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  • #46
    Re: Retailers of Yesteryears

    My apologies. That was a typo.

    Arakawa's closed in 1995.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Some facts about GEM:*

    Started in Hawaii in 1958 by Glenn Kaya, after it's start in Denver in 1957.

    GEM was an acronym for "Government Employee Mutual". GEM originally was a members-only store.

    GEM used to operate departments by leasing out space to independant companies, including some well known today such as ABC stores, Wong's Drapery, C.S. Wo, Mid Pacific Lumber, Kim Chow and Houoli.

    At its peak, GEM had up to 50 locations, including locations in Honolulu, St. Louis, Denver, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Minneapolis. The first Hawaii location was at GEM Kapalama.

    Seibu of Japan bought GEM and in 1993 closed the business.

    ----------------------------------
    *Source: the Companies we Keep by Bob Sigall and his students at HPU.
    Last edited by Pomai; October 27, 2005, 12:51 PM. Reason: GEM
    sigpic The Tasty Island

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    • #47
      Wun Tun'nel Vision

      Originally posted by cezanne
      Pomai... Mui Kwai is still there. The bank is next door.
      You're right! I just drove down Kamehameha Hwy. in Kaneohe this morning for some business and there it was. But didn't they actually close for a while?

      Maybe we had "Kin Wah" tunnel vision at the time and just never looked back at Mui Kwai ever since.

      Has anyone eaten at the New Mui Kwai? How's da' dim sum?
      sigpic The Tasty Island

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      • #48
        Re: Big & Small Business Memories

        Originally posted by Pomai
        In Pearl City, didn't they also have a restaurant near Waimanu St. called The Tavern? Never been there myself, but heard about it. I do know they closed a long time ago. I believe that's where Blue Tropix nightclub got the Monkey Bar concept.
        That was Pearl City Tavern, which opened either during or pre-WW II. My dad had memories of it being off limits to Navy personnel when he passed through here in the late 40s.

        It stayed open till about ten years ago; it had great Japanese food, great peppercorn steak, the monkey bar, and the bonsai garden upstairs.
        http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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        • #49
          Banks of Hawaii's Past

          Pioneer Federal Savings & Loan - Acquired by First Hawaiian Bank
          First Federal Savings & Loan - Acquired by Bank of Hawaii
          Honolulu Federal Savings & Loan (HonFed) - Acquired by Bank of America. American Saving Bank then acquired those accounts.
          Last edited by Pomai; October 27, 2005, 06:23 PM. Reason: typo
          sigpic The Tasty Island

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          • #50
            Re: Big & Small Business Memories

            Originally posted by Pomai
            Oh, the adult places...

            Anyone remember Club Rose? "Rose" was the equivalent "landmark" strip bar of the 80's that Femme Nu is today.

            Or even farther back on Hotel st., Club Hubba Bubba. Never been there, but was ever so curious. Heard they had a few ladies that could do the kinda' "tricks" that Craig mentioned.

            Also in Chinatown - I think near Hawaii Theatre, wasn't there an old adult movie theatre called LIDO THEATER? I remember a bunch of us youngin's outta' high school walking in there long ago. They had an actual movie theater that showed "adult" movies and coin-operated "booths" on the side. We walked in, took a look and RAN out! "Old men", combined with the odd smell of Pinesol and air condtioning was too much for our then-naive minds.

            Aunty, if not mistaken, the Hawaiian Hut in the Ala Moana Renaissance Hotel is still open.

            A similar venue that closed long ago was the sphere-shaped showroom at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Forget the exact name of the place.

            In Pearl City, didn't they also have a restaurant near Waimanu St. called The Tavern? Never been there myself, but heard about it. I do know they closed a long time ago. I believe that's where Blue Tropix nightclub got the Monkey Bar concept.
            Do you remember the Lollypop Lounge? Hamms on tap!LOL
            Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

            Stupid people come in all flavors-buzz1941
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            • #51
              Sam's Club Sam's Club Sam's???

              Pearl City Tavern. That's the name. Mahalo Cezanne!

              Oh, and Lollipop Lounge! That was another Hotel St. curiosity for us youngin's too young to ever go in.

              There was another strip joint on Sheridan st., across the new Walmart/Sam's Club. It was called something with "Cat" in the name.

              Pussycat lounge... or something like that. Patrons were allowed to bring cameras and take pictures of the dancers. They had a live shower show and DJ.. the whole nine yards. Anyone remember that one?

              Ever notice how Korean Bars always start with "Club ________"? lol

              "Club Ugly". "Club By Me". "Club Come Over to My Place". etc.

              Still waiting for someone to open "Club Sam's" right across Sam's Club on Koreamoku. Then when you go to Sam's Club, on the back of the receipt, you get a coupon for "2 dollah off first dlinkee" at Club Sam's.
              sigpic The Tasty Island

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              • #52
                Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                Originally posted by tutusue
                Of course...Arakawa's!!!!! Thank you. Now it won't be haunting me all day!
                Haha, I can still hear their radio commercials, with the rooster!

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                • #53
                  Automobile Dealerships of Hawaii's Past

                  Some facts about SCHUMAN CARRIAGE:*

                  Opened in 1893 by Gustave Schuman. Original items sold at Schuman Carriage were carriages, carts, surreys and wagons (for horses).

                  In 1903 Gustave Schuman returned from a trip to the World Expo with one Hawaii's first automobiles called a Pope Tribune.

                  In 1904 Schuman Carriage began selling Model T's in Hawaii.

                  Schuman Carriage had the bragging rights of being the OLDEST retail company in Hawaii still owned and operated by the original founding family.

                  Their most recent line of autombiles were Buick, Cadillac, GMC & Hummer.

                  Schuman Carriage was sold in early 2005 to Pfleuger, who still operates the dealership with the same line of cars at the corner Piikoi and Beretania st..

                  *Source: the Companies We Keep by Bob Sigall and his students at HPU. Additional information by Pomai.

                  ---------------------------------------------------------
                  Anyone remember Aloha Motors on the property now occupied by the Hawaii Convention Center?

                  Also, across where Century Center now is, there was a dealership called Lippy Espinda's. Lippy was famous for his "Shacka Braddah" advertising punch lines. Lippy's was before my time, but I have heard about it.
                  Last edited by Pomai; October 28, 2005, 08:49 AM. Reason: vroom vroom vroom
                  sigpic The Tasty Island

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                  • #54
                    Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                    Did O'ahu have a Wigwam? In Hilo I remember Wigwam next to Foodfair.

                    Hilo also had a Wendy's back when "Kaneala" owned them all( remember Danny Cash?). The old Wendy's in Hilo is now a Starbucks.
                    Last edited by alohabear; October 28, 2005, 10:35 AM.
                    Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

                    Stupid people come in all flavors-buzz1941
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                    • #55
                      Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                      Hell yeah Oahu had a Wigwam. It's where the McCully Long's is now.
                      Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                      • #56
                        Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                        Originally posted by alohabear
                        Do you remember the Lollypop Lounge? Hamms on tap!LOL

                        Oh yeah Lollypops in Waikiki right? I was a wet t-shirt judge one night there. I kept yelling bring on more ice water!!!
                        Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                        • #57
                          Re: Automobile Dealerships of Hawaii's Past

                          Originally posted by Pomai
                          [...]
                          Anyone remember Aloha Motors on the property now occupied by the Hawaii Convention Center?
                          [...]
                          Yep! But what I'm not remembering is if there was also another building on the property or if Aloha Motors moved out and another business (furniture store?) moved in prior to the lot being cleared awaiting development. IIRC, that spot was one of 3 under consideration for the convention center. Hmmm...or was it razed for the convention center and 3 architectural designs were under consideration? Inquiring minds can't remember! But I do remember Aloha Motors!

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                          • #58
                            Re: Automobile Dealerships of Hawaii's Past

                            Originally posted by tutusue
                            IIRC, that spot was one of 3 under consideration for the convention center. Hmmm...or was it razed for the convention center and 3 architectural designs were under consideration? Inquiring minds can't remember! But I do remember Aloha Motors!
                            There were several architectural concepts under consideration for the HCC. The one they chose was my least favorite of them.

                            The site also was under alot of fire from adjacent condominium owners due to concerns over noise. After the convention center was built, the developer had to do extensive decibel tests on the convention center's open rooftop area just to appease the neighborhood boards.
                            sigpic The Tasty Island

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                            • #59
                              Re: Automobile Dealerships of Hawaii's Past

                              Originally posted by tutusue
                              Yep! But what I'm not remembering is if there was also another building on the property or if Aloha Motors moved out and another business (furniture store?) moved in prior to the lot being cleared awaiting development. IIRC, that spot was one of 3 under consideration for the convention center. Hmmm...or was it razed for the convention center and 3 architectural designs were under consideration? Inquiring minds can't remember! But I do remember Aloha Motors!

                              For a while part of the warehouses on that site was used for an auction/flea market.

                              I too didn't like the final design. To me this glass facade is too high maintenance. What amazes me is that this building was built with taxpayer monies, yet when Frank Fasi was the Mayor of Honolulu he had managed to swing a deal with a Japanese company to build and lease back to the city a much bigger convention center than what eventually was built. Eventually the building was to be turned over to the city at some point, but the cost of construction was the burden of this Japanese company.

                              The sad thing about the Convention Center is that it was designed for foot traffic or bussed in traffic (hence the wide open bus depot in front of the building) for conventioneers. When the CC couldn't book the kinds of venues it envisioned, they turned to the local public to host events like the New Car shows. Problem was that this complex wasn't designed to accomodate the parking necessary to handle the local crowds.
                              Life is what you make of it...so please read the instructions carefully.

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                              • #60
                                Re: Big & Small Business Memories

                                Originally posted by alohabear
                                Do you remember the Lollypop Lounge? Hamms on tap!LOL
                                That was the "Lollipop Lounge" in Waikiki? I designed their logo! No, seriously!
                                Blaine
                                Make trouble, have fun, do good stuffs.

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