Tonga Room Plight Goes National

The plight of our favorite tiki bar has gone national, as the New York Times featured the threatened Tonga Room in its Friday Style section.

The Old Gray Lady seems to have let her hair down a bit, checking off a few visits to the Polynesian hideout under the Fairmont Hotel. Writer Jesse McKinley highlights the effort to save the Tonga Room from becoming a casualty of the Fairmont’s impending renovation as a move to preserve some of the city’s “zing:”

Over the last several years, San Francisco has had its raucous Halloween party canceled; its boozy Bay to Breakers footrace ordered to sober up; and its most famous sex club, the Power Exchange, just plain closed.

But the Tonga is more than another piece of Flair on San Francisco’s vest. It really is a historical resource. Built from the timbers and rigging of an old lumber schooner, and encapsulating the post-war fascination with the South Pacific, the dimly lit den with the Technicolor drinks has legitimate historical value, as well as kitsch.

Fortunately for Tonga fans, those working to preserve the space are not only exploding attendance records, they’re working with the San Francisco Young Preservationists to have the place officially declared a historical landmark. We’ll keep you posted on the progress. Meanwhile, sites like Save Tonga and the Tonga thread on Tiki Central are good starting points for those looking to get involved.

[Photo: Via Pargon/flickr]

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Tonga Room Plight Goes National