Chin Tiki was a

tiki In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small wooden ...

-themed supper club, nightclub and banquet hall in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

owned by Marvin Chin. It closed in 1980 but was not demolished until 2009.

History

The Chin Tiki saw construction begin in 1965, but did not open until 1967. A former engineer for Ford, Chin designed the restaurant himself, and had a hand in most of the construction. Inspired by the burgeoning

Tiki culture Tiki culture is an American-originated art, music, and entertainment movement inspired by Polynesian, Melanesian and Micronesian cultures. Inspired by Oceanian art, influential cultures to Tiki culture include Australasia, Melanesia, Micrones ...

fad of the 1950s and 1960s, the first floor restaurant was ornately decorated "with towering tiki statues, waterfalls and a bamboo bridge." It also featured a large black light aquarium mural. The drink menu included well known tiki drinks such as the ''Sharks Tooth'', ''Head Hunter'', and

Fog Cutter The Fog Cutter is a vintage tiki cocktail frequently attributed to being invented by Victor Bergeron that calls for a mixture of several liquors (rum, brandy, gin), the juice of lemon and oranges, orgeat syrup, and cream sherry. It is high in ...

, as well as the ''Chin Tiki Punch'' and the ''Chin Tiki Special'', which was a communal drink meant for sharing, served in a large clam shell with long straws, and described as "a fusing of fine rums, brandy, liqueurs and fresh fruit juices crowned with a gardenia". The second floor housed a spacious nightclub with an even larger waterfall, imitation rock walls and a rattan covered stage. The Chin Tiki hosted live music and an authentic Polynesian floor show with Hawaiian dancers and fire-breathers. The restaurant was said to be frequented by such celebrities as

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

and

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

. One of Chin's early competitors was the other large Detroit area Tiki restaurant named the ''Mauna Loa'', but it was short lived. Following Detroit's economic downturn, Chin shuttered Chin Tiki in 1980, where it remained untouched for two decades and was deemed "a Tiki tomb, a time capsule," by local tiki enthusiasts. However, after Chin died in 2006 his family quickly sold the building to Olympia Development LLC, owned by Detroit mogul

Mike Ilitch Michael Ilitch Sr. (July 20, 1929 – February 10, 2017) was an American entrepreneur, founder and owner of the international fast food franchise Little Caesars Pizza. He owned the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and Detroit Tig ...

and family. The building was torn down in 2009.

Port O' Three

Marvin Chin also owned the ''Port O' Three'' Tiki restaurant in nearby Bloomfield Hills, MI. Its menu and signage used many of the same graphics as the ''Chin Tiki'' and used the same cocktail menu. The name came from his "three types of food" concept for the restaurant which he advertised for on his matchbooks: "Marvin Chin proudly presents a new concept in dining. A unique combination of sea food, Polynesian, and Japanese cuisine under one roof....", but the restaurant stayed in business for only a short period of time. ''Chin's'' is a small Cantonese restaurant in Livonia, MI that is decorated with some of the Chin Tiki's former statues.

In popular culture

The ''Chin Tiki'' was later famous for being a film location for the movie '' 8 Mile''. The unique look of the building had gotten the attention of production designer Phil Messina, who had

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

contact Chin to contract the use of his facility for the filming. The renewed interest had fueled speculation for a short period of time that the restaurant would reopen.

References

{{Detroit Tiki culture Demolished buildings and structures in Detroit Tiki bars Defunct restaurants in the United States 1967 establishments in Michigan 1980 disestablishments in Michigan Buildings and structures completed in 1967 Restaurants established in 1967 Buildings and structures demolished in 2009 Restaurants disestablished in 1980

History

Port O' Three

In popular culture

See also

References