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A review of the history, lore, and experience of a Polynesian paradise in Columbus, Ohio.
To aficionados of Polynesian Pop of the Mid Century, the Kahiki Supper Club was and remains the touchstone for all things tiki!
Inspired by Florida’s famed Mai-Kai restaurant, Bill Sapp and Lee Henry opened the Kahiki Supper Club in 1961. Patrons lined up for hours to see the celebrities who dined there–everyone from Raymond Burr & Robert Goulet to Betty White & Zsa Zsa Gabor!
OSU college friends Bill Sapp and Lee Henry set out simply to build a nice Polynesian restaurant in the 1960s and ended up establishing the most magnificent one of them all! Outside, two giant Easter Island heads with flames spouting from their topknots stood guard while customers dined in a faux tribal village with thatched huts, palm trees and a towering fireplace moai. One wall featured aquariums of exotic fish and another had windows overlooking a tropical rainforest with periodic thunderstorms. For nearly forty years, the Kahiki was the undisputed center of tiki culture.
Join authors Doug Motz and Jeff Chenault for a wistful trip down memory lane as they share with you the history, lore and experiences that were the Kahiki Supper Club!
Book Signing to follow.
About the Presenters
Jeff Chenault and Doug Motz are two of the co-authors of Kahiki Supper Club: A Polynesian Supper Club in Columbus and the Kahiki Scrapbook.
Jeff is the Author of Ohio Tiki to which Doug wrote the forward.
Doug Motz is the co-author of Lost Restaurants of Columbus and the Lost Restaurants of Columbus and Central Ohio.
Jeff is a frequent contributor to Exotica Magazine and a renowned expert and sought after speaker and DJ on exotica music.
Doug is a local historian and continues to give history tours for Experience Columbus, Hotel LeVeque, Leadership Columbus, and the Columbus Young Professionals Club.
No registration is required for this event
Our Main Library is located in downtown Lancaster. This location features a large meeting room, as well as a board room and study room. Our children's area has an Early Literacy Center, perfect for preschool-aged children.
