Updated Jan. 3
For the first time since 2019, guests once again gathered for a full night of signature Mai-Kai cocktails, food and entertainment to celebrate the restaurant’s grand opening on Dec. 28, 1956. Closed since October 2020, the historic South Florida landmark reopened in November 2024 after a $20 million restoration and reimagination.
Hundreds of fans enjoyed happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. in the vintage Molokai Bar and the new Bora Bora Bar outdoors under the porte-cochère. There were three dinner show seatings for the Polynesian Islander Revue at 4, 7 and 10 p.m. as the celebration continued all night.
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The Mai-Kai, which is still in the final stages of the multi-year renovation project launched in 2022, held an anniversary party in the parking lot in 2020 after a catastrophic roof collapse over the kitchen shut down service indoors two months earlier. The popular restaurant persevered, securing new ownership and a creative team that is taking great care to meticulously restore every square inch of the 26,000-square-foot space.
In addition, ambitious new features have been added to the exterior, including a themed entryway that immediately whisks guests into an exotic tropical paradise. Opening to guests for sneak previews on Nov. 15, the Mai-Kai held its ceremonial grand reopening Nov. 21 and return of the signature dinner shows Nov. 22.
With an emphasis on the important activity in recent years, here’s a look back at some key dates and events over the course of the Mai-Kai’s long history:
Dec. 28, 1956 – Young and ambitious Chicago brothers Bob and Jack Thornton fulfill their dream by opening a Polynesian restaurant on a sleepy stretch of Federal Highway in Oakland Park, bordering Fort Lauderdale in South Florida. It cost $350,000 to create, reportedly the most expensive restaurant built that year. They name it Mai-Kai, which means “the best” in Hawaiian. The futuristic A-frame design is the work of acclaimed architect Charles F. McKirahan Sr. The restaurant seats 225 guests in five dining rooms and the Surfboard Bar. Key members of the team include manager Bob Van Dorpe, mixologist Mariano Licudine and chef Kenny Lee, who all come from the Don the Beachcomber location in Chicago and bring a rich institutional knowledge of the pioneering Polynesian restaurant concept.
1957 – In its first year, the Mai-Kai earns more than $1 million, making it one of the most successful restaurants of its time.
1958 – The original Molokai Bar is built on the north side of the main building, creating a new lounge for the crowds arriving for dinner. Two iconic features are added: Sarong-clad serving girls and the Mystery Drink served by the Mystery Girl.
1959 – The Derby Daiquiri, created by the Mai-Kai’s Mariano Licudine, becomes the official drink of the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale. Still featured on the menu today, the cocktail receives attention worldwide and is promoted for years by sponsor Rums of Puerto Rico.
1961 – A Polynesian dance troupe and band, the precursor to the Polynesian Islander Revue, provides the Mai-Kai’s first dinner show. It remains the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii). The show is soon under the guidance of Mireille Thornton, who marries owner Bob Thornton in 1971 and keeps the role of show choreographer and costume designer until the 2020 closing. She continues to serve as adviser to cultural arts & entertainment director Teuruhei Kalaniu’i Buchin.
1970 – Bob Thornton takes over full ownership after brother Jack suffers a cerebral aneurism and is unable to work. A $1 million expansion includes the addition of the Moorea and Tahiti dining rooms, an expanded outdoor garden and Molokai bar, plus a new back-of-house building featuring a new 7,000-square-foot kitchen and signature Chinese wood-burning ovens. [Press coverage] The project is designed by architect Richard C. Reilly, and executed by noted interior designer George Nakashima and partner Florian Gabriel. The expansion increases capacity to more than 600 guests.
April 4, 1989 – Founding owner Bob Thornton dies of cancer at age 57. His family – wife Mireille, son Dave Levy, daughter Kulani Gelardi – continues to own and run the restaurant though the 2020 closing.
1990 – The Mai-Kai hires Pia Dahlquist, who remains a key member of the team as the longtime director of public relations.
1993 – Kern Mattei Jr. is named general manager, a position he still holds today. The son of former general manager Kern Mattei Sr., he was born into the Mai-Kai and had previously worked many jobs starting as a teen in the ’80s.
June 2003 – The Hukilau, a fledgling event celebrating vintage Polynesian Pop, moves to Fort Lauderdale and the Mai-Kai in its second year. It remains a major supporter of the Mai-Kai and one of the longest-running Tiki weekenders. The 23rd event will be held in June 2025. [More Atomic Grog coverage]
2005 – Hurricane Wilma slams South Florida, causing extensive damage to the Mai-Kai. The Bora Bora building, formerly an event space north of the porte-cochère, is later declared unusable.
Feb. 22, 2008 – Co-founder Jack Thornton dies at age 78 in Fort Lauderdale.
December 2008 – On the 52nd anniversary, the Mai-Kai announces the completion of extensive renovations following years of hurricane damage.
November 2013 – The Mai-Kai becomes the first property to receive historic designation by the city of Oakland Park.
November 2014 – The restaurant is added to the National Register of Historic Places. “It is significant as an intact, still operating, Polynesian-themed restaurant,” according to the listing. “The building, landscaped garden, interior decor, and the operational elements make the Mai-Kai an exemplary of an exotic themed restaurant and tourist destination.”
July 2016 – Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant by Tim “Swanky” Glazner is published. A release party and special events are held at the Mai-Kai in August.
December 2016 – In a special ceremony, the Broward County Commission declares Dec. 28 to be “Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show Day” in the county, offering “gratitude for 60 years of historical hospitality.” The Dec. 28 anniversary event at the Mai-Kai features sold-out presentations by authors Glazner and Sven Kirsten.
March 2020 The Mai-Kai closes for two months during the height of the pandemic, reopening in late May. During this time, a takeout menu is launched that includes gallons (and later quarts) of its famous cocktails, a fan favorite over the next several years.
Oct. 24, 2020 – The last day of service before the extended closing for repairs and renovations. The roof over the kitchen collapses overnight following a massive storm and malfunctioning sprinkler system, causing extensive flooding in the ceiling.
Oct. 30, 2020 – Despite the closure, the Mai-Kai continues its annual Hulaween party tradition, holding a special event in the parking lot featuring a drive-in movie, cocktails, food trucks, and traditional costume contest.
January 2021 – Facing millions of dollars in repairs, the founding Thornton family puts the Mai-Kai property on the market in an effort to find a buyer who will best preserve the restaurant’s legacy.
February 2021 – An online petition to “save the Mai-Kai” garners more than 11,000 signatures.
September 2021 – The founding owners announce a joint venture with Miami’s Barlington Group and Mad Room Hospitality to restore and revive the Mai-Kai. “We are humbled to have been selected and honored to have the opportunity to restore this iconic landmark,” Bill Fuller, a co-founder of both companies, says in an announcement.
May 2022 – The Mai-Kai’s new ownership and creative teams announce ambitious plans for a restoration and reimagination of the historic property during a city of Oakland Park online public meeting. The site plan is developed by architectural designers Kravit Architectural Associates of Boca Raton.
June 2022 – More details of the Mai-Kai reimagination are announced at The Hukilau, including plans for a new outdoor bar under the porte-cochère.
July 2022 – Creative director “Typhoon Tommy” Allsmiller, a veteran theme park designer hired early in the year, begins work on the interior restoration.
January 2023 – The city of Oakland Park gives final approval to the renovation plans.
February 2023 – Mai-Kai Rum No. 1, a new signature blend sourced from the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica, is officially introduced. It’s expected to be released in early 2025.
March 2023 – With final permits approved, work officially begins on the key renovation projects.
April 2023 The Bora Bora building is removed, paving the way for a new entry experience that includes a faux volcanic caldera and a new outdoor bar under the porte-cochère.
August 2023 – The state gives final approval to the parking lot project, allowing work to begin in September on the massive reimagination envisioned by landscape architects at Orlando’s Perry-Becker Design. The firm has done work for Disney and other major theme parks and resorts.
September 2023 – FPL restores full power to the restaurant for the first time since the October 2020 closing after an entirely new electrical system is installed. Shortly thereafter, air-conditioning is back in most of the vintage dining rooms.
• See the full 2023 timeline
June 2024 – Guests of The Hukilau are among the first to tour some of the newly restored areas of the Mai-Kai, including the Molokai Bar and showroom. They also receive an exclusive sneak peek at the new back-of-house service bar and kitchen. Work accelerates both inside and outside as owner Bill Fuller projects a fall reopening in several media interviews.
August 2024 – Hiring begins for kitchen and bar staff as the official MaiKai.com website touts a fall “grand reopening” for the first time. Newly hired executive chef Ferdinand Ortiz begins assembling a team and testing dishes in the state-of-the-art kitchen.
September 2024 – Cory Starr, formerly of Tiki Tatsu-Ya in Austin and Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, becomes just the fifth head mixologist in Mai-Kai history. With the additional tittle of beverage director, Starr is tasked with modernizing and rebooting the cocktail program while also staying true to its historic recipes and traditions.
October 2024 – Media reports tout a potential November grand reopening. “We want to make the Mai-Kai one of the best and biggest Polynesian venues in the world,” managing partner Bill Fuller tells the Sun Sentinel. In an Oct. 30 social media post, the Mai-Kai announces that the restaurant is preparing to announce reservation information and “open our doors very soon.”
Nov. 15, 2024 – The Mai-Kai reopens the Molokai Bar and new Bora Bora Bar for a series of invitation-only sneak preview events running through Nov. 24. A full cocktail menu is accompanied by a new food menu for the bars, plus live entertainment by musicians and performers from the Polynesian Islander Revue. New opening hours are also established: 4 p.m. weekdays, 3 p.m Saturday-Sunday, with happy hour prices on drinks until 7 p.m.
Nov. 21, 2024 – A special grand reopening ceremony features show performers, followed by guest speakers including state Rep. Chip LaMarca and Oakland Park Mayor Tim Lonergan. A sneak preview dinner for friends and family is held in the restored showrooms, featuring the first performance of the new Polynesian Islander Revue.
Nov. 22-24, 2024 – The Mai-Kai holds its long-awaited public grand reopening, featuring the return of showroom dining, full dinner menu, and nightly performances of the Polynesian Islander Revue. Also open: The Mai-Kai Trading Post gift shop, featuring new views into the showroom and the formerly secret back bar. The first three nights run concurrent with the last three nights of the bar previews, packing the entire restaurant with happy fans who had been waiting for more than four years for the full Mai-Kai experience.
Nov. 26, 2024 – After a one-day break, the Mai-Kai opens for regular bar and dinner service, remaining open seven days a week, including holidays.
• More on The Atomic Grog: Answers to frequently asked questions about the grand reopening
Dec. 28, 2024 – The Mai-Kai celebrates the 68th anniversary of the 1956 opening date.
• Is it 1956 or 2024? Forward-thinking Mai-Kai menus sport retro flair
Dec. 31, 2024 – A New Year’s Eve celebration returns to the Mai-Kai for the first time in five years, featuring the popular dinner shows in the main dining rooms, plus musical performances in the Molokai Bar by the Mai-Kai Island Serenaders.
NEW: 2024 anniversary, New Year’s Eve photos & video
LATEST MAI-KAI UPDATES
Official sites and social media
MaiKai.com | Facebook | Instagram
More on Facebook: Friends of the Mai-Kai group
The Atomic Grog on social media: Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)
COMPLETE COVERAGE FROM THE ATOMIC GROG
Latest news and exclusive coverage of the Mai-Kai reopening in 2024
The Atomic Grog’s full coverage, including photos and video of the return of the historic landmark in South Florida.
Mai-Kai grand reopening 2024: Answers to frequently asked questions
Check out our handy guide featuring all the basics you need to know to plan your next trip to the South Florida landmark.
Is it 1956 or 2024? Forward-thinking Mai-Kai menus sport retro flair
The food and drink menus now boast a vintage look and feel that dates back to the early days of the historic restaurant. The grand reopening also marks the return of the iconic cannibal trio, a Polynesian Pop symbol intrinsically linked to the founding owners.
• Deep dive into the design and history, plus news on what’s next
Direct links to full coverage
• The cocktail menu: Welcome back to paradise, 1950s style
• The food menus: A modern take with traditions intact
• The cannibal trio: Mai-Kai’s signature iconography
Mai-Kai welcomes Cory Starr as new chief mixologist
The legendary back bar is in experienced and enthusiastic hands as the expansive cocktail program is rebooted.
EXCLUSIVE: Mai-Kai Restoration & Reopening Guide
Check out all past news, photos, video and deep details on the refurbishment and resurrection of the Polynesian palace.
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Okole Maluna Society: The Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
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Great rundown of Mai-Kai events!!! I’m pretty sure that photo of the show girls is not from the ’60s. Kainoa didn’t start until 1974. I’m thinking ’80s.
Mahalo Larry! I’ll ask if they have a date for that photo.