| Trader Vic was the nickname of Victor Jules | | | | many of these original locations have since closed |
| Bergeron, Jr., who was born in 1902. He was the | | | | with the decline of the tiki fad, tiki culture is |
| founder of a chain of Polynesian-themed | | | | currently experiencing a resurgence, and along |
| restaurants, each of which bore his nickname. | | | | with it, Trader Vic's has recently opened several |
| Along with Don the Beachcomber, purveyor of a | | | | new locations. At each of today's incarnations of |
| competing chain of tiki-style restaurants, Victor | | | | Trader Vic's restaurants, a wood-fired oven |
| claimed to have invented the Mai Tai drink. | | | | slowly roasts meat to perfection in traditional |
| Trader Vic's tiki restaurant chain began in 1934, | | | | island style. |
| when he opened a small bar and restaurant near | | | | In addition to his popular chain of restaurants, |
| his parents' grocery store in Oakland, California. | | | | Victor also published several food and drink recipe |
| Known as Hinky Dink's, this restaurant had a | | | | drinks and story books with a Polynesian or tiki |
| tropical flare, but had not yet developed the full | | | | theme. More than simply the founder of a |
| tiki style for which later Trader Vic's restaurants | | | | restaurant chain, Victor influenced cuisine |
| would be known. Through the years, Hinky Dink's | | | | nationwide as one of the very first theme |
| developed an increasingly Polynesian or Hawaiian | | | | restaurants, not to mention the popularization of |
| theme, which would be carried through Victors | | | | tiki cuisine and culture. Bergeron himself was |
| other theme restaurants. | | | | known for his penchant for telling colorful and |
| By 1936, Trader Vic left behind Oakland and his | | | | exciting stories to visitors of his restaurant. A |
| Hinky Dink's restaurant to travel the world. | | | | popular host, Bergeron invented potent tropical |
| Immersing himself in Polynesian culture, he | | | | drinks and Americanized many traditional |
| returned invigorated, with a clear mission to inject | | | | Polynesian foods, while serving standard American |
| the spirit of the islands into his restaurants so that | | | | or Asian dishes with a tropical flair. |
| those on the mainland could enjoy this relaxing | | | | Bergeron is said to have created the Mai Tai rum |
| and exotic culture in their everyday lives. Many of | | | | cocktail at his restaurant in 1944. The name of |
| the artifacts seen in his earliest restaurants were | | | | the drink means "the very best" in Tahitian. He is |
| those gathered during his travels in the mid-1930s. | | | | also known for dozens of other unique |
| As the tiki craze grew during the 1950s and | | | | concoctions; today over 200 original drinks can be |
| 1960s, Bergeron took this opportunity to build his | | | | found at Trader Vic's bars. Many of these |
| restaurant into a chain which was soon seen at | | | | carefully guarded secrets have never been |
| quite trendy. As many as 25 Trader Vic's | | | | printed in Trader Vic's menus or books; some of |
| locations opened around the world. Each was | | | | these mystery concoctions must be asked for by |
| known for an unusual mix of Polynesian style, | | | | name, and are served in special figural glasses. |
| original cocktail recipes, and exotic cuisine. Although | | | | |