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70-766: The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is a restaurant and tiki bar in the Fairmont San Francisco hotel in Nob Hill , San Francisco , California . Named after the South Pacific nation of Tonga , this dining and entertainment venue opened in 1945. The Tonga Room replaced the Terrace Plunge, an indoor swimming pool that was installed in the Fairmont in 1929. The pool was transformed into the Tonga Room's lagoon. The restaurant

140-423: A Krakatoa Punch causing the picture of a faux volcano to erupt. As the term is used generically, " tiki mugs " are ceramic drink vessels traditionally shaped as tikis , Easter Island statues (moai), shrunken heads, totems, coconuts, skulls, or in other Hawaiian, exotic, retro, or pirate-themed styles. The name of the bar is often listed on the back of the mug or its bottom. Wood may also be used, typically in

210-625: A "distressed" cafeteria location at 618 South Olive Street in Los Angeles and founded what his customers referred to as "The Cafeteria of the Golden Rule". Patrons were obliged to pay only what they felt was fair, according to a neon sign that flashed "PAY WHAT YOU WISH." The cafeteria, at the western terminus of U.S. Route 66 , was notable for serving people of all races, and was included in The Negro Motorist Green Book . In 1939,

280-709: A "slightly down-at-the-heels Disney version of a twilight forest". Huell Howser , host and producer of the KCET series Visiting... with Huell Howser , featured Clifton's in one episode, where in 2001 he shared "Nestled in the bustling setting of historic Broadway, Clifton's Cafeteria is truly a 'jewel in the heart of the Jewelry District'". Howser returned in 2009, only to find little change. Benji Lanyado of The Guardian lists Clifton's as among LA's top 10 cult locations and notes that it "survives as an astonishing woodland fantasia". Michael Stern of Roadfood wrote that

350-577: A dozen Trader Vic's locations in Europe and Asia, including in London, Tokyo, Munich, and Bangkok. The Trader Vic's franchise caters to its local clientele, and in London opened with a London Sour on its cocktail menu in 1965, and its Munich location with a Munich Sour in 1972. In 2017 noted tiki historians Sven Kirsten, Jeff Berry , Martin Cate, Brian Miller, and Chris Osburn listed their top 15 operating tiki bars in

420-489: A few blocks away to feed two million patrons during the next two years. The restaurants had been cafeteria style with each dish sold on a pay-per-item basis. Featured were fountain soft drinks and classic American fare such as roast beef , brisket , meatloaf , and turkey, with a wide assortment of traditional sides . Revolving daily specials often included a fish plate and a fried chicken plate, both of which came with mashed potatoes and vegetables, and in keeping with

490-456: A group of cafeteria-style restaurants named Dennets. Clifford, one of Edmond's five children, learned the restaurant trade while working in his father's restaurants. Along with two partners, he bought his father's interest in Dennets. Due to differences in opinion over business practices, he relinquished ownership to his partners and moved to Los Angeles in 1931. Establishing his restaurants during

560-525: A historically important role in their popularity, and the bars also booked acts such as exotica -style bands and Polynesian dance floor shows. One of the earliest and perhaps the first of what is now known as a tiki bar was named "Don the Beachcomber," created in Hollywood in 1933 by Ernest Gantt (who later legally changed his name to "Donn Beach"). The bar served a wide variety of exotic rum drinks (including

630-440: A lot of that free juice." Bradbury celebrated his 89th birthday at the downtown eatery in 2009. Charles Bukowski mentions Clifton's Cafeteria in his novel Ham on Rye : "Clifton's Cafeteria was nice. If you didn't have much money, they let you pay what you could. And if you didn't have any money, you didn't have to pay. [...] It was owned by some very nice rich old man, a very unusual person." The Distillers mention Clifton's in

700-535: A pancake". He remarked that its current location was in a part of Los Angeles that was once fashionable and wrote, "Once you arrive at Clifton's, though, you can feel the magic that used to be". The restaurant's uniqueness has also found its way into many books and novels, including The Long Embrace , Violin Dreams , Don't spit on my corner , A Few Good Women , Deep Heet! , and Remain Silent , among many others. In

770-417: A quiet stream" which then "meandered" through the dining room, past faux redwood trees used to conceal the room's steel columns. Renowned Los Angeles muralist, Einar C. Petersen, created a life size forest on canvas to cover one wall, and a small chapel was set among the crags to fulfill Clifford's desire to feed the soul as well as the body of depression -weary Angelinos. After refurbishment, he renamed

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840-454: A serving ritual, such as the Mystery Drink that could result in the ringing of a gong and a hula dressed "mystery girl" bringing the beverage to the table; the mystery drink was once popular enough that Johnny Carson "ordered" it twice during the filming of The Tonight Show . Some drinks ordered at Disney's Enchanted Tiki Bar also result in certain things happening, such as the ordering of

910-748: A swimming pool where swimmers could be observed underwater from a window in the bar, a concept inspired by a similar design at the Playboy Club in Chicago. The Kahiki Supper Club was a very large tiki restaurant and bar in Columbus, Ohio (since demolished). The Pago Pago Lounge was in Tucson, and the Chin Tiki and Mauna Loa were in Detroit (both closed). The Zombie Hut closed in 1990. Stephen Crane's The Luau restaurant

980-763: A tiki mug can frequently do so for an additional fee. Mugs are often "taken" from the bar as a souvenir or collectible, and some mugs can be quite valuable. Although a largely American creation, tiki bars are not limited to the United States, and many others exist in Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, particularly in Germany and the United Kingdom. At least three tiki bars opened in Australia in 2017. There are at least

1050-503: A year. As the chain expanded, Bergeron also marketed tiki mugs, cocktail mixes, and other products for mass retail sale. Members of the Bergeron family still have a hand in the operations of at least one branch. The original restaurant in Oakland, California, no longer exists but there is still a Trader Vic's a few miles away in nearby Emeryville . Roughly 20 locations are operating throughout

1120-579: Is Florida's Mai Kai , which is a focal spot for a large annual hukilau tiki gathering. Shelter Island, San Diego had at one time a heavily concentrated area of tiki bars, the best known being the still operating Bali Hai . In 1962, the now famous Kon Tiki Bar opened in Tucson , Arizona . Also in 1962, the Sip 'n Dip Lounge opened in Great Falls, Montana , bringing a tiki theme to the cold northern state and featuring

1190-594: Is also gone but was considered historically important in the tiki craze's early days, as were Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber. Eli Hedley (1903–1981), a sculptor and beachcomber, had "Island Trade Store", a Polynesian-themed tiki bar, in Midway City, California , "Tiki's Tropical Traders", a retail venue in Disneyland , where Steve Martin worked, and also worked with Donn Beach . The original tiki bars flourished for about 30 years, and then fell out of vogue. In

1260-567: Is an iconic tiki bar operating since 1945, still retaining its Polynesian flair after having undergone a number of facelifts over the years. At one time the Sheraton Hotel, Hilton Hotel, and Marriott Hotel chains all had several tiki bars incorporated into their establishments. From California, tiki spread north, and The Alibi Tiki Lounge is a currently operating tiki bar established in Portland, Oregon from 1947. The Kalua Room opened as part of

1330-658: The Brad Pitt film Fight Club were shot in the Silver Spoon's location. Clifton's opened a branch in Woodland Hills, California and currently operates as an event venue open to the public. In 1987, Clifton's opened a branch in Laguna Hills, California across from the main entrance to Leisure World . For the 12 years of its operation, senior citizens accounted for 90% of the restaurant's clientele. It closed in 1999, to

1400-457: The Sumatra Kula and Zombie cocktail ), and later Cantonese food. It displayed many artifacts that he had collected on earlier trips through the tropics. When Beach was sent to World War II, Don the Beachcomber flourished under his ex-wife's management (Sunny Sund), expanding into a chain of 16 restaurants. Ultimately there were at least 25 restaurants in the chain. When Gantt returned from

1470-537: The Westfield Shoppingtown West Covina and renamed itself "The Greenery" for its garden theme. In 2003 the branch closed, leaving "Clifton's Brookdale" at 7th and Broadway as the last of what was once an 8-store chain. In 1965, ground was broken in Century City, California , for a 1966 opening of a new branch. The outlet operated for over 20 years before closing at the end of 1986. In 1975,

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1540-850: The Zombie New tiki drinks continue to be created by a variety of bartenders and others. Jeff "Beachbum" Berry devised two cocktails in honor of new-wave tiki-pioneers Sven Kirsten and Otto Von Stroheim , with the Sven-Tiki and Otto's Grotto cocktails. He is also known from having created the Ancient Mariner and Von Tiki cocktails. Beyond fruit, cocktails are often garnished for customers with paper cocktail umbrellas , fancy swizzle sticks , live flowers or plastic animals. Cocktails can be very complicated and dramatic, often served in decorated ceramic vessels, employing dry ice or ice shells, or may be set on fire. The ordering of some drinks also triggers

1610-518: The shorelines of boat docks for people living on the water. Some of these home bars are simple but others are lavish enough to rival their commercial forebears. Not limited to America, many from around the world are uploaded onto internet sites and sometimes even toured. Clifton%27s Cafeteria Clifton's Cafeteria , once part of a chain of eight Clifton's restaurants, was the oldest surviving cafeteria -style eatery in Los Angeles and

1680-569: The "birth of Polynesian pop". In 1939 Clifton's Pacific Seas was remodeled to a full-blown exotic setting and decorated with 12 waterfalls, volcanic rock, and tropical foliage. The original restaurant was demolished, but a much smaller version in the form of a side-room bar named the Pacific Seas resides at another Clifton's location. The Tonga Room of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco

1750-478: The "experience" by making patrons feel they had been transported away to an entire village. Limited windows or the use of fake windows with dioramas is done for similar reasons. Live animals are sometimes present. The now closed Bahooka Tiki bar was famous for its over one-hundred fish tanks. The look of the establishment's menu, swizzle sticks, matchbook covers, and cocktail napkins can be extremely important design considerations for tiki bars. These add to

1820-468: The 1990s, the tiki culture was revived by a new generation of fans and new tiki bars were founded worldwide that often looked to Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber for inspiration. In that decade, the Sip 'n Dip Lounge, which had survived with its tiki theme intact, added the feature of having women dressed as mermaids swimming in their pool within view of the bar's patrons. The live mermaid incorporation and

1890-588: The Beachcomber was located at Waikiki's International Market Place . The other archetypical bar is Trader Vic's , the first of which was created by Victor Bergeron in Oakland, California , in 1936. The quintessential tiki cocktail, the Mai Tai , was concocted at the original Trader Vic's in 1944. He began opening franchises outside of California, beginning with The Outrigger in Seattle, Washington in 1949. In 1957, lacking

1960-400: The Golden Rule, 618 S. Olive St. Organ music and singing attendants. A novel feature at both places is the bulletin board just outside the entrance, where listings are displayed for employment, barter, sightseeing, and appeals for congenial friendship. At Brookdale a 'country' atmosphere has been created with artificial trees, vines, brook, and waterfall. Inexpensive." In 1931, Clinton leased

2030-652: The Scorpion Bowl is the Flaming Volcano . Also a communal drink, the Flaming Volcano is traditionally served in a ceramic volcano bowl that has a raised crater reservoir typically filled with a small amount of overproof rum (151 or 160) and carefully lit on fire. Large shells or their ceramic counterparts are also sometimes used for communal drinks, such as in the Chin Tiki Special . Customers who want to keep

2100-513: The War, he moved to Hawaii and opened Waikiki Beach , one of two archetypal tiki bars. The bar was designed to evoke the South Pacific, with palm trees, tiki masks on the walls, a garden hose that showered a gentle rain on the roof and a myna bird that was trained to shout "Give me a beer, stupid!" The bar was located on the beach, lit by tiki torches outside which enhanced its primitive ambiance. A Don

2170-656: The Windsor Hotel in Seattle in 1953 and was one of the first to put a tiki-like image next to their restaurant's name. The oldest operating tiki bar in Hawaii is the La Mariana Sailing Club Tiki Bar and Restaurant , established in 1957. The Hawaiian Village Hotel was the home to legendary tiki bartender Harry Yee . California's Tiki Ti is another historically important tiki establishment still in operation, as

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2240-465: The best examples of 'high-style' tiki bar/restaurant in San Francisco." Tiki bar Many early tiki bars were attached to hotels or were the bar sections for large Asian restaurants. While some are freestanding, cocktail-only affairs, many still serve food; and some hotel-related tiki establishments are still in existence. Large tiki bars may also incorporate a stage for live entertainment. Musicians such as Alfred Apaka and Don Ho played

2310-435: The building, including a bakery, a version of the original 1935 classic cafeterias on the ground and second floors, an old-school steakhouse on the third floor, and a tiki themed bar on the fourth floor, to be named "South Seas" in honor of the original 1931 facility. The combined-use building will also include a museum called "Clifton’s Cabinet of Curiosities". While restoration of Clifton's at 648 S. Broadway had many delays,

2380-486: The cafeteria closed for the last time and was replaced by a high end bar called Clifton's Republic . The Clinton family's five generations as California restaurateurs began when David Harrison Clinton came to Los Angeles from Missouri in 1888 and purchased the Southern Hotel and its dining room in downtown Los Angeles. David's son Edmond settled in San Francisco, where he and his wife Gertrude became co-owners of

2450-556: The capital to expand, Bergeron partnered with Conrad Hilton and licensed the Trader Vic's brand to Hilton Hotels for $ 2,000,000, for use in Hiltons across the US and worldwide. Hilton retained Bergeron to oversee the decoration, staffing and operation of the restaurants for an annual salary of $ 65,000. Hilton soon estimated the popular Trader Vic's establishments were earning his hotel chain $ 5 million

2520-552: The company Oceanic Arts , co-owned by Bob Van Oosting and Leroy Schmaltz in California, which imported materials and did original wood carvings. The tiki aesthetic was also refined by restaurant designers Clif and Lou Sawyer , who took part in over 360 design projects including at The Luau , Don the Beachcomber (Palm Springs, AZ), The Reef (Casper, Wyoming), and the Pago Pago (Tucson, AZ). Separate side rooms are employed, one of

2590-464: The company opened "Clifton's Silver Spoon" at 515 W. 7th Street, Los Angeles. The Marshall Lakey statue of Christ, which had been placed in storage upon closure of Pacific Seas in 1960, was returned to display when a new Garden was created in the new location. In 1997, the Silver Spoon location was closed and in 1998 the Lakey statue of Christ was relocated to The Holyland Exhibit in Los Angeles. Scenes for

2660-787: The dismay of local long-time patrons who frequented it as a gathering place. In 1971, Clifton's opens at the Whittier Quad shopping center, offering more than 100 à la carte menu items. The theme was Holland, and it was called The Holland House. It featured windmill murals, and a quaint ambiance reminiscent of old Holland. In 1974, Clifton's opened in San Bernardino at the Inland Center Mall. The restaurant has made an impression on many who have visited. LA Weekly : "...Clifton's Cafeteria, that Depression-era palace of retroville." Los Angeles Downtown News : "...Clifton's Cafeteria,

2730-816: The earliest being "the black hole of Calcutta" as used by Donn Beach. Some of the biggest tiki restaurants are designed as large open air spaces with cavernous ceilings that allowed for the construction of separate areas with exotic names. The "cannibal room", "kon-tiki bar", "scorpion's den", and "trader's hut" could all be collected under one roof. Some like the Chin Tiki were multiple-level affairs, requiring patrons to climb stairs or cross bamboo bridges to get to other sections. The Kahiki Supper Club in Columbus, OH advertised as "The world's most elaborate Polynesian Supper Club" in Life Magazine and even provided its own interior map. This allowed keeping dinner show areas secluded away from more private drinking lounges, and lent to

2800-508: The early tiki era, many attributed to Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic, include the: Blue Hawaii , Cobra's Fang , Coffee Grog , Corpse Reviver , Doctor Funk , Diki-Diki , Fog Cutter , Fu Manchu, Gold Cup, Head Hunter, Mai Tai , Navy Grog , Lapu Lapu, Mr. Bali Hai , Outrigger, Pago Pago , Pearl Diver, Py Yi, Planter's Punch , QB Cooler , Rum Barrel, Scorpion , Shark's Tooth, Shrunken Head, Singapore Sling , Suffering Bastard , Sumatra Kula , Test Pilot , Three Dots & A Dash, and

2870-563: The eatery's retro spirit, there was also a selection of Jello salads , soups, vegetables, breads, and classic desserts such as cakes and pies . Additionally, Clifton's offered vegan options. Clifton's desserts were voted "Best Desserts" by Los Angeles Downtown News ' readers in 2001. Circa 1939, the WPA-sponsored American Guide Series Los Angeles guidebook described the chain thusly: "Clifton’s Brookdale, 648 S. Broadway, and Clifton's Cafeteria of

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2940-858: The exotic destination immersion and feel for the bar and are taken home by customers where they then become a form of outside advertising. A hallmark of tiki bars are specialty drinks, some of which may be unique to a bar and the recipes for which were often carefully guarded in order to prevent imitation from competing bars or from customers trying to recreate a drink at home. Multiple types of rums (light, dark, spiced, overproof and originating from various countries) are typically mixed together with orange liqueurs ( Triple sec , Grand Marnier , Cointreau ), tropical fruit juices, sweet syrups ( falernum , fassionola , orgeat ) and bitters . Many are bright in color, including more unusual cocktail colors such as blue (from Curaçao ) and green hues (from Midori or Crème de menthe ). Some classic drink recipes from

3010-616: The famous artist Heinrich Hofmann's Christ in Gethsemane . Clinton commissioned sculptor Marshall Lakey to fashion a life-sized figure of Christ, kneeling in prayer. The mural behind Christ, depicting the city of Jerusalem and the Garden of Gethsemane was painted by artist Einar C. Petersen. Clifton's Pacific Seas was visited by Jack Kerouac who wrote in On the Road of visiting "a cafeteria downtown which

3080-460: The founders of Clifton's remodeled the restaurant to change it from a conventional dining establishment to a more exotic setting and renamed it "Clifton's Pacific Seas". The exterior and interior were decorated with 12 waterfalls, volcanic rock, and tropical foliage. Tiki historian Sven Kirsten claims it had a "sherbert-gushing volcano". Brightly illuminated in the evening, it became a mecca for tourists and Angelenos alike, often being referred to in

3150-526: The height of the Great Depression , and using knowledge gained from working in his family's cafeteria chain in San Francisco , Clinton made a point to never turn anyone away, even if they had no money, seeking to average only a half-cent profit per customer. During one 90-day period, 10,000 people ate free before he was able to open an emergency "Penny Caveteria" in a basement (hence the modified name)

3220-626: The initial goal of Andrew Meieran was to re-open the facility in early 2015. The restaurant reopened on October 1, 2015. The cafeteria closed permanently in November 2018 and was replaced by a bar called Clifton's Republic. It closed in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and reopened in February 2022. It closed again in June 2023, due to a plumbing issue. It is set to reopen in early 2024. In January 1955, it

3290-507: The kitschy cool L.A. establishment that has been around since 1931". In Los Angeles Off the Beaten Path , author Lark Ellen Gould describes Clifton's as "part national park kitsch, part Disney nightmare, part Grandma's house with fake squirrels, taxidermied deer, stuffed moose, and faux waterfalls", and it is described by Los Angeles Times as one of the last vestiges of Old Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, with an interior that looks like

3360-401: The largest public cafeteria in the world when it closed in 2018. Founded in 1931 by Clifford Clinton , the design of the restaurants included exotic decor and facades that were "kitschy and theatrical", and would eventually include multi-story fake redwood trees, stuffed lions, neon plants, and a petrified wood bar. Some considered Clifton's as a precursor to the first tiki bars . The name

3430-582: The location "Clifton's Brookdale". The interior included a stuffed moose head, animated raccoons, and a fishing bear. The restaurant was described as one of the last vestiges of Old Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, with an interior that looks like a "slightly down-at-the-heels Disney version of a twilight forest". In June 2006, co-owner Robert Clinton took final steps to purchase the Broadway building they had been leasing for 71 years. With over 600 seats on three floors, and known as "Clifton's Cafeteria", it

3500-586: The materials for its decoration, including "chairs from Hong Kong", "Monkey pod furniture milled in Papaaloa", "structural bamboo hand-wrapped by Philippine craftsmen", "Chinese soapstone", the shells of "man-eating clams from the Indian ocean", and mentioning other materials from Nepa, Niiu, Samoa, Tahiti, Fuji, and of Tonga-Tabu origin. "Mick" Brownlee was the main wood carver for Donn Beach in Hawaii. After 1956 many designs were also accomplished with original work from

3570-407: The novel Strange Angel , author George Pendel describes Clifton's as "a bizarre experience", and a "kitsch cafeteria provided millions of low-priced meals to the out-of-work and destitute during the darkest days of the depression", and that it provided a "surreal sanctuary from a broken world". Science fiction author Ray Bradbury ate at Clifton's as a struggling writer, often taking advantage of

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3640-590: The overall retro tiki ambience led GQ Magazine to rate the lounge as one of the top 10 bars in the world for 2003. By the mid-2010s, both traditional tiki cocktails and new cocktails with tiki characteristics were being served in bars associated with the craft cocktail movement . The interiors and exteriors of tiki bars often include tiki masks and carvings, hula girl motifs , black velvet paintings, large tropical murals, live plants or palm trees, bamboo, grasscloth, tapa cloth , and similar fabrics , torches, woven fish traps, pufferfish lamps, glass floats, and

3710-402: The owner's Christian ethos—he never turned anyone away hungry and maintained a precedent set by the first restaurant on Olive Street, known as "Clifton's Golden Rule". In 1946, Clifford and his wife Nelda sold their cafeteria interests to their three younger Clinton children, and retired to devote their attentions to a Meals for Millions , a non-profit charitable organization he founded in

3780-498: The policy that anyone who couldn't afford to pay didn't have to, and in the 1930s attended meetings of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society , which met for years at the restaurant. Author/agent/fan/collector Forrest J Ackerman later wrote, "...we moved to Clifton's Cafeteria, a feature of which was their free limeade and lime juice. Some of the members who didn't have more than a nickel or dime to spend guzzled

3850-547: The removal of the 1963 aluminum facade. Meieran estimated that the cafeteria would reopen in about 18 months. During renovations, a partition wall was removed, revealing a neon light that was still switched on, apparently having been lit continuously for 77 years. It may be the oldest continuously illuminated neon light in the world. The director of the Museum of Neon Art called the discovery "incredible". The revamped restaurant had multiple eating and drinking establishments inside

3920-596: The same category as other prominent landmarks of downtown Los Angeles, such as Angels Flight , Olvera Street , and Pershing Square . Initially, the Los Angeles Architectural Commission was so unhappy with the facade and the decor that they threatened suit. One of the many interior themes of the Pacific Seas included "The Garden" as a setting done in the period AD 33. The Garden was first conceived by Clifford E. Clinton in 1943 as an interpretation of

3990-446: The shapes of miniature barrels or boats. For some drinks actual fruit is used, such as hollowed-out pineapples or drilled coconuts with long straws that are used to serve customers. Although many are much bigger than a typical coffee mug, for drinks that are meant to be shared, larger capacities are required. A Scorpion Bowl (or Kava Bowl) is an oversized cocktail that is served in a large bowl for communal drinking. A variation on

4060-450: The surviving location of Clifton's was "an amazing place to eat", with a food line that was "immense", noting that choices included fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits, oxtail stew, turkey and dressing, and side dishes ranging from whipped or fried potatoes to 'cranberry jewel gelatin'. He wrote that for those with "fond memories of school lunch", Clifton's offers simple fare such as "grilled cheese sandwiches cooked crisp and pressed flat as

4130-473: The use of rock and lava stone. Indoor fountains, waterfalls, or even lagoons are popular features. Beyond Don Beach and Victor Bergeron, Stephen Crane was a well known promoter of the early tiki style, and was hired by Sheraton Hotels to design their Kon Tiki chain of establishments to compete with Hilton's Trader Vics . An early menu from his The Luau restaurant in Beverly Hills outlines where he got

4200-482: The wake of World War II to distribute food to millions of starving and malnourished people throughout the world. Clifton's Brookdale was sold to nightclub operator Andrew Meieran on September 21, 2010. Meieran intended renovations to preserve its unique atmosphere, as well the restaurant's 1950-style recipes. In February 2012, Meieran said the remodeling was expected to continue for another 18 months. Clifton's Brookdale reopened October 1, 2015. In November 2018,

4270-465: The world and bearing the iconic name. Prior to Don Beach opening his first tiki bar, during the 1920s South Pacific-influenced dreams of escapism had started to become more prevalent in American music and popular culture. The "kitschy" Clifton's Cafeteria opened in 1931 with some elements that today could be viewed as part of "tiki-like" thematics (indoor gardens with exotic travel themes), labeled by Tiki historian Sven Kirsten as pre-tiki and part of

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4340-619: The world and included four in London, one in Munich, one in Tokyo, and one in Barcelona. Other judges included top- rated tiki bars in Paris, Hong Kong, and Berlin. In the wake of commercial tiki bars, during each wave of tiki popularity, home tiki bars were also built. Home bars often serve a dual purpose — to create a recreational space in which to imbibe home-crafted cocktails, and to show off tiki collections of mugs, art, and other artifacts. Home tiki bars are built both inside and outside, sometimes as man caves . Those built outdoors are typically placed in backyard patios but are also erected on

4410-606: Was announced that the Lakewood Center in Lakewood, California , would in 1956 become the location for the third Clifton's cafeteria. In 2001, after 44 years of service, the restaurant closed the branch due to a business slowdown. In 1958, a Clifton's opened in West Covina, California at the Eastland Shopping Center . In 1978 Clifton's moved to the West Covina Fashion Plaza, now called Westfield West Covina , where it stayed in business until 2003. The Greenery In 1978, after moving from its original West Covina location due to an expiring lease, Clifton's relocated to inside

4480-412: Was closed, the building was razed, and the location turned into a parking lot. A much smaller version in the form of a side-room bar and named the Pacific Seas resides at their still existing location and pays homage to the original and its history. It is viewed by some as being one of southern California's best Tiki bars. With a motto of "Dine Free Unless Delighted", Clifton's second Golden Rule

4550-528: Was created by combining "Clifford" and "Clinton" to produce "Clifton's". The second Clifton's facility opened in 1935 at 648 S Broadway . In 1939, its name was changed to 'Clifton's Brookdale', and as the sole survivor of the multiple branches over 79 years, it was known as 'Clifton's Cafeteria' or simply as "Clifton's". It had remained in operation for 74 years. The restaurant chain was noted for each facility having its own theme, and for aiding those who could not afford to pay. This approach to business reflected

4620-410: Was decorated to look like a grotto, with metal tits spurting everywhere and great impersonal stone buttockses belonging to deities and soapy Neptune. People ate lugubrious meals around the waterfalls, their faces green with marine sorrow". In 1960, although the three-story structure with its cascading waterfall facade had become a landmark over the preceding 29 years, the original Clifton's Pacific Seas

4690-547: Was noted as the oldest cafeteria in Los Angeles and the largest public cafeteria in the world in 2009. The third floor included a party room, a banquet room, and many pictures of Clifford and Nelda Clinton. There was a secret room on an upper floor. There was also another set of restrooms down the stairs in the bottom basement. The restaurant's busiest period was in the 1940s, with as many as 10,000 customers forming lines down Broadway, but by 2009 Clifton's regularly serves 1,800 to 2,000 daily. In September 2010, Clifton's Brookdale

4760-413: Was opened in 1935 when Clifford Clinton purchased the lease of the former Boos Bros. Cafeteria at 648 S Broadway in Los Angeles. Having himself spent time as a youth the Santa Cruz Mountains not far from the Brookdale Lodge , he chose to redecorate the facility in 1939 to pattern it after the lodge. Working with rock sculptor Francois Scotti , Clifford created a 20-foot waterfall "cascading into

4830-406: Was redesigned again in 1967. In 2024, the Tonga Room started using new glassware, and moved away from ceramic tiki mugs. A report by the City of San Francisco Planning Department called the Tonga Room a "historical resource." Citing the Polynesian-themed bar's artificial lagoon, rainstorms, and lava rock, the report said: "The Tonga Room exhibits exceptional importance due to its rarity and as one of

4900-434: Was sold to nightclub operator Andrew Meieran, who stated that he intends to preserve the food and atmosphere of the establishment. On September 26, 2011, the cafeteria closed for remodeling, planned then to last three to six months while the restaurant gets a new kitchen and a redesigned serving area. In February 2012, the remodeling process continued with the "unveiling" of the original 1904 building facade, revealed through

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