There’s a lot of different things you can do in a home tiki bar. One of those things is enjoying tropical cocktails or maybe you can relax listening to some Exotica. But in Kahui Cinema, you can watch movies! When Craig Esper decided to transform his basement into a tiki bar, he also turned it into a theater. Craig has a large collection of what he likes to call “odd-ball films” and he has his own personal theater to watch them in. What a great combination, b-movies and tiki!
What is the Tiki scene like where you live?
Craig- For many years, Chin’s of Livonia was open for dine-in/cocktails and also hosted Tiki swap meets during the holidays. It was one of the few ways to meet fellow Tiki nerds. In fact, Chin’s was the only fully committed Tiki bar in metro Detroit at that time. Unfortunately, Chin’s closed its dining area in 2022.
The more recent revival of the Tiki bar scene in metro Detroit has been sparse (i.e. not including Grand Rapids). Most attempts at opening new bars have been modest and short lived. There have been pop-ups and Tiki nooks in restaurants, but not too many fully committed bars. The one bar that seems to have established a foothold is the Mutiny bar in Southeast Detroit. The Mutiny has been evolving and building momentum since 2017. More recently, it has been hosting events which has continued to pull the scene together.
Detroit has also been fortunate to have a Facebook group which has been instrumental in pulling together this sparse community. It all started in 2022 when our friend Ed took a chance and hosted an open house for the group. The event was a great success and it kicked off a chain of monthly Tiki parties hosted in a variety of home bars. Today, the group continues to meet for miscellaneous Tiki events.
What brought you into the Tiki lifestyle and how long has it been part of your life?
Craig- In my 20’s, I started getting into twangy rock and roll, and greasy hair. As I got more involved in vintage subcultures, Tiki was a re-occurring topic of interest. Friends would often meet at old Chinese Restaurants for cheap eats and high-octane rum cocktails. Common stops were Chin’s, The Canton Inn, and The Golden Buddha. Tiki mugs and paraphernalia were common gifts exchanged by friends. Prior to buying my house, I managed to acquire a lot of smaller items, mostly mugs and swizzles sticks. Tiki just crept into my life over a long period.
Can you give a little history of how it all came together?
Craig- By the time I bought my house in 2006, I had a good collection of miscellaneous Tiki trinkets. I also had a large collection of odd-ball films and a recently acquired video projector. I bought the projector before the house since I knew the first few years would be a bit tight.
As a long-term accumulator of Tiki, I often thought that the real appeal was not the miscellaneous items, but rather; the environment. I finally had my canvas to start putting it all together. A bamboo bar, shelving, some colored spotlights and I was off to the races.
Any story behind the name of your bar?
Craig- Kāhui Cinema: I never thought much about a bar name until hosting my first actual Tiki party in 2022. The idea was to create a small menu for the event, featuring the bar’s name to make it feel more official… like a real menu. Although not my first attempt, I went on-line to find miscellaneous websites that would translate English for the task. Most translations for simple phrases got long VERY quickly — too long for a bar name. I figured it would be worthless if people couldn’t even remember the name. So, I started looking for intentionally bland phrases that lacked depth… intended to be tongue-in-cheek. The phrase that finally translated nicely was “The Club”, which translated to Ka Hui in Hawaiian. It wasn’t until more recently that I found the Te Aka Māori Dictionary website. I typed in Ka Hui, and Kāhui came up which translated to: (noun) swarm, flock, cluster, herd, company. The translation was not only more interesting, but it conveyed one of the foundational aspects of Tiki – community. I added Cinema to the name since my bar before anything else is, and shall remain a home theater. It’s what differentiates my Tiki bar.
How far have you driven to buy something Tiki that you saw online?
Craig- Not too far especially. There’s Tiki hiding everywhere. As a long-term collector of many things vintage, I took comfort in the simple nature of collecting Tiki. Bamboo, matting, mugs, shirts, music, art, etc.… are all available in abundance WITHOUT having to hunt for super rare vintage. I love the vintage too, but it can be a luck-of-the-draw finding the nicer items. The vintage that I am especially interested in is Michigan based. Mostly Chin’s and the Mauna Loa.
What is your favorite Tiki drink? Why? What is your favorite Tiki bar?
Craig- As the owner of a Tiki bar, the classic Mai Tai is required mixology, and for good reason. Many Tiki cocktails can lose their appeal very quickly, often resulting in bellyaches from the citrus content. I always keep antacids handy when going to Tiki bars. Other cocktails can be too sweet which is another turn off. A proper Mai Tai can stand up to repeated servings.
As far as favorite bars, Max’s South Seas Hideaway. For the uninitiated, it’s mind boggling!
Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?
Craig- When I first started putting things together, I spent hours flipping through books and surfing the inter-web. I was looking for Tiki references which had visual impact. Almost without exception, I was drawn to the images with dramatic lighting in dark environments. It sort of has a Christmas effect. A few angled spotlights can make anything look dramatic. Aside from a great collection, dramatic lighting is an easy win.
What does the future hold for you and your home Tiki bar?
Craig- A Tiki bar is never complete. I’ll keep adding to it over time as long as my bar still has the space.
Anything else you would like to add?
It is surprising how Tiki has influenced so many old films and TV shows. The films started as far back as the 20’s and 30’s. There are the big films that will always be remembered like South Pacific and Blue Hawaii. But there are so many other productions such as The Blue Gardenia, Miss Sadie Thompson 3-D, Pearl of the South Pacific, and Bird of Paradise. Secret of the Incas is another great one. More Peruvian than Tiki, but close enough since it features musical performances by Yma Sumac!!! I’m just scratching the surface here, but an entire book could be written on the topic.
