NOTE: This blog post will feature continually updated information from official sources at the historic Mai-Kai restaurant in South Florida. It will also include in-depth coverage and photos from journalist Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, along with information gathered from other reliable sources. Bookmark and return for the most accurate and complete guide to the opening of the Tiki landmark, est. 1956.
More Atomic Grog coverage
• Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening: Full story and photo archive
See also: Okole Maluna Society – The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
Official sites and social media: MaiKai.com | Facebook page | Instagram
Facebook group: Join more than 12,000 Friends of The Mai-Kai
The Atomic Grog: AtomicGrog.com | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)
Jump to more news below
• The Mai-Kai welcomes new chief mixologist
• Excitement builds on Friends of The Mai-Kai group
• Press reports | Social media updates
NEW: The Mai-Kai announces reservations and reopening coming ‘very soon’
Four years and five days after the October 2020 closing due to a catastrophic kitchen roof collapse, The Mai-Kai made a long-awaited announcement on social media Oct. 30, 2024, that indicates the reopening of the historic restaurant is right around the corner. The statement reads:
We are excited to welcome you back to MAI-KAI! Please continue to check here for updates as we prepare to announce reservation information and open our doors very soon.
The statement appeared on both the official Facebook and Instagram pages. It was immediately met with a huge response. Within an hour, the Facebook post received 750 responses, 70 comments, and 75 shares. The Instagram image garnered 1,300 likes and 70 comments.
Interest has been high following media reports last week that mentioned a November reopening date. While the new statement made no reference to a particular date, it likely sets the stage for such an announcement. All indications point to a target date some time in November. In addition to monitoring social media for further announcements, guests can sign up for the email list at MaiKai.com to be alerted when reservations are available.
As with all restaurant openings, guests cannot be allowed to enter and purchase food and beverages until all appropriate permits and licenses have been approved by the state, county and city. But this is no ordinary restaurant opening. After a sale to a new ownership team in September 2021, The Mai-Kai embarked on a massive restoration and reimagination of the 2.7 acre property.
Recent media reports have estimated the cost of the restoration project at $17.5 to $20 million. This includes replacing all of the 68-year-old landmark’s infrastructure, from the kitchen and bar to the air-conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems.
Amid this work, great care was taken to retain and restore as much of the restaurant’s design and decor as possible. The property is officially designated as historic by both the city of Oakland Park and the National Register of Historic Places. As such, approval of the over-arching project hinged on many conditions that stipulate many iconic elements remain.
The historic nature of the property, along with the massive size and scope of the project, contributed to a timeline that has extended past many previous estimates. But with work clearly in the homestretch, it appears that the light at the end of the tunnel for The Mai-Kai’s many fans is fast approaching.
Click here for our comprehensive coverage of the past three years of work. Stay tuned for more updates and official news on the grand reopening.
EXCLUSIVE: Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening
Check out all the latest news, photos, video and deep details on the refurbishment and return of South Florida’s Polynesian Palace.
>>> COMPLETE COVERAGE FROM THE ATOMIC GROG
The Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist in advance of grand reopening
The revered cocktail program at The Mai-Kai is in experienced and enthusiastic hands as the historic restaurant prepares for its grand reopening in November. The new beverage manager and head bartender is Cory Starr, most recently general manager and beverage director at the acclaimed Tiki Tatsu-Ya in Austin, and before that a key member of the team at Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago.
While Starr is used to creating unique offerings at his previous gigs, he’s equally excited about the challenge that lies ahead. “I feel a great responsibility for maintaining the standards of the past,” he said in an interview with The Atomic Grog just after his arrival.
Starr worked at Tiki Tatsu-Ya from 2019 until September 2023, creating the cocktail program from the ground-up before the spectacularly immersive restaurant opened in September 2021. Prior to that, he bartended at the Spirited Award-winning Three Dots and a Dash from 2015 to 2019, often joining beverage director Kevin Beary at events across the country.
The Arizona native cut his teeth as a tropical bartender at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii’s Kona Coast from 2011 to 2015. Starr was also invited to compete twice (2018 and 2019) in the prestigious Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival at the Royal Kona Resort (finishing second and third). His time in Hawaii cemented is love for Tiki culture and launched him on a trajectory that has taken him to one of the most legendary Polynesian restaurants of the mid-20th century.
FULL STORY: MEET THE MAI-KAI’S NEW HEAD BARTENDER
• Take 5: Q&A with Cory Starr
• Bonus cocktail recipe: One Way Ticket
Excitement builds on Friends of The Mai-Kai group on Facebook
The most popular of several Facebook groups dedicated to The Mai-Kai has recently topped more than 12,000 members as the restaurant’s grand reopening nears. Dozens of new members have been joining Friends of The Mai-Kai daily in search of news and information, plus the camaraderie of other longtime fans of the Polynesian palace.
“I recently joined because we have great memories,” one new member posted. Another wrote: “I love this place and can’t wait for it to reopen! It’s iconic!” Many shared photos and video from recent times as well as decades ago.
The group’s members include many experts as well as former and current Mai-Kai staff who can answer almost any questions newcomers may have. Moderators include Mai-Kai managers was well as Jim “Hurricane” Hayward of The Atomic Grog, and Tim “Swanky” Glazner, author of Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant.
Established eight years ago on Oct. 26, 2016, the group has always been a civil, no-spam zone for Mai-Kai virgins and veterans alike. A mention in a recent Miami New Times story also likely helped spur new membership. The group is also one of the top results when you search for “Mai-Kai reopening” on Google.
After the reopening, this group will be the best place to share and see images and experiences from inside and outside the painstakingly restored property. If you haven’t joined already, we hope to see you among the many new Friends of The Mai-Kai!
Press reports on Mai-Kai reopening
Local daily and weekly papers tout prospective November date
The South Florida Sun Sentinel was the first media outlet to report the prospective opening date for The Mai-Kai with a breaking news story posted online Oct. 22. The initial report was sketchy, but the story was later updated with a more detailed announcement attributed to owner Bill Fuller. Here’s the MSN.com version of the story, which does not require a subscription:
• Mai-Kai restaurant announces opening date after four-year closure
“We want to make the Mai-Kai one of the best and biggest Polynesian venues in the world,” Fuller told the Sun Sentinel. “This is a cultural place we took extreme care to restore, while also honoring the Thornton family and showing great respect to history.” The cost of the project was said to be $17.5 million.
The story ran in print on Oct. 24, a new photo splashed across the front page. It shows a worker renovating the water features in front The Mai-Kai along Federal Highway.
Even moreso than for revealing the date, which had yet to be posted officially by The Mai-Kai, the story is significant for its news on the Polynesian Islander Revue and the introduction of new entertainment director Teuruhei Kalaniu’i Buchin. She “is of Hawaiian and Tahitian descent and has performed in Polynesian dance troupes since turning professional at age 11,” the story says.
Working with Mireille Thornton, widow of Mai-Kai cofounder Bob Thornton, they have “assembled a lineup of 24 performers connected to Polynesian culture, including the great-grandchildren of Merehau Tekurio, who designed The Mai-Kai’s original tropical gardens; and Buchin’s two daughters, who dance, sing and perform ukulele, guitar, bass and drums.”
Buchin told the Sun Sentinel that she was attracted to the job by the “exquisite attention to detail” in the restoration of The Mai-Kai’s decor. The story quotes her as saying: “What people see as decorations on the wall, I perceive as my ancestors. If they went the fancy, commercial route with LED lights on everything, I would have declined the job. But I met a lot of the artists working on these relics, and it was tactfully done with respect. Yes, we are a business, but we’re also keeping our families and our mana – our spirituality – intact.”
The story also quotes creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller, who came to The Mai-Kai after a 20-year career in theme park design, including Universal and Disney parks. “When I first started, it was falling apart and in disrepair, so I’m really proud to bring the old girl back to her original glory,” Allsmiller says. “We just gave her another 68 years of life.”
The story continues: “One of Allsmiller’s favorite new additions is a service bar, visible through a porthole in the gift shop, where customers can watch five bartenders mixing cocktails. Mounted in this bar is a black-and-white photograph of Mariano Licudine, who created the Mai-Kai’s cocktail recipes in 1956, receiving a diamond-encrusted money clip from founders Bob and Jack Thornton. It’s one of many new decorations most customers may not notice, he says.”
“Only 1% of the public will even see that,” Allsmiller says. “It’s truly for the people who work there to see, so they can be transported back in time just like the fans.”
Also for longtime fans is a second story posted on the Sun Sentinel website titled “From Tiki to Eternity: The Mai-Kai shook up South Florida supperclub scene when it opened nearly 70 years ago. It’s doing it again”.
Longtime South Florida writer John Dolen sums up the current state of The Mai-Kai nicely:
In 2020, after a devastating roof collapse in a pounding rainstorm, Fort Lauderdale’s landmark supperclub seemed finished. For those who had enjoyed its pleasures over the years, the exotic Polynesian dance revues, the gardens and waterfalls, the South Pacific masks and artifacts, the tropical Asian dishes, the world-renowned Tiki Bar – the question was, would the Mai-Kai ever reopen?
The answer, years in the making, is yes. The return is scheduled for Nov. 1, and by all signs, this special place will be as spectacular as ever. Three years of planning and construction have endowed the tropical retreat with a new and rethatched A-frame roof; a rebuilt Molokai bar; a new entrance way to reduce congestion (running over a wooden bridge to a roundabout); a new outdoor patio bar in a nautical setting; and an interior replicating all of the original bewitching Mai-Kai features. Patrons are likely to find the “new” Mai-Kai both fresh and familiar.
He then takes readers on a rollicking journey back in time, when The Mai-Kai “opened famously on what was previously a cow pasture alongside U.S. 1, on Dec. 28, 1956.” As Dolen succinctly says: “Stepping out locally would never be the same.”
Mai-Kai history has been told and retold in books and articles, but I’m always looking for new insights and stories. Dolen delivers here, telling the tale of founders Bob and Jack Thornton in colorful detail, with a new spin here and there. This story is highly recommended for history buffs. There’s also an audio link if you’d rather listen to the story.
Meanwhile, the weekly Miami New Times also shared the news on Oct. 22 with an updated story on the latest reopening timeframe. Headlined “Here’s When the Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale is Officially Reopening,” the article also became the cover story of the print edition that hit the streets on Oct. 24.
“The restaurant made it unscathed after the two hurricanes,” the story says. “According to a source, the reopening announcement is ‘imminent.'” (Not coincidentally, The Atomic Grog was the first to post a story saying that exact same thing.)
In a second story posted online Oct. 23, New Times spotlighted “9 Things You Can Expect at Mai-Kai Once Doors Reopen.” These include many of the renovated classic elements (Molokai Bar, themed dining rooms, tropical gardens) but also some new features.
“The $20 million improvement of the property designed by Kravitz Design protects the original old charm of Mai-Kai while modernizing the experience,” New Times said.
The story mentions the updated Polynesian Islander Revue, revealing new details: “The twice-nightly, 45-minute performances will incorporate state-of-the-art technology with DMX-controlled lighting, allowing customized spotlights for each table.” It also touts the enhanced entry experience: “As guests exit their cars, ‘they will feel as if they are stepping onto an island shore, a sandy beach, and then a lava-rock slab,’ thanks to the stamped and etched concrete design elements used by Perry-Becker Design.”
Recent social media posts
More from The Atomic Grog
RECENT STORIES ON THE RESTORATION & REOPENING
Mai-Kai reopening announcement imminent as $15M restoration project speeds toward conclusion (September 2024 update)
With the four-year anniversary of the October 2020 closing looming, all hands are on deck to meet the mandate of a fall reopening. An immense amount of work was completed last month, including the hiring of staff and beginning of training inside the newly built kitchen and back-of-house bars.
Mai-Kai restoration update: Parking lot reimagination accelerates as owner targets fall reopening (June-July 2024)
Everything you need to know about the massive transformation of the grounds and landscaping of the historic restaurant, inside information and photos, plus a full recap of work completed over the past two months.
EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Inside the Molokai Bar and tour of The Mai-Kai restoration
Guests of The Hukilau got a rare look at the renovated and reimagined areas of the historic restaurant in June 2024.
More: The Mai-Kai sneak preview at The Hukilau
The Mai-Kai restoration work expands, sneak previews offered at The Hukilau (May 2024 update)
The $15 million project continues to engulf the 2.7-acre historic property as event passholders are treated to special tours of fully restored indoor guest areas.
The Mai-Kai reveals new images, plans for restoration at Orlando event, continues $15M project (April 2024 update)
Full coverage of the panel discussion at Tiki-a-Go-Go, including new photos and renderings of plans for the reimagination of the entry experience at the historic restaurant.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
Hurricane Hayward reviews and rates the historic restaurant’s current and past tropical drinks, plus reveals a treasure trove of ancestor and exclusive tribute recipes.