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After 49 years as a Waikiki landmark, the Wailana Coffee House’s days are down to just a few — the last meals will be served this weekend. Read more

There weren’t many places to go in Honolulu, circa 1950s and ’60s, where you could satisfy a craving for a midnight snack, or where bar hoppers and night-shift workers could unwind with a comforting meal in the wee hours.

The Wailana Coffee House provided that and more, everything from breakfast to dinner, and moreover a welcoming hangout.

But after 49 years as a Waikiki landmark, the Wailana’s days are down to just a few — the last meals will be served Sunday.

Since the restaurant’s closure was announced in August, old customers have been bidding aloha to this holdover of an age of simpler pleasures. They’re recalling what they’ve always ordered, the gang they arrived with, or the way longtime bartenders and servers made them feel welcome.

WAILANA COFFEE HOUSE 1860 Ala Moana Blvd.

Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through Sunday

955-1764

The last day of service was supposed to have been Sept. 30, but co-owner Kenton Tom yielded to requests to extend that date so people could eat there “one last time.” Tom attributed the restaurant’s shutdown not to dwindling clientele, but to a half-century of wear and tear on the facilities. They’re in dire need of an extensive overhaul, he said, and the $1 million price tag is too high.

“We’re all sad, but the decision has been a long time in coming because (renovation) was such a big investment.”

THE FAMILY

The Wailana was founded by Tom’s parents, Francis and Mary Tom, who infused the business with the spirit of ohana repeatedly mentioned by staff and customers. It’s been run by their children — Kenton, his brother Malcolm Tom and sister Joanna Leong, for 15 years, after their parents died.

All the kids worked in the restaurant from age 10 or 12.

THE BUSINESS

It all started in 1947 with a concession stand called Kapiolani Drive Inn, next to the Honolulu Zoo. The restaurant moved to its current location on the corner of Ena Road and Ala Moana Boulevard in 1949. In 1969 it was restyled as a diner to boost business, Tom said.

His dad upgraded the property with developer Bruce Stark, who came up with the name “Wailana,” Hawaiian for “floating on water.”

Mary Tom was at first skeptical that the Ena Road site would be busy enough, but “eventually word got around, and people found us,” she told author Bob Sigall, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Rearview Mirror” columnist, who wrote about the Wailana in the first edition of his book, “The Companies We Keep.” The area was transformed once the Ilikai and Hilton Hawaiian Village hotels were built. “Waikiki expanded to include us,” she said. “Now it’s a great location. We’re busy 24 hours a day.”

CLAIM TO FAME

Customers have been flocking back for the best-selling meatloaf, oxtail soup and pancakes. Also popular are the “broasted” (pressure-fried) chicken and eggs Benedict.

The restaurant has been offering a kamaaina discount on the oxtail soup since Sept. 13 because the dish has been selling like crazy among locals, Kenton Tom said. Once a Thursday-only special, it’s now offered on weekends, too.

A must-have is the Meatloaf Extraordinaire that dates to the first days of the restaurant. The sales pitch on the menu: “Taste What Pride Can Do. Freshly Made Meat Loaf. Crusty on the Outside, Moist and Tender on the Inside. A Delightful Zing of Seasonings …” It sells for $17.95, which includes salad bar, beverage, hot roll and dessert.

POP HISTORY

Nightclub entertainers, including Don Ho, found the Wailana a relaxing after-work hangout, Tom said, and “in those days nightclubbing was big.”

The restaurant was used as a backdrop on four episodes of “Hawaii Five-0,” both the old (1968-1980) and new series (rebooted in 2010). His employees enjoyed being captured in cameo spots, Tom added.

He said it was nice how cast members on other random episodes mentioned the Wailana for its famous hotcakes, or just as a good place to meet. Its iconic setting became a lure to tourists, spotlighting local flavor with the Hilton in the background.

One of the oldest memory keepers is Herbert Murayama, 90, who worked as a cook-helper at the Wailana for eight years starting in 1947, when it was still Kapiolani Drive Inn.

It was basically a hamburger joint with car-hop service — the “in spot” known by its neon sign with an animated hula girl and a man strumming an ukulele. Murayama remembers when the Toms’ longtime partners, Harry Tenn and Ah Fun Chun, were still on the scene. Francis Tom’s brother and sister, Joe and Violet Tom, also worked there.

Along with hamburgers and fries, the drive-in made huge pots of chili and the Orange Freeze drink was also a hit. While he loved the chili, “I miss the hot-fudge sundae the most.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Tom children own the Wailana at Waikiki, the 24-story condo that houses the restaurant, and are considering what to do with the restaurant space. Their 100 employees are in high demand in the tight job market, Tom said, and many restaurants have asked to interview them.

This doesn’t make the closure any easier for the staff, many of them old hands.

“It’s like my home, very comfortable,” said Juliet Acosta, a waitress for 23 years. “Kenton — he’s a wonderful boss; he treats us like family. That’s why everybody wants to stay.”

Tom said he’s been overwhelmed by the calls and letters he’s received from regular mainland visitors, and local customers have been booking their last parties there. “A lot of people have said they’re heartbroken we’re closing.”

After the doors close for good, his family will most “miss the people, the workers especially, and all our loyal customers, our very friendly customers.”

WAILANA COFFEE HOUSE MEATLOAF EXTRAORDINAIRE

4 pounds ground beef

2 large eggs

1 medium carrot, peeled and minced

3 celery stalks, minced

1 medium onion, minced

5 teaspoons chicken base

2-1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning

4 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2.8 ounces (about 2/3 cup) cracker meal

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients. Divide into 2 large loaf pans (or 4-6 smaller pans). Bake 1 hour, or until cooked through in center (smaller pans will be done sooner). Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 380 calories, 24 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 31 g protein.

GRAVY BASICS

The cooks were unable to provide a recipe for the Wailana’s brown gravy, only that it includes beef broth, a bay leaf, rosemary, white pepper and garlic powder, thickened with a flour roux, and with Kitchen Bouquet to deepen the brown color. For serving with meatloaf, add chopped dill pickles, chives and capers.

“Old Friends” catches up with longtime local food producers. It runs on the third week of each month. Email suggestions to crave@staradvertiser.com or call Pat Gee at 529-4749.