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The Mai-Kai renovations, May-June 2023: Historic restaurant’s new infrastructure begins to take shape

The Mai-Kai renovations, May-June 2023: Historic restaurant's new infrastructure begins to take shape

Following a flurry of activity in April that included the removal of the 50-year-old Bora Bora building, the non-stop work over the past two months was less flamboyant but just as crucial in the multimillion-dollar restoration of the historic Mai-Kai restaurant in South Florida.
RELATED: Meticulous attention to detail is hallmark of The Mai-Kai restoration project (May-June 2023 update)
SEE BELOW: Chronology of work | Timeline and permits

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The Mai-Kai at Tiki Oasis
The Mai-Kai and The Atomic Grog are headed to Tiki Oasis
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By early July, significant infrastructure work was moving at a rapid pace. A complete electrical system overhaul was underway, including the installation of new breaker boxes that will pave the way for a new air-conditioning system.

A half dozen new “fresh air units” were being lifted onto the roof by crane. This modern HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system replaces the decades-old chiller system that included the now-demolished cooling tower behind the Bora Bora building
PREVIOUS: Bora Bora building comes down as restoration efforts pick up steam
UPDATES: Latest news, photos of The Mai-Kai refurbishment

New air ducts are installed on the roof of The Mai-Kai in June 2023. (Photos by Kern Mattei)
New air ducts are installed on the roof of The Mai-Kai in June 2023. (Photos by Kern Mattei)

Once the new electrical grid is operational and they flip the switch on the new AC system, the entire building will be cooled for the first time since the October 2020 roof collapse that triggered the restaurant’s closing and eventual sale in September 2021.

The expansive refurbishments are being driven by the new ownership team led by historic preservationist Bill Fuller. His real estate investment firm, Barlington Group, has a track record of restoring vintage properties, including Miami’s iconic Ball & Chain.

The Little Havana hotspot is run by sister company Mad Room Hospitality, which will also take the operational reins at The Mai-Kai. The founding Thornton family, which remains part of the ownership group, will retain a significant role along with some of its long-standing management team.

Huge progress was made in June in the back of house area that will contain the temporary kitchen, which was an empty shell with no floor on June 1. By June 22 (right), underground plumbing and electrical lines were laid, a new concrete floor was poured and walls were beginning to go up. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
Huge progress was made in June in the back of house area that will contain the temporary kitchen, which was an empty shell with no floor on June 1. By June 22 (right), underground plumbing and electrical lines were laid, a new concrete floor was poured and walls were beginning to go up. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)

To make The Mai-Kai operational by a projected fall reopening, Mad Room and Mai-Kai managers are working feverishly to get a new kitchen up and running. The old kitchen was damaged beyond repair when torrential rains combined with a malfunctioning sprinkler system flooded the 1970s-era back-of-house roof, causing it to collapse.

The 7,000-square-foot space where the kitchen once stood remains an empty shell with walls but no roof, awaiting Phase 2 of the renovation project. Estimated to be completed a year or more after Phase 1, this ambitious plan includes not only a new state-of-the-art kitchen, but also a 3,500-square-foot event center with a soaring A-frame roof. It will fill a much-needed niche in servicing The Mai-Kai’s market for large groups and events.

In the meantime, the existing back of house area that escaped damage is being reconfigured to accommodate a new, temporary kitchen. It will also be upgraded to include new staff facilities and a new restroom for guests with special needs.

Sunset over The Mai-Kai: A view on May 31 from Planet Fitness across Federal Highway shows the roof refurbishments and new air-conditioning units being installed. You can also see the vents that suck the smoke out of the building after the fire shows. (Photo by Tom Wilson)
Sunset over The Mai-Kai: A view on May 31 from Planet Fitness across Federal Highway shows the roof refurbishments and new air-conditioning units being installed. You can also see the vents that suck the smoke out of the building after the fire shows. (Photo by Tom Wilson)

Last but not least, The Mai-Kai’s legendary back service bar will be reinstalled in a large space that formerly contained a locker room for staff and performers in the Polynesian Islander Revue, the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii). Smaller locker rooms are being built next to the existing back management offices, which are undergoing minimal refurbishments.

Below is a chronological recap of all the infrastructure work that has happened since the Bora Bora Room’s removal in April.

Continue reading “The Mai-Kai renovations, May-June 2023: Historic restaurant’s new infrastructure begins to take shape”

Minimalist Tiki

New giant carved Tiki added to The Mai-Kai’s outdoor garden in time for 60th anniversary

Updated June 2019

A new icon will greeted guests at the 60th anniversary celebration at the historic Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale. Looming 12 feet tall in the outdoor Tiki garden is Hiroa Nui, a new carving by a local artist who has spearheaded a resurgence of traditional artwork at the acclaimed Polynesian restaurant.
Related: The Mai-Kai turns 60 with special history presentations, celebration

Hiroa Nui was installed in The Mai-Kai's outdoor Tiki garden on Dec. 26. (Photo by Will Anders)Hiroa Nui was installed in The Mai-Kai’s outdoor Tiki garden on Dec. 26. (Photo by Will Anders)

The Tiki, carved out of Florida oak, is 7 feet tall with a 2-foot base and stands on a 3-foot pedestal that once contained other notable Tikis over the years. It’s in the perfect spot for a photo op in front of the restaurant’s distinctive sign as guests wander through the lush tropical garden. “I wanted to set it up so you can get that magic picture with The Mai-Kai sign,” Anders said.
Past coverage: ‘King Kai’ leads procession of new Tikis into The Mai-Kai (June 2016)

Mireille Thornton poses with the original Tiki that inspired Anders' carving in a photo from the 1963 Mai-Kai calendar, just a year after she became choreographer of the Polynesian Islander Revue.
Mireille Thornton poses with the original Tiki that inspired Anders’ carving in a photo from the 1963 Mai-Kai calendar, just a year after she became choreographer of the Polynesian Islander Revue.

Hiroa Nui was installed on Monday, Dec. 26, after just 30 days of work by the diminutive but immensely talented carver. The work was done mainly with a chainsaw and angle grinder, Anders said, with some detail work done by chisel. The hard wood was “pretty formidable to chisel,” he said.

Anders was inspired to create the traditional Tahitian carving by an old Tiki that once stood in a similar position in the garden. Photos are rare, but it was most famously pictured in the 1963 Mai-Kai calendar along with Mireille Thornton after she became choreographer of The Mai-Kai’s Polynesian Islander Revue, the longest-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States, including Hawaii. She married owner Bob Thornton in 1974 and took over after his death in 1989.

A native of Tahiti, Mireille is kept the South Seas tradition alive for the past three decades while at the helm of the restaurant along with her son, managing owner Dave Levy. Anders, along with other Florida artists such as Tom Fowner and Jeff Chouinard, have recently contributed massive new carvings in the traditional styles of Polynesia.

Tiki Central: See more photos, info on the installation of Hiroa Nui

NEW: The Mai-Kai Walking Tour on Marooned: A Texas Tiki Podcast
The Mai-Kai Walking Tour on Marooned: A Texas Tiki Podcast Join Will Anders for a special history tour with manager Kern Mattei and The Atomic Grog’s Hurricane Hayward and learn all about his work.