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Kahiki Photo Archive

Postcards, slides, menus and keepsakes from the Kahiki Supper Club, 3583 E. Broad St., Columbus, 1961–2000. These are the photos the walk-through was rebuilt from. Dates are approximate.

56 photos

Outside

Lights at Twilight — Lights at TwilightThe exterior lit up at dusk, from a vintage postcard.

The Kahiki by day — The Kahiki by dayThe swept roof and the flaming Moai, from a postcard.

The Kahiki at night — The Kahiki at nightTorches and lights along the walk, from a postcard.

The entrance, early years — The entrance, early yearsTorches burning beside the Moai at the front door.

The entrance Moai, 1999 — The entrance Moai, 1999A visitor stands between the two great Moai.

The hexagonal door, 1999 — The hexagonal door, 1999The bridge and doorway in the final years.

Tourist slide — Tourist slideAn early slide with the bamboo-lettered sign.

The later roadside sign — The later roadside signThe thatch-roofed sign, and a postcard from the final years.

The 1990s sign — The 1990s signThe painted Kahiki lettering on the later roadside sign.

Outside Garden — Outside GardenFrom an early set of slides.

Inside the Kahiki

The main room, early years — The main room, early yearsThe Moai fireplace behind its palms, with a rock waterfall below.

The village street, 1990s — The village street, 1990sThe main room as later generations remember it, strung with lights.

The Moai fireplace, 1960s — The Moai fireplace, 1960sFlanked by palms and thatched huts, from a 1960s slide.

The Moai fireplace, 1990s — The Moai fireplace, 1990sBy the 1990s the face had been repainted, with glowing red eyes.

A band at the fireplace — A band at the fireplaceLive music in front of the Moai in the later years.

Guardian of the Quiet Village — Guardian of the Quiet VillageThe foyer fountain, from an early set of slides.

The Guardian, 1999 — The Guardian, 1999The foyer fountain in the final years.

The Guardian, after the closing — The Guardian, after the closingRepainted, at the Kahiki Foods offices.

The rain forest booths — The rain forest boothsRed booths along the rain forest windows, 1990s.

Dinner by the rain forest — Dinner by the rain forestA booth beside the rain forest window, 1990s.

Looking out from a booth — Looking out from a boothAnthuriums on the sill of the rain forest window.

The aquarium wall, 1990s — The aquarium wall, 1990sFish tanks set into the wall beside the booths.

Tropical Fish — Tropical FishFrom an early set of slides.

Bamboo exit sign — Bamboo exit signA split length of bamboo with glowing letters.

Cutaway of the restaurant — Cutaway of the restaurantAn illustrated cutaway of the whole building.

Colored floor plan — Colored floor planA colored version of the plan, from a WOSU documentary.

Menus, ads and printed pieces

Dinner menu cover — Dinner menu coverThe cover painting shows the Moai fireplace at the back of the main room.

Dinner menu, inside left — Dinner menu, inside leftThe Mainlanders Menu, and the start of the Islanders Menu.

Dinner menu, inside right — Dinner menu, inside rightKa Po Po with your own hibachi, $1.95, and the Kahiki Mystery Dinner.

Dinner menu, back cover — Dinner menu, back cover“The Kahiki awaits your pleasure.”

Travel menu — Travel menu“An Exotic Evening Begins and Ends at Kahiki.”

Paper napkin menu — Paper napkin menuKa-Po-Po and the Mystery Drink on a later paper napkin.

1975 magazine ad — 1975 magazine adA Columbus Dispatch Magazine ad announcing a children’s menu and new artifacts.

Sunday luau coupon — Sunday luau couponA brunch coupon that expired in April 2000, months before the closing.

Dispatch insert cover — Dispatch insert coverThe hexagonal door, the bridge and a flaming Moai.

Cocktail postcard — Cocktail postcardKahiki cocktails in their mugs and glasses.

Mystery Drink postcard — Mystery Drink postcardThe Mystery Girl with the smoking Mystery Drink, beside the gong.

Ka-Po-Po, sketched from memory — Ka-Po-Po, sketched from memoryThe flaming volcano meatball platter.

People and press

Free dinner display — Free dinner displayA hostess in a peacock chair beside a “deposit tickets here” stand.

Jack Carson and Betty White — Jack Carson and Betty WhiteWith Hisako “Mary” Davis at the Kahiki.

Hisako “Mary” Davis — Hisako “Mary” DavisPosing (left) in a room at the Kahiki.

People you’re apt to meet — People you’re apt to meetGuests and staff, from a Dispatch feature.

Coburn Morgan, 1961 — Coburn Morgan, 1961The Kahiki’s designer-decorator in the garden.

Institutions magazine, 1961 — Institutions magazine, 1961The Kahiki on the cover, November 1961.

Mugs, masks, lamps and keepsakes

Turtle shells and spears — Turtle shells and spearsWall decorations from the Kahiki.

A collection of Kahiki lamps — A collection of Kahiki lampsWoven, caged and glass-paneled lamps saved by a collector.

PHONE sign — PHONE signThe lit sign that hung over the telephones.

Cloth napkin — Cloth napkinA Kahiki, Columbus, Ohio cloth napkin.

Cocktails at the bar — Cocktails at the barA spread of Kahiki drinks.

Pineapple cocktail — Pineapple cocktailA drink served in a carved pineapple.

Kahiki chopsticks — Kahiki chopsticksPaper-wrapped chopsticks with the Kahiki name.

Black mask — Black maskA carved mask from the Kahiki’s walls.

Gold mask — Gold maskA carved figure from the Kahiki’s walls.

Carved face lamp — Carved face lampA table lamp glowing through a carved face.

Table lamp — Table lampA carved base under a painted tiki shade.

Woven-wood lamp — Woven-wood lampA rare hanging lamp made of woven wood strips.