Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - End of Story

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This story is almost over, but there’s still one more part. Trader Vic’s had closed at the Denver Hilton in 1985 and left the Denver market, but can you guess who moved into that vacant spot at the Hilton? Yep, Don the Beachcomber followed Vic’s a second time and opened in 1986 after they left the Cosmo. They only lasted a few years, but incredibly Denver had two different hotels that both hosted a Trader Vic’s and a Don the Beachcomber. Some cities were lucky if they got one location, Denver had five versions!

In summary:

Don the Beachcomber
-Cosmopolitan Hotel (downtown Denver) 1978-1984
-Ramada Renaissance Hotel (Aurora) 1981-1986
-Denver Hilton (downtown) 1986-1988

Trader Vic’s -Cosmopolitan Hotel 1962-1978
-Denver Hilton (downtown) 1978-1985


Several years later I discovered what happened to the auctioned contents from Don the Beachcomber when the Cosmo shut down. The Denver Post article stated that everything had been purchased for $65,000 was being moved to the west side of town.

The auctioned décor ended up at a Ramada Inn at the corner of 6th Avenue and Simms Street in Lakewood, CO (now a Ford car dealership). The Ramada had a lobby bar called Captain Bligh’s Tavern.








They also had a restaurant called The Beachcomber.









So the décor in the Ramada Beachcomber at this point was third generation, It came from Don the Beachcomber in the Cosmo, who had inherited it from Trader Vic’s when it was originally installed.

Captain Bligh’s and The Beachcomber Restaurant opened in 1985 and operated until the early 1990s before finally shutting down. This place was right in my own backyard and is another example of missing the boat. I never went inside and didn’t make the connection to Don’s and Trader Vic’s until years later after the place was closed and it was too late.


The end …to this long winded and complex story!

Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - Part 6

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The late 1970s and early 1980s was a good time for tiki bars in Denver. Vic's and Dons were both open and operating downtown. Then, in 1981, while still operating at the Cosmo, Don’s opened a second location in the Denver area, out in Aurora in the Ramada Renaissance Hotel.








For a short period of time (1981-1984), Denver was the place to be for tiki bars. Trader Vic’s in the Downtown Hilton was open, Don the Beachcomber in the Plaza Cosmopolitan was open (only 3 blocks away), and a second Don the Beachcomber was also open in Aurora. To top that off, the best of all of Denver’s tiki establishments was also operating at the same time, Tommy Wong’s Island (interior designed by famed tiki restaurant designer George Nakashima, who also designed the Mai Kai updates, the Mauna Loa in Detroit and all of the Kon Tiki/Ports O Call for Stephen Crane Associates). It is really surprising that tiki lasted so late into the 1980’s here in Denver.


A listing from a 1981 phone book for both of the Don the Beachcomber locales.







When the Cosmo closed, they held an estate sale and literally everything was for sale. There was a story about the sale in an old Denver Post newspaper article and I remember the first guy in line was there to buy the entire firearm collection from the Gun Room. The article also said that the entire contents of Don the Beachcomber had already been purchased by a single buyer before the public sale for $65,000.


As scheduled, the Cosmo came down in May 1984.











And that new office building that was to be built in its place? The site remains a parking lot to this day. The red circle was the location for both Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber.








You can see the Brown Palace across the street (right side of the photo). She is 100+ years now.

Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - Part 5

More information about Denver Tiki and the Kahanui.


Trader Vic's moved out of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in 1978 and into the Hilton. Then in 1985 they moved out of the Hilton and left Denver. But wait, that’s not the end of the story.

When Vic’s moved out of the Cosmo, they dismantled their signature Chinese ovens, so the new restaurant tenant would not be able to duplicate their food that they would be serving over in the Hilton. But they left all of the interior wall decor in place (e.g., bamboo, thatch, Chinese tiles, etc.). Can you guess who moved in? Don the Beachcomber. Yes that’s right, they moved in and opened in 1979.

An article from September 1978 discussing Don the Beachcomber moving into the former Trader Vic’s location in the Cosmopolitan Hotel (click to enlarge and you can read most of the text).







I find the title interesting ‘Take 15’, I assume the Cosmo locale was the 15th in the franchise at that time?





Don the Beachcomber Cosmo locale ad from 1981.


The Cosmo hosted a Trader Vic’s and a Don the Beachcomber in the exact same place. Unfortunately for the Beachcomber, the Cosmo was on her last leg and the hotel was sold in 1982. The new owner planned to demolish the Cosmo and build a new office building in its place. Don wasn’t there for long (1979-1982). But here is a shot taken in 1982 shortly before they closed.














I reversed this detail shot and compared it against the drawing for the Trader Vic's entrance, it is the same (click to enlarge a little).






You can make out the two large exterior tikis and the hanging outrigger canoe.


The article above says that all of the restaurant fixtures were owned by the Cosmo, so Vic's could not take them when they left. When Don the Beachcomber stepped in, they had a ready made tiki bar, tikis and all. All they had to do was change the sign out front.

Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - Part 4

More information about Denver Tiki and the Kahanui.

This is a photo of the main lobby of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in the early 1960's when Trader Vic's opened. It is a beautiful example of mid century design. The front doors that lead to Broadway are in the center of the photo. The lobby entrance to Vic's is just to the left of the main doors.







The Cosmo also had a formal restaurant called the ‘Gun Room’. It had a classic collection of firearms mounted on the walls. The guns had been used to tame the old west. One of the walls housed a collection of buffalo hunting rifles that once belonged to Wild Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill).

Fast forward a few years to 1968, and Vic’s is the victim of a burglary. One of the large exterior tikis was stolen (shown in the sketches in Part 3). I found reference to the theft, but this card at the Denver Library Western History Collection is incorrect. I looked at all variations for that date and could not find the story.








Knowing that one of these large exterior tikis might be floating around the Denver area has always been in the back of my mind. I always keep and extra eye open when browsing antique stores, estate sales and auctions. Maybe I’ll find him someday.

Into the 1970s, and the Cosmo was beginning to show her age. She was now 50 years old and Vic wanted something newer, fresher. The Trader Vic’s corporation already had an established deal with the Hilton chain in other cities, so they moved. Back in 1960, Hilton had opened the brand new Denver Hilton and was thrilled to have Trader Vic’s move in. So in 1978, Trader Vic’s closed up shop at the Cosmo and moved to the Denver Hilton just 3 blocks away.






This is the Denver Hilton in the background and the IM Pei designed structure in the foreground.








1979 ad for Trader Vic’s after they moved out of the Cosmo and into the Hilton in 1978. But it was not all roses when Vic’s moved into their new location. The Polynesian Pop movement was barely standing on its last legs and Vic’s closed up shop in the Hilton in 1985. Never to return to Denver.

Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - Part 3

More information about Denver Tiki and the Kahanui.


When we left our story, Victor Bergeron opened the Outrigger Restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel on 1962 and things were going very well.





This is a great color brochure for the Cosmo featuring the Outrigger on the front cover.



A couple of years roll by, things are going great. In 1964, Western Hotels run this advertisement for the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It is a nice exterior shot and it looks like the folks are dressed up for an evening out. At the right edge of the picture you can see the signage for Trader Vic’s Outrigger. The street A-frame entrance to the restaurant is just off the picture (missed it by that much).







But that’s ok, here is the next best thing I can do. It is a rendering for the exterior street side entrance.









Sometime in the mid 1960’s, Vic’s makes the decision to officially change the Outrigger to a Trader Vic’s and runs this ad in the Denver Post newspaper.

Aloha Lanes Bowling Alley

Pardon the interruption folks, we'll get back to the Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber story on Monday. Today I have something truly spectacular to share with you.

The other day I was surfing the blogs that I regularly read and found this beautiful post on Mike Cozart's blog Design & Model. Mike has created a prototype model that will later be made available as a kit for purchase for model enthusiasts.





It is called 'Aloha Lanes' and it is a Southern California bowling complex set in a South Seas setting. The model includes the 'Tiki Cove Coffee Shop' and 'The Pele Room Cocktail Lounge'. You can read Mike's story about the model and check out lots more pics over on his blog.

Kudos Mike, that's a spectacular model!

Denver Tiki: Trader Vic's vs. Don the Beachcomber - Part 2

More information about Denver Tiki and the Kahanui.

Part 1 ended with Trader Vic opening an Outrigger restaurant in the Cosmopolitan in 1962. Vic had also created other Outrigger locations, including the Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Seattle, Washington.





Outrigger location in Seattle, Washington






Outrigger location in Seattle, Washington






This is a postcard of the interior of the Outrigger in Denver. It is a very common postcard and very easy to find, I probably have 15 copies in my collection.







Another postcard of the interior of the Outrigger in Denver. This card is much more rare and difficult to find.







A rare brochure for the Outrigger in Denver. The only copy I have ever seen is in Mimi Payne’s collection. You can see it over at Arkiva Tropika.