Detroit has a long history of tiki bars.
Apparently, on dull winter days, nothing seemed better to Detroiters in the 1950s and β60s than the escapism of a tiki bar complete with palm treesΜύand mai tais. But although the heyday of Detroitβs tiki bar scene is long past, its collections scattered to garage sales and secondhand stores, ultimately landing in home tiki bars. Which is why today, many of Detroitβs best tiki bars canβt be found on a map. Instead, theyβve gone underground, literally.
Metro Detroit has the Midwestβs best basement tiki bars, and the greatest maker of contemporary tiki statues supplying these private oases also happens to live in the area. Don Peterka of makes tikis admired by tiki bar devotees, called βtikiphilesβ β fans of tiki bars, all things vintage Hawaiian, and, of course, colorful cocktails.
A graphic designer, Peterka had been furloughed from his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to dive into making his unique cement tiki figures, a creative endeavor he had tried back in 2017. Jump to fall 2020, and Peterka was making his tikis by casting cement in a unique process that took him years to develop. While many tikis you might typically discover in commercial tiki bars are made from carved wood, Peterka wanted his statues to be able to withstand harsh Midwest winters.
βThe fact that heβs working in cement is very different,β explains Ed Schroeder, a Warren-residing basement tiki bar owner. He points out that most wood versions tend to be commercialized or cartoonish in style. Peterka agrees. βIβm not a fan of the βparty tiki,β the smiling tiki thatβs brightly colored,β he says. βIβm more into the look from the Polynesian or Cook islands.β After casting his pieces, he weathers them with a stain that patinas over time. βI want my tikis to look like youβre going through a tropical jungle and stumbled on them.β
While Peterka does combine elements that feel authentically Polynesian, he also weaves in justΜύthe right amount of tongue-in-cheek quality that coincides with Detroitβs kitschy tiki culture. For example, he spins tall tales for his pieces, saying they were unearthed at βa mud bank during the construction of the Ford Motor Company River Rouge Complex,β and at art fairs, heβll joke with visitors to his booth: βDid you know they found tikis when they built downtown Detroit, and they still donβt know if they were brought by the glaciers or if Polynesians paddled up through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel?β Most people realize heβs joking.
But itβs this fun quirkiness of Peterkaβs work that has captured tikiphilesβ attention, including Schroederβs. The two men first met when Peterka started selling his tikis at a local art festival, and Schroeder was so impressed with his work that he invited Peterka to stop by his basement tiki bar β βIndeed, he insisted I attend,β Peterka recalls with a chuckle.
There, Peterka, in turn, would be impressed with Schroederβs bar. βSome [basement tiki bars] are equal to or surpass some of the tiki bars in Detroit with their vintage collections from long-gone tiki establishments,β Peterka says. βSo it was a real treat getting to step inside one β plus, for home tiki bars, you know, you have to be invited by the person who owns it.β
After this visit, Peterkaβs tikis became constant guests at Schroederβs basement and many other private oases across the city and beyond. Peterka now sells his wares at tikiphile spots like the Atomic Tiki Bazaar at Maxβs South Seas Hideaway in Grand Rapids and online to people as far away as Florida and California, the birthplace of tiki bars via legendary restaurant Trader Vicβs.
How far Peterkaβs come isnβt lost on him. βI never thought I could turn it into a business,β he says, though he always loved tiki culture.
While growing up in Livonia, he was drawn to the giant tiki statues outside Detroitβs longest-running tiki bar, Chin Tiki, perhaps best known today by many for its appearance in Eminemβs movie 8 Mile. βWhen Sven Kirsten, author of and godfather to the latest rebirth of tiki culture, told me how much he liked my tikis, I knew they were special.β
Today, Peterka creates tiki figures, lamps, T-shirts, and glassware, and he also sells tiki-inspired jewelry crafted by his wife, Betty. Like the culture of basement tiki bars, everything he makes is playful. A βGreg Brady Must Dieβ T-shirt, alluding to the famous Brady Bunch Hawaiian episodes, is a bestseller. This year, Peterka will also be making a new tiki mug, large outdoor tiki figures, and an exclusive drink glass. Tikiphiles canβt wait.
Detroitβs Best Commercial Tiki Bars
Mai Tiki, Ferndale
This recent addition to the Detroit tiki bar scene βdo[es] the tiki genre proper,β Don Peterka, owner of Detroit Tiki Co., says. It builds on the grand tradition of hidden tiki bars, being concealed behind a secret door at the back end of . The menu is small but wonderful with pork bao, sushi rolls, and crab rangoon.
, Detroit
For Peterka, this tiki bar in Mexicantown stands out from the rest. βTheir attention to drinks and garnishes is outstanding, alongΜύwith the atmosphere. Youβll feel like youβre in the South Pacific smack dab in the middle of the Rust Belt,β he says.
Youβll feel like youβre in the South Pacific smack dab in the middle of the Rust Belt,β he says.
Learn more about Detroit Tiki Co. atΜύ.
This story originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit at a local retail outlet. OurΜύdigital editionΜύwill be available on May 6.Μύ
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