 17:10, hanford_lemoore wrote:
Sorry if this has been talked about, but this is new to me. The thread on Kaanapali in Beyond Tiki made me remember this.
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Well,
Freaken don't let it happen again NEWBIE!!
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Futura Girl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 01, 2002
Posts: 933 | Posted: 2004-12-01 01:04 am Permalink
yah and how about this hanford guy's broken links on those pictures... sheeesh...
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Trader Woody
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2301
From: Tiki Manor, Forest of Bowland,UK
| Posted: 2004-12-01 09:59 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-11-30 22:13, filslash wrote:
And the news is VERY good. Don The Beachcombers is supposed to be re-opening in about two weeks. It is the original building, and looks like it will be very nice... |
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Great news!
I urge anyone with the slightest interest in Don the Beachcomber to get hold of 'Hawai'i - Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine' which tells the whole story, is littered with Tiki throughout, and contains some damn fine recipes too. Definitely one of the top 5 Tiki books out there.
http://www.booklineshawaii.com/book/bcb/474914.html
Trader Woody
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dangergirl299
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Feb 18, 2003
Posts: 893
From: Bay Area
| Posted: 2004-12-01 10:11 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-12-01 09:59, Trader Woody wrote:
Great news!
I urge anyone with the slightest interest in Don the Beachcomber to get hold of 'Hawai'i - Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine' which tells the whole story, is littered with Tiki throughout, and contains some damn fine recipes too. Definitely one of the top 5 Tiki books out there.
http://www.booklineshawaii.com/book/bcb/474914.html
Trader Woody
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I second that! I picked through this book last time I was in Hawaii, and it has GREAT stories of movie stars (the one about Clark Gable's "wedding tree" killed me; as did the one about naked Marlene Dietrich) and other fun stories (drunk mynah birds saying "gimme a beer, stupid!"). I felt a little dirty reading it though, because it appears as though TC alliance sides more with rival Vic Bergeron (who also claims to have invented the Mai Tai!)
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