Tiki Bar Keeps Legacy of Columbus’ Kahiki Burning

When you mention the Kahiki to folks in Ohio, images of Columbus’ once grand five-story Polynesian palace are immediately conjured up. From its opening in1961 as one of the largest tiki-themed restaurants in the U.S, the Kahiki was where prom-goers, families and the rich and famous went to dine and celebrate until its closure in 2000.

Before you even walked into the Kahiki, it made a big impression. The front door was flanked by two towering Moai sculptures with flames shooting out of the top. Once an iconic symbol of the Aloha spirit in Central Ohio, one of the two famed Kahiki Moai has now been restored and greets patrons outside Huli Huli Tiki Lounge in Powell.

The two Moai were originally sculpted by Columbus artist and stonemason Philip E. Kientz and designed to be replicas of the Easter Island Moai carved by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500. They are believed to be the living faces of their deified ancestors, and many archaeologists feel the Moai were not only symbols of power but were actual repositories of sacred spirit.

Huli Huli acquired the Kahiki Moai from John “Tiki Skip” Holt in 2023, and in April of 2024 conducted a fundraiser that generated $13,000 — enough to make the restoration a reality. Huli Huli’s contractor, designer Rick Huffman, worked painstakingly over the course of a year to make certain every detail was meticulously rebuilt to be as close a match as possible to the original. The Moai was rebuilt from the original rebar so it could proudly stand once more as guardian of Central Ohio’s tiki legacy.

“I know the importance of maintaining the legacy of this iconic piece of Columbus history,” says Rick Ryan, Huli Huli manager and project lead on the restoration. “We felt that our customers and the patrons of the Kahiki would need to be involved, and we have done that throughout the restoration.”

As for me, having this piece of the Kahiki return to prominence makes my inner 7-year-old jump for joy in remembrance of my mom taking me to the Kahiki with my Reynoldsburg cub scout troop back in 1972. I had never seen anything so fantastic and magical in the Columbus of my childhood.

Toast to the Moai at home with the Hawaiian phrase “Hau’oli maoli ‘oe” (Happiness to You!) A sneak peek from my upcoming book Kahiki: Behind the Bar, this is the actual recipe for the Headhunter crafted by the Kahiki’s original bartender Sandro Conti, and shared by his son Franco. It was served in a tiki mug shaped like the Moai and made in Columbus by Hoffman Pottery.

The Headhunter

3 oz. Orange juice
3 oz. Pineapple juice
1½ oz. Guanabana juice
½ oz. Rock candy syrup
1 oz. Orange Curaco
1 oz. Barbancourt
2 oz. Bacardi 4 

Blend and pour unstrained into a glass. Add 1 scoop of cracked ice to fill. Decorate with a fruit stick and mint. Makes 12 oz., enough for three to four drinks.

Proof Magazine is for Ohio spirit lovers and is produced by Great Lakes Studios. Don’t miss an issue by subscribing to Ohio Magazine. View a digital version of the Proof Magazine Holiday 2025 edition here.