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THE HISTORY
The advent of Tikidom can be traced back to a man named “Don the Beachcomber”, aka “Donn Beach”, aka “Donn Beach-Comber”... or, less interestingly, Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt. Gantt was a Texan born in 1907, but he knew there was a whole world outside the steak-scented borders of the Lone Star State, so he traveled to the rum-scented Caribbean and South Pacific and learned a lot about how to chill on the way.
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ANDY KRYZA
When Don returned to the States, he wanted to emulate the laid-back times he experienced in the tropics, so he opened the world’s first Tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, in Los Angeles in 1934. People -- including celebrities -- flocked to the bar for its escapist ambiance, potent-but-tasty rum cocktails, and exotic cuisine (which was actually slightly modified Cantonese food, but still -- not very typical for the times).
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Also in 1934, “Trader” Vic Bergeron opened a similar bar in Oakland (originally called Hinky Dinks, but changed to Trader Vic’s in 1937, because duh) that also drew crowds for its Polynesian-themed drinks and food. Because of its success, Vic was able to open more locations in places like Seattle and Hawaii (even before statehood!). A fad was developing.