The Mai Kai
Source: Letter to the Editor, Sun-Sentinel Jan. 3. 2007. Remember the architect of the Mai-Kai:
A celebration of Mai-Kai's 50th birthday ("An Old Flame," Dec. 27) should include recognition of its architect, Fort Lauderdale's esteemed Charles McKirahan, who shared a love of all things Polynesian with the restaurant owners, Bob and Jack Thornton.
As "Spring Breakers" from Wilmette, Ill., the Thornton brothers had fallen in love with subtropical Fort Lauderdale and were determined to return to start a business. Their favorite Chicago restaurant, "Don the Beachcomber," gave them the idea for a Polynesian-themed restaurant. (When they bought some land in the middle of nowhere along U.S. 1 north of Oakland Park, there was no stop light from Oakland Park Boulevard to Pompano Beach.)
In 1947, McKirahan moved to Fort Lauderdale to seek a future in design. He was 28, near the age of the Thorntons. Wartime service in the Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific theater had left McKirahan with a similar passion for the South Pacific. Thus a natural team was formed to create this beloved and enduring destination.
Some of McKirahan's other (standing) Fort Lauderdale structures: Manhattan Tower, Birch Tower, Birch House, Coral Ridge Yacht Club, Coral Ridge County Club, Coral Cove Condominium, Bayview Office Building, two of the Coral Ridge Tower condominiums, Everglades House, Sky Harbour, and the Times Square and Castro Furniture buildings on Federal Highway.
The Broward Trust has placed the Mai-Kai on its Web site list of significant Broward County architecture (browardtrust.org) and believes the "Old Flame" qualifies for both local and national designation as a historic landmark.
Copyright: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - 2007
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