Hala Kahiki Hawaiian Shop

Information may not be reliable

Hala Kahiki offers a relaxing place to sit down with your friends, co-workers or a date to have a unique experience while enjoying an original drink. All generations (21 years and over) enjoy our tropical oasis tucked away in River Grove, Illinois. There is bar seating, forty tables inside and an additional fifteen tables, weather permitting, in our outdoor garden. There are over 100 tropical drinks on the menu, from Zombies and Mai Tais to ice cream and hot coffee drinks. There is also have a full bar and some bottled beer. A gift shop is located on the west side of the establishment, which carries everything from Hawaiian shirts and dresses to ceramic glasses, party favors and jewelry.

The Hala Kahiki was founded in 1963 by Rose & Stanley Sacharski and began as a neighborhood tavern on Fullerton & Lockwood named, The Lucky Start. The theme wasnt tropical from the beginning; that idea came from our customers.

The walls were in very poor condition and the easiest way to cover them up was with outdoor fencing that looked like bamboo from Sears and Roebuck. Once the customers saw the change, they asked if we were going to make the place into a tropical tiki bar. Everything snowballed from there.

The idea for the current name came from the owners son, Sonny. He was reading Dennis the Menace Goes to Hawaii. In the Vocabulary section, Hala Kahiki was mentioned, which is a pineapple plantation in Hawaii. Hala Kahiki means House of Pineapple and the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality.

The location was originally built as a greenhouse, but prior to it becoming the Hala Kahiki, the property was a bar called the Glasshouse which catered to truckers. To create a more date like atmosphere, the bar was transformed into a tropical tiki bar with 7 tables along with the bar. As business expanded extra rooms were added every one to two years. Fifteen years after opening the outdoor garden was transformed to have seating and the gift shop was opened.