Mai-Kai Restaurant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mai-Kai Restaurant
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Mai-Kai Restaurant in 2007
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 Mai–Kai Restaurant
Location in Florida
Mai–Kai Restaurant
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3599 N. Federal Hwy. Oakland Park, Florida |
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| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Built | 1956 |
| Built by | Bob and Jack Thornton |
| Architect | Charles F. McKirahan Sr. |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000951 |
| Added to NRHP | 18 November 2014 |
The Mai-Kai is a special restaurant in Oakland Park, Florida. It has a fun Polynesian theme, making you feel like you're in the South Pacific! It first opened its doors on December 28, 1956. The Mai-Kai is one of the last "Grand Polynesian Palaces of Tiki" still open today.
In 2015, it was even called the "best tiki bar in the world" by Critiki, a group of fans of Polynesian pop culture. The Mai-Kai is unique because it continues the traditions and serves original recipes from a very famous Polynesian restaurant called Don the Beachcomber. Because of its history, the Mai-Kai has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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Discovering the Mai-Kai's History
The Mai-Kai was created by two brothers, Bob and Jack Thornton. When they were kids, they visited a famous restaurant called Don the Beachcomber in Chicago. They loved it so much that they dreamed of opening their own similar place one day. Later, while they were in college, they often visited another popular restaurant called Trader Vic's.
In 1955, after serving in the armed forces, the brothers moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Even though they were still young, under 30 years old, they decided to open their Polynesian restaurant. They chose an undeveloped area in Oakland Park, which was a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. At first, the location seemed far away, but Florida's tourism was growing fast. Both Fort Lauderdale and Oakland Park were also expanding quickly. This meant the restaurant quickly became popular with both local people and tourists.
Building the Mai-Kai Restaurant
The first Mai-Kai restaurant was designed by an architect named Charles F. McKirahan Sr. Wayne Davidson helped decorate it. Building the restaurant cost $350,000, which was a lot of money back then. It was the most expensive restaurant built in the United States that year. In its very first year, the Mai-Kai earned over a million dollars! For many years, it was one of the most successful restaurants in the country.
When the Thornton brothers opened the Mai-Kai, they hired experienced staff from the Chicago Don the Beachcomber. This included a top chef, a skilled bartender, and other important team members.
The first restaurant had five dining rooms. It also had a special "Surfboard Bar" with 19 seats, made from real surfboards. The roof of the Garden seating area was originally open to the sky. However, guests often had to move when it rained. So, the owners decided to cover the roof with glass. This glass roof could open and close, but eventually, it stayed closed due to maintenance.
Changes Over the Years
In 1970, Jack Thornton became ill and sold his share of the Mai-Kai to his brother Bob. Bob then made the restaurant even bigger, more than doubling its size. Bob passed away in 1989. Today, Bob's stepson, David Levy, and his stepdaughter, Kulani Thornton Gelardi, help run the restaurant.
In 2020, the Mai-Kai building had to close for a while. This happened because a pipe burst and caused flooding. The restaurant still hosted some outdoor events during this time.
Exploring the Mai-Kai Restaurant
The main building of the Mai-Kai has a unique look. It has a large A-frame roof that is covered with thatch, like a traditional Polynesian hut. To reach the entrance, you cross a wooden bridge. The Mai-Kai has been made bigger several times. By 1971, it mostly looked the way it does today.
Now, the restaurant has eight dining rooms. There is also a bar and a stage in the middle of the restaurant. This stage is where the exciting Polynesian Islander Revue show takes place. The Mai-Kai also has a gift shop and beautiful tropical gardens. Inside, the restaurant is decorated with items from the ocean and the South Pacific.
Renovations and Design
A major renovation started in 1970 and took two years to finish. Even during these big construction projects, the Mai-Kai never closed. The owners made sure that customers could not see or hear the work being done. This often meant the construction happened very early in the morning.
In 2009, the restaurant completed another long renovation. This work was needed to fix damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. Today, the Mai-Kai looks very much like it did in the 1970s. The servers at the Mai-Kai's Molokai Bar wear special outfits, including unique tops and wraparound skirts. The food menu offers Polynesian and Asian dishes. The drink menu, created by Mariano Licudine, has stayed mostly the same since 1956.
The Exciting Polynesian Show
The Mai-Kai Islanders Revue show began in 1962. There were two performances each night. Mireille Thornton was one of the first dancers in the show. She later married Bob Thornton. By 1970, she was in charge of the show's dances, finding new performers, and designing the costumes. Mireille was born and grew up in Tahiti. This helped her create very real and beautiful South Pacific dances and costumes. The Mai-Kai Islanders Revue is the longest-running Polynesian show in the United States!
Wandering Through the Mai-Kai Gardens
The Mai-Kai has amazing gardens that take full advantage of Florida's warm, tropical climate. You can walk along paths through lush tropical plants. There are also fake rock formations, waterfalls, and ponds. You'll even see cool Tiki statues! Some of the palm trees and orchids in the garden are over fifty years old. In 2009, a huge wooden carving by Barney West that had been in the gardens for decades fell down. It was replaced by another carving that was originally in the first Surfboard Bar back in 1956.
Special Polynesian Artifacts
The Mai-Kai holds many real Polynesian artifacts. Some of these items are more than 100 years old! A large part of the original collection of Polynesian artifacts was given to the Thornton brothers' old university, Stanford University, in the 1970s. Another part of the collection was given to the Fort Lauderdale art museum.
