Sometimes, a really good book inspires you to learn more or investigate further. This book, a biography, I just finished sure did that to me. I just finished it and now I want to:
- Research this book’s fascinating entrepreneur more
- Buy some Hawaiian/Polynesian records (I did buy one!)
- Spend a Happy Hour at some Tiki Bar
- Order a pu pu platter
- Ask my bartender to make me Zombie (the rum drink, not Walking Dead style)
Korero’s latest book is called Searching for Don the Beachcomber, Inventor of the Tiki Bar. It’s lovingly researched by Tim “Swanky” Glazner. I didn’t know this before reading the book, but the whole notion of Tiki Bars and Polynesian restaurants was all made up. Several people contributed to what is now called Tiki Culture, but the guy who started it was Ernest Gantt, who later became Donn Beach and/or Don the Beach-comber.
I understand fans and sports. Of course, I understand comic fans and movie fans. But didn’t realize that today Tiki culture is “a thing: complete with fan conventions celebrating nostalgic/idealized music collectibles and cocktails. Sounds like fun!
And, as author Glanzer shows in this book, it Ernest Gantt, who wasn’t from Hawaii or the South Seas, applied his entrepreneurial and hospitality skills to create the Tiki Bars. It’s an amazing tale with some perplexing personal relationships (his wives, his competition, his teams/employees, etc.) and its fascinating to better understand how we got to where are in 2026.
Of note, Ernest/Don’s WWII time in the services sounds fascinating. I’m not sure what the statute of limitations for mischief from 1994 is, is, but it was if nobody didn’t want to talk about no one doing nothing.
But the author, Tim “Swanky” Glanzer, has chops. He understands this fandom, and in fact was a co-founder of one of the long running shows. And he tracked down some many people in order to get first-hand information for this book.
This book is gorgeous, with outstanding photos of Gantt, the celebrities he ran with and all the Tiki miscellanea and nostalgic collectibles. I don’t need anything more to collect, but I can still salivate over the goofy charm with which all these items are imbued.
Even though it’s a weighty tome, perfect for both your coffee table and your poolside cabana, it only scratches the surface. There’s almost a feeling that the author is too genteel, and unwilling to investigate—or reveal—what really happened wit Eric/Donn’s wives or with the mob.
At Ithaca College, where I work, I’m in a book club and we’re reading a book that tries to make sense of AI and where we’re going next. I expect to learn a lot. But…I kind of wish we had this book. It would have tagged the bases for entrepreneurism and trailblazing. And it would have been tailor-made for the book club meetings to be held at the new Tiki Bar in town.
Highly recommended. Even without a cocktail.
Searching for Don the Beachcomber, Inventor of the Tiki Bar
Publisher : Korero Press
Publication date : December 1, 2026
Language : English
Print length : 208 pages
ISBN-10 : 1912740265
