Trader Vic's

Trader Vic (1940-1973), the original location would be the one on Ward Ave and King Street. And the one at the Marketplace would come later. There use to be a very big anchor that was out in the front that really set the mood with the mango trees and the coco palm trees that gave plenty of shade in the hot summers. There was also a cemetary not too far away as well. It also made a nice place where people would take group photos as a memory of the get together with family or friends. It really did look like a little hut where all the tiki torches were out with the fire being lit and this was all before when there were no high rises in the area yet.

"When I was a young lad I would go across the Ward estate across the street from Trader Vic's running around the premises. My parents would be too busy to catch us, because they were drinkin up a storm."

"During the war there was some time in Hawaii. A short stop, so me and the other boys my shipmates would go over for some fun. Spent a lot of time at the Hawaii headquarters, which was Trader Vic's."

Matson Navigation Co approached Vic to build a restaurant at 926 Ward Avenue in Honolulu. Trader Vics opened with Victor Bergerson in December 18th, 1940, so it had all the things that the place was known for. But did you know that The Trader Vic’s restaurants in Hawaii were the only ones not owned by Victor Bergeron? Victor Bergeron partnered with Granville (Granny) Abbott and brought all of requisite decorations over from the mainland (including a 6,000-pound anchor that stood in front of the restaurant). Granny slyly registered the Trader Vic’s name in Hawaii (it was still a territory) and bought him out, so he sold his interest to the her and things were underway to change.

The Menu had an assortment of things that were from the area that were different from other Trader Vic Menus, but of course there were also some popular menu items that made it a Trader Vics. While many of the locations would have a All-American Dishes, Continental Dishes, and American-Chinese spin on things the local Hawaii dishes and the Haole dishes for foreign dishes really had their own appeal. The Haole dishes even had their own section called "Haole Dinners" and no one really thought much of it as it was things that were made with the foreigners tastes in mind at the start: Planked Filet of Mahi Mahi, Broiled Baby Lobster, Jumbo Shrimp, Barbecued Baby Spareribs, Barbecued Chicken, French Lamb Chops, Broiled Steaks. They would come with a Soup and Potatoes, or Rice, Vegetables, and the end of the meal would have Ice Cream or Coffee.

The Local Chinese Dishes were referred to by the Islanders as Pake Dishes as they were from Hawaii itself and not somewhere else. It needed its own name as well, because it was different, but tasty, so it was also included. Pressed Almond Duck, Chicken Almond, Chicken or Shrimp or Pork Chow Mein, Foo Young, Beef and Tomatoes that was Chopped, Oyster Beef that used an exotic sort of Chinese Seafood Sauce, and Kum Gai or Golden Chicken a buttery dish that delighted the taste buds. There was a special Pake Chicken as well, Chinese Peas with Water Chestnuts, Chinese Vegetables, Crisp Noodles that were flat, Hot and Fresh Fried Rice, and Steamed rice of course. 

While the food was good what people kept on wanting to go with their food was the Exotic Drinks that of course were the staple of a Trader Vics. 

"So I came down and designed the restaurant which was opened in 1940 at the corner of King Street and Ward avenue. I put a hell of a lot of work into it and furnished it with all sorts of appropriate color, including a 6,000 pound sailing ships anchor found during the excavation for the San Francisco Bay Bridge. I Told Granny Abbot to call me if anything went wrong and took the clipper back to Oakland. For several months, I heard absolutely nothing from him, no telephone call, no letter. So I hopped the boat and came back down here." -Victor "Trader Vic" Jules Bergeron Jr

These changes would be to use more Hawaii decor, more Hawaii artisans, and for years changing it more and more until people couldn't tell it was part of the other locations. That is because it wasn't like the other locations, because they had their own custom Tiki mugs made in Hawaii and had a whole bunch of people in Hawaii advising them. 

"Abbott told me to buy him out if I didn't like the way he was running the place. Trouble was I didn't have the money and he had taken the pains to register the Trader Vic name in his own here in Hawaii. I was broken-hearted because I had counted so much on our partnership and having a restaurant in the Islands. But I told him to give me the money I had invested int he place and I left." -Victor "Trader Vic" Jules Bergeron Jr

Abbott’s son took over in 1955 and the Spencecliff Corp. purchased the rights in 1967 where it went even further into its own– they moved the restaurant to Don the Beachcombers’ International Market Place in 1970, which gave them even more reason to change up the entire experience of the place. Meanwhile the old location was replaced with the Old Plantation restaurant.