Founded in the mid-1950s by brothers Bob and Jack Thornton, the Mai-Kai Restaurant & Polynesian Show is a piece of American restaurant history. The immersive Polynesian supper club experience, which used to be widely available in the United States has survived into the twenty-first century at the Mai-Kai, which has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It is truly one of the most iconic restaurants in the United States,” Mai-Kai Managing Partner Bill Fuller told What Now on Friday. “It’s very rare that there remains an example of this type of Polynesian restaurant that used to be all over the U.S.”
Fuller represents a kind of rescue operation for the historic site. After the Mai-Kai was forced to close in the autumn of 2020, due to catastrophic rain damage that led to a roof collapse, the Thornton family put the restaurant up for sale. That’s where Fuller came in. Under new ownership, the Mai-Kai is getting a makeover, including an enhancement to the driveway entrance and a new outdoor bar.
The same menu of entrees like the Thai Red Curry Dinner and the Hawaiian Fried Rice Dinner can be expected when the Mai-Kai reopens this summer, along with the same drink menu—plus a few new developments. Which, really, sums up the project: updates that stay true to what made a great brand great, including the live show.
“We really believe we do one of the best shows,” Fuller said.
Above all, though, Fuller says he is in awe of the role the restaurant has come to play in people’s lives, for more than half a century.
“The history, the legacy, the show, the way it was able to weather all those generations,” Fuller said. “It has had such a memorable impact on people, people who got engaged there, had their wedding, had their high school graduation parties in the sixties and seventies. There are people who come back every year to renew their vows.”
In short, the Mai-Kai is here to stay. Stay up to date on the reopening (and check out a treasure trove of historic photos of the restaurant and show) by following @the_maikai_restaurant on Instagram.
