Name/Title
Luau at Don the Beachcomber's at WaikikiDescription
Postcard inscribed "Guest enjoying a native feast "Luau" served in the true Polynesian manner at Don the Beachcomber's at Waikiki.
Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Gantt; February 22, 1907 – June 7, 1989) was an American adventurer, businessman, and World War II veteran who was the "founding father" of tiki culture. He is known for opening the first prototypical tiki bar, Don’s Beachcomber, during the 1930s in Hollywood, California, which was expanded to a chain of dozens of restaurants throughout the United States. He later built the International Market Place and additional establishments in what was then the Territory of Hawaii.
Transition to Hawaii
Beach then moved to the Territory of Hawaii, where he continued his burgeoning entertainment and tiki-themed enterprises. He settled in Waikiki, where he opened his second "Polynesian Village", known as Waikiki Village.[43] As the creator of the International Market Place, for its construction he placed his offices in the limbs of an enormous banyan tree that was in the market's center. The village was dotted with many thatch huts and wood carvings made by one of Beach's friends, "Mick" Brownlee. The International Market Place would also feature the Dagger Bar, and a series of Don the Beachcomber restaurants.[44][45] The bar was named after a dagger that was allegedly a trophy that Beach brought back from his time in WWII, a reproduction of an imperial Roman-style Puglia knife that he had gotten in Italy.[46]
The market flourished, and Beach's impact on tourism was such that many viewed his contributions as profoundly important.[10] He was honored with a House Resolution Tourism Award in 1957.[9] Beach and Pete Wimberly also played an important role in establishing preservation laws for the Lahaina Historic District,[6] which was later designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962.[47] At its height, the International Market Place encompassed 50 shops, night clubs, and restaurants, three of which were owned by Beach himself.[48]
Wikipedia Reference Nos.Created By
hawaiiancovers@gmail.comCreate Date
April 4, 2025Update Date
April 4, 2025
