Tonga Hut in North Hollywood
Following up on my report from a month ago, things are looking bright indeed for the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood. The new management has been true to their stated intentions to “preserve the tiki vibe of the place.” This is the third owner in as many years, and they’ve only had the place since November, but positive changes have started already — the beer signs are gone, a map of Tonga has been restored, the tikis are still happily in place, and work is underway to get the fountains working again. Bartender Cyd, who has been there for nearly three years, says “it is so nice to finally have owners that care!” Work is taking me to Los Angeles this week, I’m hoping to pop my head in myself to see how things are coming along, and get some pictures.
- Tonga Hut, North Hollywood, CA (bar) [Tiki Central]
- Tonga Hut, North Hollywood [Critiki]
- Tonga Hut Under New Management [Humu Kon Tiki]
February 11th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
[...] As previously reported, the Tonga Hut was taken over by a new owner, Jeremy, last November; Jeremy was there on Tuesday, and we spent the whole night chatting with him. Jeremy had been going to the Tonga Hut for a few years, and had often daydreamed about what he would do if he owned the place. When he found he had the means to do so, he bought it from the previous owner, who had purchased it from the original family just a year or two before. The difference is already striking — the lighting is more dim, and all the beer posters are gone. This alone has made a world of difference, but Jeremy told us it’s only “an eighth” of what he wants to have happen. Jeremy is brand new to tiki, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to him — he simply saw a cool old bar that should be restored to what it once was, and he told us that if it had been an old Irish pub, that’s what he’d studying. He knew nothing about Polynesian Pop when he bought the place in November, but he’s been a quick and eager student. He’s been poring over resources like Tiki Central and the Book of Tiki, and is eager to do right by the old place — and his ideas are spot-on. [...]