tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post8176389929826573791..comments2024-03-14T01:38:13.913-07:00Comments on Tiki Architecture: Remembering the KahikiZuluMagoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508045815331187949noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-33437985954276019882021-08-11T13:16:56.636-07:002021-08-11T13:16:56.636-07:00Here are the facts BUD!
From Restaurant History - ...Here are the facts BUD!<br />From Restaurant History - NOT your daddy!!!<br />The Kahiki's decorator, artist and engineer Coburn Morgan, as a prominent Ohio restaurant designer whose career may have been launched by his work on the Kahiki. The flamboyant design of the Kahiki was undoubtedly due to him.<br />In 1960, when he drew the sketch shown above, Morgan was head of the design division of the Tectum Corporation which furnished many of the composite building materials used in the construction of the Kahiki, including pressed<br />wood for roof supports as well as for soundproofing and decorative wall panels.<br />It may also have been used for flooring and for the stylized fish arrayed along the<br />roofs crest.<br /><br />Following completion of the Kahiki Morgan designed the Aztec-themed<br />Thunderbird Restaurant<br />(Lima), a red-fronted prototype for the Bob Evan’s chain (Chillicothe),<br />Mc Garvey's Nautical Restaurant (Vermillion), the Wine Cellar (Columbus}.Jack Bowman's Steak House (Columbus) the Brown<br />Derby (Columbus), the 18th-century-themed Old Market House Inn (7Anesville). the Tangier Restaurant (Akron - pictured), Mawby's (Cleveland) and the<br />"Western Victorian an -style " Judd's (Cleveland).<br /><br />For theme-restaurant inspiration, Morgan traveled to the American West for the Bob Evans chain and to Lebanon for the Tangier. which was modeled on the summer palace of the head of state. The Wine Cellar, owned by Kahiki creators Bill Sapp and Lee (Leland) Henry, had a Shakespeare theme. <br />. C b Morgan was a prominent Ohio<br />The Kahiki's decorator, artist and engineer, Coburn Morgan, was prominent <br />restaurant designer whose career may have been launched by his work on the Kahiki.<br />The flamboyant design of the Kahiki was undoubtedly due to him.<br />In 1960, when he drew the sketch shown above, Morgan was head of the design division _oft the Tectum Corporation which furnished many of the composite building materials used in the construction of the Kahiki, including pressed wood for roof supports as well as for soundproofing and decorative wall panels. It may also have been used for flooring and for the stylized fish arrayed along the roofs crest.<br />Following completion of the Kahiki, Morgan designed the Aztec-themed Thunderbird Restaurant (Lima), a red-fronted prototype for the Bob Evans chain (Chillicothe), McGarvey's Nautical Restaurant (Vermillion), the Wine Cellar (Columbus), Jack Bowman's Steak House<br />(Columbus), the Brown Derby (Columbus), the 18th-century-themed Old Market House Inn (Zanesville), the Tangier Restaurant (Akron - pictured), Mawby's (Cleveland), and the "Western Victorian-style" Judd's (Cleveland).<br />For theme-restaurant inspiration, Morgan traveled to the American West for the Bob Evans chain and to Lebanon for the Tangier, which was modeled on the summer palace of the head of state. The Wine Cellar, owned by Kahiki creators Bill Sapp and Lee (Leland) Henry, had a Shakespeare theme. When it failed in 1991 "16 tall carved knight's chairs" and a "grand piano bar with winged dragon"<br />Rod Proud of my Dad!! He never stole a Design!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187812364579185140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-45243505192356235442021-08-11T12:08:47.008-07:002021-08-11T12:08:47.008-07:00I remember your dad - think he worked for my dad! ...I remember your dad - think he worked for my dad! and my dad fired his plagiarizing ass for his stealing his designs! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187812364579185140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-4998734737951342002021-08-11T11:59:52.083-07:002021-08-11T11:59:52.083-07:00You are the dumbest SOB I know!! I am Coburn's...You are the dumbest SOB I know!! I am Coburn's son!!! My father designed it, yet he was not an architect! But was degreed in architecture and engineering! He was member of Mensa -What is you DADDY!!! Thus had to have a "registered" Architect. It was NOT YOUR DAD!! I used to babysit Lee Henry's kids on his yachts!! My did did the remodel of the TOP - WTF you talking about!! Wendys?? I personally built the model of the FIRST WENDY'S while in college! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18187812364579185140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-17891979514443795382020-04-02T20:23:42.557-07:002020-04-02T20:23:42.557-07:00The original architect of the Kahiki was another p...The original architect of the Kahiki was another person who has gone unnamed in history. He was a local graduate of Ohio State School of Architecture and personal friends of Lee Henry and Bill Sapp who he also designed their other restaurants notably The Top Steakhouse and The Wine Cellar) among hundreds of other restaurants in Columbus. He once turned down Wendy's first restaurant and also Les Wexner's first Limited store. He had certain interests and was not in it for money or fame but simply the love of his craft. This unrecognized architect had no ego which was atypical of the talent level. He was also the builder of The Kahiki and it was his ingenuity to design the roof (it was in concept an upside down warrior ship set ablaze in fire at its ridge,decorated in a mosaic of war colored shingles, all meant to strike a primal fear) and guided its craft on site because his foreman had no idea how to build it. He was a humble architect as he quietly passed the torch over to another architect long after the design was complete and only because permits were held up when he ran into the challenges of managing both design and build efforts that were complicated necessarily by the building department's fear of another fire like happened to the prior Tiki Bar on the same site with the same owners. This original architect was shunned by his profession for doing both design and build, which he loved inseparably. He had an entire storyline threaded through from outside to inside. He had the architectural concepts down when they brought Coburn Morgan in as the interior designer due chiefly to his mural done in a tiki bar in Kentucky. Coburn Morgan, who was quite the opposite of him, garnered more credit than his share as typical for interior designers. Coburn got credit as the engineer and many other things that have been mispoken over the years, but he did do quite a lot as a super talented designer that fit perfectly with him as a team that would carry forward on other restaurants. The mystique of architect as master over the builder as their subject no longer has a place as this architect and others to follow have shared in the mix of art, engineering, math, science,psychology, and on and on as relevant to human experience in the built realm. One day I may write a better article than what I could type out on my phone in this 3/4" window. This man was my dad who passed away fittingly months before this structure was placed on the historic register as he never sought fame but only a truth to himself. A true story should be made by interviewing all who remain with firsthand knowledge of the source history. I was honored to join the last farewell private party dinner ever held with my brother, sister, and my dad's cousin who lived right around the corner from The Kahiki. Hans Altenbach, son of Bernard Altenbachanonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15730233883131392559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-14908905823957833172014-06-25T05:52:18.454-07:002014-06-25T05:52:18.454-07:00Michael Tsao was delusional, or a cock and bull ar...Michael Tsao was delusional, or a cock and bull artist. He kept insisting that the City of Columbus was making way for the Kahiki in the Scioto mile redevelopment area and that the Kahiki would be built overlooking downtown. Then he boxed up all of the artifacts that Lee had brought in for the restaurant and warehoused them in the factory until - according to locals in the know, they have been sold off piecemeal. Mention his name and people in Columbus still growlThe Cool Cookiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162345087029159056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-44716856201918824352011-08-07T15:31:17.805-07:002011-08-07T15:31:17.805-07:00Me too :o) dedevallo at yahoo dot com Thank you...Me too :o) dedevallo at yahoo dot com Thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-17507839139233308682011-02-18T13:16:18.643-08:002011-02-18T13:16:18.643-08:00Hey, Chip
Sounds very interesting, I'd love t...Hey, Chip<br /><br />Sounds very interesting, I'd love to take a look. Send me an email (tikimike at aol dot com)ZuluMagoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07508045815331187949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-73642368547041789912011-02-15T12:24:10.802-08:002011-02-15T12:24:10.802-08:00Hi Mike! Great Job on the blog. I thought that I ...Hi Mike! Great Job on the blog. I thought that I would post a ntoification on the near completion of a detailed historic structure report that focuses upon the Kahiki. This project was started several years ago as a part time labor of love. The report utilized an array of historic photographs and original construction plans. Focus areas include a complete structural analysis, exterior facade assessment, roof assessment, interior construction and design, and landscape design. I will make PDF copies available to those who are interested in the details.<br /><br />ChipAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943100719906587080.post-84117588414322010032010-08-31T09:15:35.826-07:002010-08-31T09:15:35.826-07:00Here is an interesting follow-up email that I rece...Here is an interesting follow-up email that I received the other day about this article.<br /><br /><br />If die-hard Kahiki fans want to see what the building looked like, they should visit Covenant Presbyterian Church at 2070 Ridgecliff Rd. in Upper Arlington. The architect who designed the Kahiki also designed the church. The Kahiki was built in 1961. The church was built in 1963. They are basically the same building, except the Kahiki had a curved roof while the church has a straight roof.<br /><br />Inside the church sanctuary, one can see the laminated wood arches which are the same as were used for the Kahiki except for the curvature.ZuluMagoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07508045815331187949noreply@blogger.com