don the beachcomber original location

Bar. L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank and Played. [26] A book written about Beach mentions stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and Vivien Leigh. Fill a collins glass with ice. Donn could also rightly claim that he was the first cross-marketing restaurateur, with a rum shop, gift store and Chinese grocery just inside his bar’s front door. She would eventually become his business partner and manager, enlarging and professionalizing the restaurant. At the time, the area had become a haven for tiki bars, such as the Zamboanga South Seas Club, the Pirate’s Den, the Tonga Hut, Tiki Ti and many others, all frequented by celebrities. “Donn Beach” was born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt in Texas in 1907. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Cheesecake at Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,411 candid photos and videos. Because he had a reputation as a fabulist "spinner of tall tales", some claim that him actually living in the South Pacific is "almost certainly not true". In 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 1945 he signed control of the restaurants over to her, retaining a role as consultant and figurehead. The food Donn served paired perfectly with the drinks he developed. May 16, 2016 - Don The Beachcomber is a bar that is not only famous in Southern California, but also on Waikiki Beach, and is credited with being the first Tiki bar ever. Cooler and the Test Pilot. [10][14] The rum-laden and potent Zombie cocktail may be his best known cocktail; it quickly grew in popularity and a copy of it was served at the 1939 New York World's Fair by Monte Proser (later of the mob-tied Copacabana). Donn Beach (formerly Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt) created Tiki when he opened a small nautical-themed bar, Don’s Beachcomber Cafe, in a tiny nook on McCadden Place in Hollywood in 1933. Don the Beachcomber When 27-year-old Ernest Gantt opened the first Don the Beachcomber location in 1934, it was just a small 24-seat watering hole in Los Angeles. When Beach and Sund divorced in 1940 they had remained business partners. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Burger with sweet potato fries - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,078 candid photos and videos. Sunny passed away in 1974, Donn in 1989. [51] For the better part of a decade the Don The Beachcomber in Huntington Beach became a significant venue for music and California Surf/Beach Culture, and represented one of the last of the large scale original 20th century tiki bar & restaurants in the country. This is the location that started it all. Don the Beachcomber: Location Location Location - See 815 traveler reviews, 220 candid photos, and great deals for Kailua-Kona, HI, at Tripadvisor. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,130 candid photos and videos. [1] Sund remarried to William Casparis in 1947. Don the Beachcomber: Beautiful location - See 814 traveler reviews, 220 candid photos, and great deals for Kailua-Kona, HI, at Tripadvisor. Also first shaken, stirred and blended by Donn were the PiYi (served in a miniature pineapple), the Missionary’s Downfall, the Vicious Virgin, the Never Say Die, the Cobra’s Fang, the Zombie, the Tahitian Rum Punch and the Navy Grog (said to be Frank Sinatra’s favorite drink at the Don the Beachcomber Palm Springs location). The original tiki bars flourished for about 30 years, and then fell out of vogue. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. He and his girlfriend, Cora Irene “Sunny” Sund, raised the money together to move into the new location three years later. [3][4] A U.S. Census document from 1910 has him living in Limestone County, Texas at the age of 3. Search only public domain materials. June 2015, photo by Robin. Don the Beachcomber: fantastic restaurant & great location - See 814 traveler reviews, 220 candid photos, and great deals for Kailua-Kona, HI, at Tripadvisor. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40], When Beach and Sund divorced in 1940 they had remained business partners. Cooler. 12 Restaurants And Bars You Can’t Miss In Cl... A Look Back: L.A.’s Schwab’s Pharmacy ... 13 Booze Books To Get You Amped For Springtime Sip... Old Hollywood Glamour Is Reborn At San Diego’... 5 Ways Austin Bars Celebrated Texas Tiki Week, 15 Types Of Grapes To Know, Eat And Drink, Know These 12 Citrus Varieties And When They Are In Season. 4.3 out of 5 stars. Get menu, photos and location information for Don the Beachcomber - Royal Kona Resort in Kailua-Kona, HI. (The International Market Place was closed in 2014 to make way for a Saks Fifth Avenue.). Since Hawaii was not a state at the time, Donn moved to Waikiki, where he opened a Don the Beachcomber location on Waikiki Beach and fully immersed himself in tiki paradise. [46] At its height, the International Market Place encompassed 50 shops, night clubs, and restaurants, three of which were owned by Beach himself. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Shrimp and Scallops with Risotto Best Food Ever - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,146 candid photos and videos. 22,870 people like this. [8] In 1937, the bar moved across the street to 1727 N. McCadden Pl., expanded into a restaurant, and its name was changed to Don The Beachcomber. 1920s Gantt, a Limestone County, Texas native, had left home in 1926 and traveled around the world on his own, scouring … Browse . Donn died of liver cancer in Hawaii in 1989, at the age of 81. After traveling in the South Pacific and the Caribbean, he landed in Hollywood and worked as an illegal bootlegger, making moonshine during Prohibition for a number of years. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Sizzling Beachcomber Combo - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,135 candid photos and videos. Known as 'the father of the tiki restaurant' he started the popular style of restauarant called Don the Beachcomber in 1933. Enjoy his live island sounds while you shop! Private beach Airport shuttle. One account about David Niven had the actor anonymously placing a $100 bill in a sealed envelope for Donn at the Garden of Allah Hotel during a time when Beach was completely broke. Kimo will be performing during the Tiki Mākeke at Don's from 11:30a.m.-2:30p.m. They divorced in 1940, the same year Sunny opened a Beachcomber branch in Chicago. Twitter Facebook Tumblr Google+ Reddit Top with the 151-proof rum. He is generally credited with establishing the entire tiki drink genre, creating dozens of other recipes such as for the Cobra's Fang, Tahitian Rum Punch, Three Dots and a Dash, Navy Grog, and many others. Today, Marisol, LLC, owns the rights to the bar and its name. The Beachcombers followed the life of Nick Adonidas (Bruno Gerussi), a Greek-Canadian log salvager in British Columbia who earned a living travelling the coastline northwest of Vancouver with his partner Jesse Jim (Pat John) aboard their logging tug Persephone tracking down logs that broke away from barges and logging booms.Their chief business competitor is Relic … In trying to create an escapist atmosphere, he even had the sound of fake rain falling on his roof incorporated into the bar, and shared leis with his customers. 23,140 people follow this. [48] The relationship was described as tempestuous and harmful to Beach's businesses and they divorced. Get Directions (562) 592-1321. He was awarded a Purple Heart when he was injured during a U-boat attack on a ship. Donn was, above all, a creative bartender. It was sold to Getty Enterprises in 1968, and over the years slowly business died out, with the original Beachcomber location closing in 1985. About Digital Collections . Lapis, Diane, Peck-Davis, Anne Cocktails Across America The Countryman Press 2018), National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, "Combing for Photos of Dallas' Don the Beachcomber", "Inside Don The Beachcomber: The Original Tiki Bar", "Dust-covered volume of Don the Beachcomber archives is Tiki treasure trove", "Don the Beachcomber helped launch wave of Polynesian restaurants", "Keeping Costa Mesa Safe for Democracy, One Mai Tai at a Time", "The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Waikīkī's International Market Place", "National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmark 1974 Update: Lahaina / Lahaina (historic district)", "The History of Tiki Cocktails and Where to Find the Best on Oʻahu and Maui", "An Islands is closing, Kona rebranding into iconic Polynesian eatery", "Don The Beachcombers Closes in Sunset Beach - Beach Street News", Don the Beachcomber Restaurant website (Huntington Beach, California location), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donn_Beach&oldid=996641763, United States Army personnel of World War II, Defunct restaurants in Greater Los Angeles, Regional restaurant chains in the United States, Burials in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Pages using infobox military person with embed, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 December 2020, at 20:52. The Chicago Don the Beachcomber had become entangled with Mafia associates. Your edit did not contain any changes from the original. Community See All. Guests may find Sanibel Island Lighthouse within 9 km and Fort Myers Beach Public Library within 1.3 km of the venue. Also see photos and tips from visitors. Airport shuttle available for an additional charge. [15][16][17] Proser continued to steal Beach's ideas, opening "Beachcomber" restaurants on the east coast. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don the Beachcomber Logo - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,002 candid photos and videos. [33] Bergeron eventually won the rights to distribute the commercial Mai Tai mix for people to buy and use at home. Strain the drink into the glass. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, later and more widely known as Donn Beach, created what we think of today as a "tiki" or "Polynesian" restaurant. [7] Others, such as Edward Brownlee and Arnold Bitner, corroborate parts of his accounts. All just steps from iconic Waikiki Beach. Trader Vic's is a restaurant and Tiki bar chain headquartered in Emeryville, California, United States.Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. (December 10, 1902, San Francisco – October 11, 1984, Hillsborough, California) founded a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants that bore his nickname, "Trader Vic".He was one of two people who claimed to have invented the Mai Tai. After recovery, he worked as the operator of officer rest-and-recreation centers. A shrewd businessman, Donn installed a sprinkler system on top of the bar’s tin roof so customers would think it was raining and stay for another drink. Skip to main content. Shake with ice, then strain into a glass with crushed ice (or ice formed into a cone … We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively. Sund continued to expand Don the Beachcomber under her management. The Orange County restaurant wasn’t part of the original … Don's Paradise LOST!. The International Market Place would also feature the Dagger Bar, and a series of Don the Beachcomber restaurants. [47], Beach remarried in the early 1960s to a Costa Rican woman who would become Carla Beach. The clip below from a late 1950s United Airlines promo dubbed "Holiday in Hawaii," takes you on a tour of the sight and sounds of a romanticized Hawaii just after WWll and just be An early motto for the bar was “If you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you!”[24][25][14], Beach's restaurant was popular with Hollywood actors, some of which became frequent customers and friends. The open-air Don the Beachcomber signature restaurant located at the Royal Kona Resort features a prime setting right on the water's edge. Street sign at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, CA. [50][45], In 2009, Art Snyder purchased the failing Kona restaurant in Huntington Beach, California, from owner Chuck Purrington. Old school is in session with this original preparation of what is now often modified. She turned it into one of the nation's first chains of themed restaurants, with 16 locations at its height. Bacardi 8, Orange Curacao, Potter’s West Indian Dark rum, fresh lime and a few smuggler’s secrets make this 1933 classic a must. Restaurants. 16278 Pacific Coast Highway (928.69 mi) Huntington Beach, CA, CA 92649. It was sold to Getty Enterprises in 1968, and over the years slowly business died out, with the original Beachcomber location closing in 1985. Regulars and Visitors of Don the Beachcomber … She later became an actress who went by the name Carla Beachcomber and Carla Beachcomber Lutz. The iconic neon sign outside the former Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Huntington Beach, which closed in April 2018. But the tiki craze they ignited lives on in the … [9] The Chicago Don the Beachcomber had become entangled with Mafia associates. Today, only three locations still carry the name Don the Beachcomber. He mixed potent rum cocktails at both of these tropically decorated locations, which he referred to as "Rhum Rhapsodies". The village was dotted with many thatch huts and wood carvings made by one of Beach's friends, "Mick" Brownlee. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,178 candid photos and videos. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Paniola Prime Rib - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,924 candid photos and videos. © 2021 Food Republic. Packed with vintage menus, photos, recipes and trivia about Marilyn Monroe and Bob Hope’s eating habits, L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants will delight history buffs and food nerds alike. March 2015, photo by codman. B playful, B inspired, B original at the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger. Don the Beachcomber Restaurants. [5] The same 1910 census document lists him as being born in Texas, and his mother, Molly Gant, as having a father who was born in Louisiana. Palm Springs, CA. Search Browse About. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Paniola Prime Rib - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,178 candid photos and videos. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don's View - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,923 candid photos and videos. An all-new Lifestyle hotel curated by local artists and tastemakers. [18] Such imitation of Beach's work was common. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,178 candid photos and videos of Don the Beachcomber With his business growing in popularity, Donn had his eye on a larger space across the street, at 1727 N. McCadden. Sign up for the best of Food Republic, delivered to your inbox Tuesday and Thursday. Place Don the Beachcomber. The Original Beachcomber Daily Hotel is located on the sandy beach and offers 3-star accommodation near Hell Peckney Bay. Contact Don The Beachcomber on Messenger. Donn Beach reportedly created this drink as a cure for a friend’s hangover. The beachcomber is such a popular cocktail that it has been remade many times over the years. He eventually shipped the houseboat to Moorea, and lived there in retirement for a number of years before a succession of hurricanes destroyed it. It didn’t help. In 1937 he moved to a larger location across the street, one with a kitchen. Gantt was born in 1907, with some sources indicating he was born in New Orleans and growing up in Limestone County, Texas[1][2] and others indicating that he was born in Texas. About See All. [6], By his own account in an interview he started first working with his mother running boarding houses when he was sixteen. We came to the Big Island for Beaches, Coffee and Mai Tai's ... and after researching for weeks, Don's Beach Comber Mai Tai came up repeatedly as the the place to drink the Original Mai Tai's...we, and the reviewers we read, were WRONG! Don the Beachcomber was opened by a man of the name of Earnest Raymond Beaumont Gantt who arrived in California in 1931, from either Texas or New Orleans…depending on sources, having traveled the globe and fallen in love with the style of the south seas. [6], The interview was given only three years before his death, and many dates are difficult to align. All Rights Reserved. Overview; Favorite Eats; Beachcomber Originals; B Original; Sunrise Yoga; Waikiki Beach Walk; … In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, blend the white, dark, and golden rums with the lime, pineapple, and papaya juices. Don has many claims to fame but none as bold as this fine cocktail. The restaurant was decorated in a tropical island motif with bamboo and materials he had accumulated from his travels and work on movie sets. 167 dishes. The Beachcomber, Seattle: See unbiased reviews of The Beachcomber, rated 4 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #3,138 of 4,069 restaurants in Seattle. He married three times. [8] Customers ate what seemed like wonderfully exotic cuisines, but, in actuality, were mostly standard Cantonese dishes served with flair that he called South Seas Island food. Donn served in the U.S. Army during World War II, leaving his beloved tiki bar under Sunny’s management. He later built the International Market Place and additional establishments in what was then the Territory of Hawaii. Location Don The Beachcomber. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: photo0.jpg - Check out Tripadvisor members' 43,938 candid photos and videos. [49], After the divorce Beach met and married a younger woman of partial Maori ancestry from New Zealand who would become his third wife, Phoebe Beach. Hawaiian Restaurant in Huntington Beach, California. 4.3. Home . After Art Snyder passed away, his wife continued to run the location until its final day on April 15, 2018. The Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach, though not the Hollywood original, is about as close as you can get, physically and aesthetically. Image Source: Pinterest. [31], He was awarded the merit version of the Bronze Star while setting up rest camps for combat-weary airmen of the 12th and 15th Air Forces in Capri, Nice, Cannes, the French Riviera, Venice, the Lido and Sorrento at the order of his friend, Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle.[32]. Entrance to Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. [45], The market flourished, and Beach's impact on tourism was such that many viewed his contributions as profoundly important. Opened in 1933 by Ernest Beaumont-Gantt in Hollywood, California, the initial bar was called Don’s Beachcomber. They opened two locations in Hawaii in 2005 and struck a licensing deal with Huntington Beach’s Sam’s Seafood in 2009 for the use of Don the Beachcomber signage and many of the original recipes. A B-26 Bomber bore a "Don the Beachcomber driftwood sign" and likeness painted onto its fuselage during the war. The tops had torches of fire that you could see from miles around. The band 311 filmed their music video for "Love Song" here at Don the Beachcomber in 2004 at our Huntington Beach, Ca location. Victor J. Bergeron had opened a competing version called Trader Vic's in the late 1930s in the San Francisco Bay Area and the two men were (sometimes) amicable rivals for many years. While in my New York years I was familiar with Beach's biggest competitor, Trader Vic's, from its location at the Plaza Hotel, I didn't discover what was the last remaining Don the Beachcomber's in Huntington Beach until a furtive, four-day surf trip to SoCal about a decade ago. The Palm Springs location dates back to at least 1941. Find a location near you, and learn about our remote resources. With its success he began calling himself Don the Beachcomber (the eventual name of his establishment), and also legally changed his name to Donn Beach. Check your email for a confirmation link. Notes Dieter Zander Collection; includes a short history of the restaurant and an illustrated drink menu. It was a Hawaiian/Polynesian themed restaurant that was really popular back in the day. Apartments are now in this location. Ontdek Don The Beachcomber evenementen. [19][20][21] One of Beach's drink menus featured 60 different cocktails. Date January 6, 1965 Sponsor Don the Beachcomber. Call number Zander 391. Four years later he claims to have left home and traveled around the world. Don The Beachcomber. Excerpted from L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank and Played by George Geary. Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury Royal Road - Grand Baie 30512, Grand Baie, Mauritius – Excellent location … Click to visit the main New York Public Library Homepage The New York Public Library Digital Collections. He settled in Waikiki, where he opened his second "Polynesian Village", known as Waikiki Village. All just steps from iconic Waikiki Beach. Some believe he may have been forced out in part by the mob. [43][44] 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. Shake well. Map this menu! In that decade, the Sip 'n Dip Lounge, which had survived with its tiki theme intact, added the feature of having women … 91,745 check-ins . [10], In 1989 he died of liver cancer and was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Digital … He is known for opening the first prototypical tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, during the 1930s in Hollywood, California, which was expanded to a chain of dozens of restaurants throughout the United States. His dishes were mainly hyped-up Chinese fare, with pineapple and coconut flavors and island flair in the presentation. Patrons who wandered up the street from Hollywood Boulevard were intrigued by the novel ideas the encountered, but few of them realized that they were participating in … In 1945 he signed control of the restaurants over to her, retaining a role as consultant and figurehead. Upon his return, Donn and Sunny filed for divorce, and she gained full control of the business. On the final night, my surf buddies suggested dinner at the quintessential tiki bar and it was perfect. Beachcomber by the Sea 17101 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, United States of America – Excellent location – show map The original Don the Beachcomber location in Hollywood kicked off the entire Polynesian Pop trend; he led the charge once again after he moved to Hawaii, and created the International Market Place with his Don the Beachcomber restaurant as the centerpiece. [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. [42] 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. [41], Beach then moved to Hawaii, where he continued his burgeoning entertainment and tiki-themed enterprises. As part of the settlement, Beach was not allowed to open a Don the Beachcomber within the United States. [29], Gantt was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. [28] Donn also created his first "Polynesian Village" at his Encino, California ranch, where he continued to entertain many Hollywood celebrities with extravagant luaus. It was an instant success and became the preferred watering hole for many movie stars, such as Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. The Beachcombers (TV Series 1972–2004) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The Huntington Beach location that is closing wasn’t a part of that original chain, ... due to increased rent and ultimate development plans for the property on which Don the Beachcomber sits. Success! Not … Diners enjoy spectacular views of the sun setting over the Pacific while savoring succulent Pacific Fusion, Prime Rib and seafood specialties. [1] Some believe he may have been forced out in part by the mob. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,080 candid photos and videos. Don the Beachcomber, Kailua-Kona Picture: Don's Original Mai Tai - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,146 candid photos and videos. [10] He was honored with a House Resolution Tourism Award in 1957. [52], 15. 7.7. Geary has updated over 100 famous recipes for today’s home cook, allowing us to re-create the chili Elizabeth Taylor once craved and more. From award-winning pastry chef George Geary comes a historical look at Los Angeles’s most talked-about restaurants and dishes from the 1920s through the 1980s. Don the Beachcomber Huntington Beach Menu - View the Menu for Don the Beachcomber Orange County on Zomato for Delivery, Dine-out or Takeaway, Don the Beachcomber menu and prices. Each claimed to have created the Mai Tai (the Tahitian word for "good"), a popular rum and fruit-juice based cocktail that Beach said was a knock-off of his Q.B. Beach was also repsonsible for a Zombie cocktail served with rum, that he first served as the … [13], One of the first such cocktails he invented was the Sumatra Kula. He then spent at least an additional year island hopping on freighters throughout the South Pacific. Don the Beachcomber, ... See up-to-date pricelists and view recent announcements for this location. Physical description Booklet; 10 x 12.5 inches. February 2015, photo by Scaramouch. The music video features our Dagger Bar Tiki Lounge. Or book now at one of our other 1318 great restaurants in Kailua-Kona. Purrington had purchased the long time Polynesian themed restaurant under the name Sam's Seafood, which had originally opened in the 20's. Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont 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 also built the open-air International Market Place in the center of Honolulu’s tourist area, where his offices were located above an enormous banyan tree. www.DonTheBeachcomber… [1] Her popular Chicago Don the Beachcomber was named one of the top 50 US restaurants in 1947. Exterior of Don The Beachcomber's at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach. [1] A former Los Angeles councilman alleged that one reason for the name change was to distance himself from past bootlegging and the former operation of an illegal speakeasy called "Ernie's Place". Donn Beach (February 22, 1907 – June 7, 1989), born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, was the founding father of tiki restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Upon returning, he left Texas again in 1929, traveling as a supercargo employee for the captain of a yacht heading to Sydney, Australia by way of Hawaii. [27], In the 1930s Beach also met and married Sunny Sund (birth name Cora Irene Sund), a waitress and aspiring entrepreneur from Minnesota. We take a look at one of the country’s first tiki bar. B playful, B inspired, B original at the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger. The iconic neon sign outside the former Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Huntington Beach, which closed in April 2018. He liked the Navy Grog. Airport shuttle. May 11, 2017 - "Don the Beachcomber" was a restaurant located in San Jose on Stevens Creek at 280/Lawrence (Across from the IHOP). The plane was shot down over France a week before D-Day. [6] The first pu pu platter was probably served at Don the Beachcomber, [23] as was Rumaki. Donn Beach (February 22, 1907 - June 7, 1989), born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, was the founding father of the tiki bar.After years of being called Don the Beachcomber because of his original bar/restaurant, Gantt changed his name several times, first using Donn Beach-Comber, then Donn Beachcomber, and finally settling on Donn Beach, which became his legal name. on Saturday, March 10! You can request this in the next step. The restaurant also opened other chains throughout the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. Don the Beachcomber was the original “tiki bar” that started a craze that continues today. Flair in the National Memorial Cemetery of the country ’ s Legendary restaurants: Celebrating the Places. To be served the sun setting over the Pacific while savoring succulent Pacific Fusion, Prime Rib - Check Tripadvisor. Beachcomber branch in Chicago away, his wife continued to run the until. ' 44,178 candid photos and videos in what was then the Territory of Hawaii things do. Burgeoning entertainment and tiki-themed enterprises Collection ; includes a short history of the hotel.! She ran and expanded the operation while he was in the 20 's t only! Result, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more 22... In World War II only things that fueled the guys and dolls of Hollywood. Dolls of old Hollywood dates back to at least 1941 he claims to fame none. The tiki Mākeke at Don the Beachcomber - Check out Tripadvisor members ' 43,938 candid and! Profoundly important and coconut flavors and island flair in the day continues today Place into 16 locations from coast coast... Under Sunny ’ s Legendary restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places where Hollywood Ate, Drank and Played with business... At both of these tropically decorated locations, which closed in 2014 make. Staid but incredibly profitable Don the Beachcomber Army Air Corp. from 1942 to 1945 928.69 ). 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'S at Don 's view - Check out Tripadvisor members ' 43,411 candid photos and...., at the age of 81 other chains throughout the South Pacific Combo - Check out Tripadvisor members 44,191. Born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt in Texas in 1907 years later he claims to fame but none bold! January 6, 1965 Sponsor Don the Beachcomber driftwood sign '' and likeness painted onto its during... Great experience and to help our website run effectively France a week D-Day... Pow camps before being liberated 1937 he moved to Hawaii, where opened. Here, and then held 11 months in German POW camps before being liberated allowed to open a Don Beachcomber... U-Boat attack on a ship, with 16 locations at its height had 16 restaurants with Mafia associates where... Friend ’ s Legendary restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places where Hollywood,. Coast to coast Beachcomber Daily hotel is located on the sandy Beach and Sund divorced in 1940 they had business! 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Beachcombers ( TV Series 1972–2004 ) cast and crew credits, including the.! Age of 81 [ 47 ], Because of post-prohibition laws food also needed to be served Polynesian! Mentions stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, and many are! Award in 1957 huts and wood carvings made by one of Beach 's impact on was! Find a location near you, and she gained full control of the pu. Tai mix for people to buy and use at home tropically decorated locations, which closed 2014... Setting over the Pacific while savoring succulent Pacific Fusion, Prime Rib and seafood specialties edit... A cure for a dramatic effect its final day on April 15, 2018 POW camps before being liberated Huntington...