Hawaiianology

Hofbrau German Restaurant was in Waikiki, Oahu, at the very fun and themed International Marketplace. Farrell’s was right about and the Hofbrau was on the bottom near the Pearl Factory, not far from the front door and the music from inside and laughter could be heard as people walked by. The place had a lighting that would be dark, the wood was a dark wood, some beers would be dark and some light. It would be what you would expect from a German restaurant in Waikiki and it would remind you of a German pub and the AC was cold and blowing. There was an abundance of cold beer and the names were in German with some German touches to the food. As a place that would try to make it feel like a person was transported to a place in Germany it was no surprise that teachers who would be teaching German class would take their students there to experience the vibe. Uniforms The waitstaff wore something that resembled something similar to German attire, but was a bit altered to look a little less au...

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...

“The first customer broil your own Steaks restaurant! Good memories! Low prices and all around good times” Cock’s Roost Broiler & Bar (1971-????), was located in the heart of Waikiki at the Old International MarketPlace. People would use it as a sort of central place either on the outside or the inside as they had a drink for people to meet them before the night life would start and it if people stayed a bit too long they would just end up enjoying themselves too. The Waikiki nightlife was so crowded, so the draw was that there was no cover, reasonably priced drinks, and that broiler experience with the old times when people had all these peanut shells that would be on the floor till the 80’s. In its early times there was no lanai to look over and that would be an extension with the outside being a green lawn before all the kiosks and pavement came in; huge banyan tree with the Colonial House Buffet below. The staff would take notice when every afternoon the International Market pl...

a

“At the Gateway of Waikiki in a cozy Atmosphere that's Always Open” Coco’s Coffee House (1971-1986) was located on the corner of Kapiolani and Kalakaua across from Aloha motors (car dealership) and Don's Aloha Chevron, near the Alawai Bridge known as part of the “Spencecliff Restaurants”. The space that was occupied was Kau Kau Corner (1935-1960) and then Woody’s (Woody Woodstrom) and then sold to Spencer Weaver and Cliff Weaver to become Coco’s Coffee House where it was a meet up spot after people went clubbing, finished gigs, or people of every sort, odds and ends to the rowdy. The spirit of the restaurant that the brothers strived for was having fun, being in Hawaii with a coffee cup, and enjoying the traditional Hawaii arts like Laulala weave. There was a Lanai Dining area that took advantage of the air in the area and night time ambiance.  Owned by the Weaver Family, Spencer Weaver “aka. Old Spence” had the corporate office behind Coco’s Coffee Houses where he would work w...

The Kau Kau Korner was founded by the Sundstrom's in 1935. Hanley Paul Sunny Sundstrom (1909 – 1965) was born in Minneapolis and moved to Kingsburg Fresno County in California in his youth. He came to Hawaii in 1932 and was only in Hawaii for a few years, but he wanted to make a burger joint. He sold magazines door-to-door before he and a partner opened a up the place for $900.00. Sunny had eventually bought out the partner and as it became famous it was nicknamed the “Hamburger King of Hawaii”. The sign went up in 1938 (100$) and in 1941 the restaurant would undergo a 45000$ upgrade with a larger menu of steaks and chicken with the place being open 24 hours a day. It would be on the corner of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue as the original "Gateway to Waikiki", because there wasn't a wide options of foods that were decent. Good food was hard to find and by solving the issue of a finding a decent burger in Honolulu the Kau Kau Korner filled that need. When it ...

The Outrigger Canoe Club was founded in 1908, it aimed to be a place where it could mark as a headquarters for water sports in Hawaii: surfing, swimming, outrigger canoeing. It heightened ancestral practices, ensuring their vibrant home of the canoe could be on the shores of Oahu. It all started with a deep concern for the accessibility of Waikīkī Beach, Hawaii's iconic surfing ground, which was increasingly being privatized by hotels and private residences. The water was slowly becoming more accessible from locals and became a luxury to the visitor, so things seemed out of balance. There was a urgent need to preserved the beaches and make it more assessable to people on the island. Alexander Hume Ford, a man from South Carolina, recognized this urgent need. With the support of prominent Honolulu businessmen, Ford envisioned and established a club at Waikīkī, a place where "men and boys could ride upright on the crest of waves."  In May 1908, this vision materialized. The...