Tradewinds Polynesian Supper Club

1986 Elyria Phone Book ad

Did you know that Elyria had its own version of the Kahiki – right by Midway Mall in the 1980s? That year is no misprint – although it seems like it should have been the 1960s instead.

As described in the 1986 Elyria Phone Book ad (above), Trade Winds was Lorain County's beautiful Polynesian Supper Club. Just like the Kahiki in Columbus, it featured exotic foods and drinks in a South Pacific atmosphere.

Here's the ad for Trade Winds that ran in the 1986-87 Lorain Centel Phone Book (below). It's slightly different from the Elyria phone book version – especially in the way that Trade Winds is spelled as one word.

The Trade Winds supper club doesn't seem to have been around very long. It only appeared in the 1985 and 1986 Elyria phone books, and the 1986-87 Lorain phone book. Its address never even made it into any of the city directories that were available to me.

Does anyone remember this place – or exactly where it was located? I sort of recall seeing Polynesian Tiki masks on a building somewhere near the Mall in the past, but I'm not sure of anything at this point.

The 41274 Griswold Road address puts Trade Winds on the north side of Griswold, right across from the car wash near the corner of Griswold and Leona Street. That would seem to make it one or both of the buildings shown below in the 1994 aerial shot (courtesy of HistoricAerials.com).  Unfortunately, the addresses for both streets are inconsistent and even out of order in some books  – making it virtually impossible to try and figure it out.

It seems to be the right location if my memory serves me right. It really wasn't that far from the location of the Supper Club, which I've been blogging about all week. Maybe that part of Lorain County is supper club country.

The building on the corner of Griswold Road and Leona Street today (below) was the longtime home of Lighthouse Pools. Does anyone remember if it ever housed the Trade Winds supper club? It seems to have the right roof line, although the building would have had to have been modified a lot from its original form.

Courtesy Lorain County Auditor website

Courtesy Lorain County Auditor website

Aerial view courtesy of Bing Maps

Anyway, if anyone remembers the Trade Winds and where it was located, please be sure to leave a comment! There's virtually no internet footprint, so I'm fairly stumped.

Urban Miller's Supper Club Part 4

1962 aerial shot showing the Supper Club building
(Courtesy of Historic Aerials)

Although the Supper Club property was no longer listed in the Elyria City Directory after 1963 (with the book merely skipping over its address), the building was apparently still in use. Parents Without Partners held several functions there in the early to mid-1970s.

An item from the January 29, 1974 Chronicle-Telegram reported that the Parents Without Partners regular meeting would be held on Feb. 15th at 8 p.m. at Miller's Supper Club, Elyria Avenue and Lake Ave.

Strangely enough, yours truly performed at several of these Parents Without Partner functions at the Supper Club, providing dance music as a member of the Four Links. For many years, whenever I drove by the former Supper Club building at the corner of Elyria and Lake Avenue, I thought of those gigs with a smile.

And then suddenly, the building was gone. 

Highway improvements – specifically the addition of a short access lane and stop sign for Elyria Avenue traffic to more safely pull out onto Lake Avenue – claimed the Supper Club building, and apparently the former Miller home, fruit stand and barn as well.

Today, a newer building (dating from the early 1980s according to the Lorain County Auditor website) sits near the edge of the former Miller property, serving as the home of Gene's Hair World.

Although the corner of Elyria and Lake Avenues is empty and barren today, it's nice to know that in the 1940s and 50s, it was alive with the sounds of people enjoying great food and entertainment at the Supper Club.

****

UPDATE (Feb. 2, 2015)
Be sure to click here to read Part 5. There's more to the story!

Urban Miller's Supper Club Part 3

In early April 1957, Urban Miller's Supper Club changed hands.

As reported in the Chronicle-Telegram of April 6, 1957, "The Supper Club, one of this area's popular dine and dance spots and now under new management, plans its grand opening for Apr. 14. Operated for many years by Urban Miller, the nightclub changed hands when Mrs. Elsie Jacobs of Elyria sold it to Albert Tuma and Charles Student. Tuma is the owner of the well known tavern bearing his name on Center Ridge Rd., while Student was formerly connected with Ludwig's Drive-In, corner Lorain and Clague Rds. Miller, from last reports reaching this desk, has purchased a home in Florida and plans to spend most of the months of the year there."

Indeed the 1957 Elyria City Directory listing for the business was Tuma's Supper Club. 

Here's an ad that ran in the Chronicle-Telegram on March 7, 1958.

However, the business would soon change ownership again. 

The Chronicle-Telegram of December 12, 1958 stated, "Mrs. Sally Ely, Washington Ave., today announced purchase of the Supper Club, 2213 Lake Ave., after several weeks of negotiations. The new owner took formal possession of the property today. Official opening will be about the third week in January, Mrs. Ely announced, and the Supper Club is to be renamed the Old Ely Stagecoach Inn. Redecorating is scheduled for this spring, with the building to be remodeled in keeping with the name. The property was leased from Urban Miller, and the business was purchased from Mrs. Elsie Jacobs, whc. was represented by Atty, Joseph Ujhelyi, Lorain. Manager for the Old Ely Stagecoach Inn will be John "Scrubby” Wozniak, who worked for 14 years with the All Nations Club, Lorain, and who has handled its management for the past three years while Joe Maiden has been handicapped by illness. Dancing and holiday parties will be featured at the Inn, the new owner said, and plans call for emphasis on quality of meals in an effort to capture the "dine out" trade. Mrs. Ely for I5 years was at the Northwood Inn. Broad St., and five years ago sold it, retiring from the tavern business. Her husband, Arthur died Nov. 4."

Apparently the Old Ely Stagecoach Inn did not last enough to make it into the city directory. The 1959 edition listed the property (except for Miller's Produce) as vacant. And the 1960 Elyria City Directory had the property once again listed as the Supper Club, and managed by Frank Jacobs.

By October 1961, the whole property was offered for lease in a series of ads that ran in the Chronicle, including a 7 room house, the Supper Club building, a barn and a vegetable stand.

The 1962 Elyria City Directory was the last to include a listing for the Supper Club.

In the 1963 edition, the property was listed as the Triangle Bar and run by John & Mrs. Claudia Miskow. In subsequent city directories, the property was no longer listed.

Urban Miller passed away in late September 1963. Even in retirement, he was the owner and operator of a produce market in West Hollywood, Florida.

Next: the rest of the story and the property today

Urban Miller's Supper Club Part 2

Urban and Genevieve Miller were the owners and operators of the Supper Club. It was located at the corner of Lake Avenue and Elyria Avenue.

In addition to the Supper Club, the Millers also ran a produce stand called Miller's Produce on the property. (It was also referred to as Miller's Celery in some city directory listings.)

According to a real estate listing in the Sandusky Register of February 4, 1936, the Millers purchased land from Reva A. Hulse. The land is described as being "property on plank tp" – which makes sense, because Elyria Avenue was originally the old plank road that started in Lorain and winded its way to Elyria and points south.

The Supper Club's location halfway between Lorain and Elyria is certainly compatible with the 'supper club' definition discussed here yesterday, with supper clubs usually being located at the edge of town in a rural area.

Urban Miller's Supper Club began life as the Venture Inn Supper Club. Here's an ad announcing the fact that Miller was taking over management of the place. It ran in the Chronicle-Telegram on November 6, 1942.

The "Venture Inn" name continued to be used into 1944. I'm not sure why it was dropped; perhaps it was to avoid confusion with another Venture Inn that was located in Oberlin on Route 10 about that time.

The Supper Club sponsored bowling teams during the early to mid-1940s. In fact, the Chronicle-Telegram once made a reference to the bowling prowess of Mrs. Miller in an amusing news item. Under a heading that read BETTER THAN HE IS NOW, the Chronicle-Telegram of January 3, 1944 stated, "You can believe it or not but Urban Miller, who divides his time between running the Supper Club and driving a vegetable produce truck is jealous of his wife, Jennie. That's on the up-and-up, but the truth is, Urban's only jealous of his better half in a bowling way and that's because his wife is becoming more proficient than he is at knocking down the maples. They bowl on the same evening – Tuesday night at Wykrem Recreation. Not so long ago, Urban kayoed the maples for a 400 series in All-City League. Just one shift later, his wife connected for 458."

Here's an early ad for the renamed Supper Club. It ran in the Chronicle-Telegram on Friday, January 19, 1945; the featured band was Lee's Trio.

January 1945 Elyria Chronicle-Telegram ad

Here's another ad (below) for the Supper Club, this time highlighting Urban Miller as the owner/manager. It ran in the Chronicle-Telegram on October 2, 1946. The Club was featuring Paul Brosky's Syncopators and the ad included a neat caricature of the group.

1946 Elyria Chronicle-Telegram ad

The Supper Club featured a variety of talented musical groups over the years. Some of the groups mentioned in 1940s and 1950s ads included Brosky's Syncopators, Duke Nelson, Jimmy Alu, the Continentals, and Jack, Jean and Dusty, "A Harmony Trio From the West."

During the 1952 Christmas season, the Millers apparently took advantage of their property's high-profile location. They ran ads in the Chronicle-Telegram announcing 4 to 12 foot fresh-cut Christmas trees for sale and available at the Supper Club property.

And as noted yesterday on this blog, the Millers announced their "All New" Supper Club with an ad (below) that ran in the Journal on December 8, 1954. Various local contractors were highlighted in the ad, including Joseph Finochi & Son General Contractor, Haladey Electric, Gintonio Plastering Co., Modern Floor Covering, and Miller Upholstering and Mfg. Company.

1954 Lorain Journal ad

And here's another Journal ad (below), this time from March 4, 1955. Note well-known Lorain bandleader Pete Galanic and his orchestra were the performers.

Next: the Supper Club changes hands

Urban Miller's Supper Club Part 1

I mentioned the Kahiki last week as being a "supper club" when it first opened.

What's a supper club? Well, according to various online sources, a supper club originally was a fairly high-class nightclub or restaurant that functioned as sort of a social club where you could spend the whole evening, from cocktails before dinner to nightcap. Supper clubs usually opened at supper time (appropriately enough) and were generally located on the edge of town in a rural area.

Supper clubs were big in the Midwest. Wisconsin is the state with the most supper clubs (my co-worker is from Wisconsin and he confirms it as a Wisconsin thing) but they were also big in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and – you guessed it – Ohio.

That's why the above ad caught my attention. It's a full-page grand opening ad for the All-New Supper Club that ran in the Lorain Journal on December 8, 1954 – 60 years ago last month. The ad – which describes the Supper Club as the newest and most modern night club in Northern Ohio – says that it was located at the corner of old Route 57 (Lake Avenue) and Elyria Avenue.

Although it might have been the newest supper club in the area in 1954, its history goes back much further than that. Stop back here tomorrow (after supper if you prefer) to learn more about the Supper Club.

Kahiki Memories

I mentioned earlier in the week how I thought that Columbus was stuck in a 1950s time capsule when I was going to Ohio State in the late 1970s.

Columbus was indeed a slice of Middle America, making it a wonderful place for a nostalgia buff to explore back then. It was full of interesting examples of roadside Americana. Besides the ubiquitous White Castles, there were Big Bear grocery stores, classic drive-in restaurants (such as Jerry's Drive-in), 1950s bowling alleys with garish neon signs, the South Drive-in Theater, vintage Mom-and-Pop motels (such as the 40 Motel), and plenty of great, kitchy signage seemingly everywhere (click here to see some great photos on the RoadsideArchitecture.com website).

Vintage postcard

And then there was the Kahiki.

In case you've never heard of it, the Kahiki was a well-known Polynesian supper club. Built in 1960 during the height of the Tiki craze, the Kahiki's outside was designed to look like a Polynesian outrigger canoe. Two giant Easter Island heads topped with flaming pots flanked the entrance.

The inside of the restaurant resembled a Tahitian village and rainforest, complete with birds and simulated thunder and lightning. Guests sipped exotic rum drinks out of tiki mugs, all to the beat of exotic South Seas lounge music.

1962 Drink Menu

The Rat Pack would have been very much at home at the Kahiki, and the place was host to many famous celebrities.

Unfortunately, I never ate at the Kahiki while I was on campus. I didn't have a car the first few years, and during that time rarely got over to that side of town.

But when I finally did have a car on campus, I started to explore the city – and accidentally drove by the Kahiki one night. I remember seeing the two large, flaming Easter Island heads outside this outlandish building – and wondering what the heck was going on in there.

Sadly, the Kahiki closed in 2000 to make way for a Walgreens. Before it closed down for good, I drove down to Columbus to have lunch there, and to grab some Kahiki souvenirs.

I managed to grab some matches (below).

I also found a stack of these brochures (below).

Since my visit, I also picked up a Kahiki mug somewhere (below). You can see a similar mug on the inside spread of the brochure.

Today the Kahiki name lives on through its namesake frozen Asian foods, available at your local grocery store.

Feeling bad about not being able to visit the Kahiki? Fortunately, a nice couple from Columbus filmed some great home movie footage during a 1999 visit to the restaurant, and posted it on YouTube (below).

To find out more about the Kahiki, here's a great Columbus Dispatch article written on the tenth anniversary of its closing. And the ColumbusUnderground.com website has a nice history (and great photos) of the restaurant here.

Vintage ad
(Courtesy of www.theSupperClubBook.com)

White Castle Memories Part 3

The W. 117th Store on Closing Day, December 24, 2014

I hadn't eaten too often at the White Castle on W. 117th during the last few years. I'd been trying to eat a little healthier, so my visits became less frequent. But every once in a while, I'd get overcome with the desire for a White Castle and would head over there for lunch.

A few years ago, I noticed that the store was now co-branded with Church's Chicken. I figured it must not have been doing well on its own. I wasn't too surprised, then, when I heard on the news that the Northern Ohio stores would be closing on Christmas Eve.

I decided that I'd try to eat there a few times before it closed.

On my first visit, the drive-through line was horrendous so I went inside. The minimal crew was just finishing up a carry-out order – for ninety burgers – that had really gummed up the works. While I was waiting for my order (a healthy combo of three White Castles and an order of clam strips), an older woman who had placed an order finally learned that the store was closing.

She was quite upset. "Now where am I supposed to go?" she shouted at the young gal at the register. She then noticed the small stack of flyers (at left) announcing the closing, and picked up one. "I don't even know where these other stores are, or how to get there," she complained.

The White Castle employee pointed out that all of the stores listed on the flyer were closing. She reminded the woman that the stores in Columbus and Cincinnati would remain open, however.

This did not make the angry woman any happier. I thought about mentioning to her that she could probably find frozen White Castles in the freezer section of her local grocery store, but I chickened out.

I could sympathize with her, though. She obviously felt that something she enjoyed was unfairly being taken away from her.

To me, White Castle was a symbol of the happy days I spent living in Columbus in the 1970s and early 80s. Whenever I ate at a White Castle, I was reliving memories – and reconnecting with my college years, a time that is rapidly disappearing in the rear view mirror of my life.

I suppose that's kind of silly.

Anyway, it's been a couple years since I've been down to Ohio State – so I guess it's time for a road trip this year. At least I know where I'll be having lunch.

My last White Castle