Two weeks ago, I wrote about broadcast personality Kini Popo, who had a pet chimp as a co-host of his morning TV show in the 1950s. It made me think that many Hawaii companies have an association with animals.
Here are some that have an animal in their name or logo and their back stories.
>> Lion Coffee: Founder James Delano came upon the distinctive logo and artwork of the former Lion Coffee of Toledo, Ohio, and adopted it for his Hawaii company. Founded in 1864, the original Lion Coffee pioneered selling roasted beans in sealed bags.
>> Hungry Lion: Roy Shimonishi wanted the name of his restaurant to incorporate the word “hungry,” paired with an animal. He considered a boar or mynah bird but picked a lion because of its ferocious appetite and because it is the king of the jungle. The Hungry Lion was formerly at the Nuuanu Shopping Center.
>> Elephant & Castle: Many Leeward Oahu residents remember this Waimalu restaurant but few know how it got its unusual name. Former owner Emilio Quiton told me the name came from an old English story about a young Spanish princess who traveled to England to marry a prince in order to join the royal houses of England and Spain.
“She was called La Infanta de Castilla, which meant ‘the infant girl from Castille,’ a province of Spain. But people in England could not understand this phrase and heard it as ‘Elephant and Castle.’”
>> Moose McGillycuddy’s: This bar opened in Waikiki in 1980 as Bullwinkle’s, but the name was challenged by the owners of the cartoon character. In 1983, they kept the moose logo but changed the name. They have another in Kihei, Maui. (Bullwinkle’s/Moose McGillycuddy’s used to have a pub at Puck’s Alley in Moiliili that was originally known as The Blue Goose.)
>> Elks and Lions clubs: We’ve had an Elks Club in Hawaii since 1901. The fraternal order began in 1868 as the Jolly Corks, a private drinking club established by a small group of entertainers. We also have Lions Clubs in Hawaii. The first was founded in 1917 in Chicago. Founders chose the animal as a symbol of strength and courage, but LIONS is also an acronym for “Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation’s Safety.”
>> The Pig & The Lady: Andrew Le, who was born in the Year of the Pig and has a tattoo of a pig on his arm, founded this restaurant downtown on King Street (“the lady” is his mother, Loan Le). The family also owns Piggy Smalls in Ward Village.
>> Pearl City Tavern Monkey Bar: Pearl City Tavern began in 1939 as Mae’s Drive-in and soon moved a block away to the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Lehua Avenue. The tavern was famous for its Monkey Bar, which began as a misnomer.
Owners Irene and George Fukuoka had several different animals, including a gorilla. Patrons began referring to the bar as the Monkey Bar, and after the gorilla died, they put spider monkeys in a glass enclosure behind the bar. The question patrons would ask was: “Who was watching whom — the monkeys or the people?”
>> Pet names: Spot’s Inn, formerly on Dillingham Boulevard, was named for the owner’s Dalmatian. Bogart’s, on Monsarrat Avenue, was also named for the family dog. Rampy’s in Lihue was named for a cat found at the airport. During World War II there was a Black Cat Cafe on Hotel and Richards streets.
>> Topo Gigio Italian Bistro: This Hilo eatery was named after a mouse puppet on Ed Sullivan’s TV show.
>> Gyu-Kaku: The Kapiolani yakiniku restaurant’s name means “bull’s horns.” It is part of a chain of 650 restaurants.
>> Lung Fung: This Niu Valley restaurant gets it name from two mythological creatures. Lung Fung means “dragon and phoenix” in Chinese. Dragons represent males and the phoenix represents females.
>> Mariposa: The name of the restaurant at Neiman Marcus means “butterfly” in Spanish.
>> Flamingo restaurants (Moanalua 99 and Waimalu): The business began in 1950 as the Olympic Grill. Owner Steven Nagamine visited Las Vegas and the Flamingo Hotel’s logo caught his eye. It was busy and profitable, and he adopted the name and logo.
>> Waialae Country Club: The Hawaiian name translates to “mud hen water.” Ed Kenney’s Mud Hen Water restaurant is on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki.
>> Mynah Bird Drive In: This was the former name of the Kahala fast-food joint that later became Jolly Roger Drive-In and now Zippy’s.
>> Cock’s Roost & Crow’s Nest: Iva Kinimaka performed at the Roost, an upstairs bar at the International Market Place. Nearby, the Crow’s Nest above the Jolly Roger restaurant featured a great musical comedy duo called the Blue Kangaroo in the 1970s.
>> The Shorebird: This restaurant in the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort opened in 1979 and is a great place to grill your own meal and dine on the beach.
>> Two birds in one: There’s New Eagle Cafe on Nimitz Highway, and I fondly remember Bluebird Drive In in Pearl City.
>> Donald Duck Drive-in: Many of you probably remember Bea’s Drive-In on Kapiolani Boulevard near King Street. Bea Miyasato used the name of the famous cartoon character until Disney objected.
>> Petland: Following World War II, Jiro Matsui opened Honolulu Aquarium & Pet Supplies on Union Street downtown. When Ala Moana Center opened in 1959, he was one of the first tenants. The store’s name was Birdland. He soon expanded to other animals and called the store Petland.
>> Malolo Beverages & Supplies: Founded in 1927, the name of this company known for its colorful syrups means “flying fish” in Hawaiian. (Matson Navigation Co. had a ship called the Malolo.)
>> Tale of two turtles: What began as Del Webb’s Kuilima hotel in 1972 is now called the Turtle Bay Resort. Hilo has a Moon & Turtle restaurant.
>> Piggly Wiggly: There used to be 11 of these supermarkets in Hawaii. The chain, whose logo sports a Porky Pig look-alike, began in Memphis, Tenn., in 1916 as the first, true self-service grocery in America. There are more than 600 stores still in the U.S. today.
LOGOS AND MASCOTS
Many Hawaii companies have an animal logo or mascot. The most famous might be Roberts Hawaii’s rabbit, running on the side of the tour company’s buses and waving on the back.
Robert Iwamoto attended a dog race in Tijuana, Mexico, where the greyhound dogs chased a mechanical rabbit and never caught it. Greyhound was his competitor, so he chose the rabbit as his logo. When Greyhound left Hawaii, Roberts added a rabbit waving goodbye on the back of the bus, a dig at his former rival.
Greyhound began in Minnesota in 1914. The company name came from the reflection of a bus in a store window. It reminded the driver of a greyhound dog.
Meadow Gold has Lani Moo — Hawaii’s most famous cow — and Central Pacific Bank has “Alex the Loyalty Officer,” a Shetland sheepdog, as its mascot.
Yummy Korean Bar-B-Q owner Peter Kim said he chose Hodori the Tiger, the 1988 Seoul Olympics mascot, (with permission) because his first restaurant opened about that time in 1987.
A rooster was the mascot of Arakawa’s in Waipahu. At one time, the store had rooster-crowing and chicken-cackling contests in its parking lot, according to my friend Goro Arakawa.
Andy’s Drive Inn in Kailua had Andy Panda. A camel was the logo for Middle East Deli, first at Cooke and Queen streets, then in Times Supermarket on King. The now-closed Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in Waikiki had parrots. Oink’s at Ward Centre had a pig in its logo.
That’s more than 40 companies I can think of. I’m sure I’ve overlooked many others. Can my readers point some out?
ON THE MOVE
This is my last column for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Sunday Magazine. “Rearview Mirror” will be moving back to its former location in the Local & Business section effective Friday. See you then.
Bob Sigall, author of “The Companies We Keep” series of books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories of Hawaii people, places and companies. Contact him via email at sigall@yahoo.com.
