4 August 2012 - Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut Opens in Mason

Mason, Michigan (USA)
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4 August 2012 - Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut Opens in Mason

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4 August 2012 - Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut Opens in Mason

Excitement was building as the day of the announced opening of Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut approached. As supper time arrived on the designated date I made the ride over on my new recumbant trike to check out the menu. When I arrived I found they were open and ready for business. I met the owners Jim & Debbie Cook and had a very interesting conversation, learning about their journey to opening this restaurant in Mason. Their concession trailer has been a frequent part of many festivals in Michigan, but finally they found a permanent home for their food service here in Mason. I also met their first customer Missy Bailey and watched as she signed the dollar bill that had been used in that first purchase (documented below). A scan of the menu and announcement of their ribbon cutting ceremony is shown following the photos.

All photos were all taken with an Olympus PEN E-PL2 camera and Panasonic 20/1.7 lens.

Click on any photo to see a larger version in a popup window.

Opening Day for Tiki Jims Hawaiian Food Hut, 4 August 2012, Olympus PEN E-PL2 with Panasonic 20/1.7 lens

As I rode my trike towards the new restaurant I approached from behind the Mason Grain Elevator, as shown above. Tiki Jim's is on the other side of the four storage units visible in this photograph. Then I arrived, backed up, and took the 2nd photo above, showing the building and my trike. To the right is the building as it appeared in the recent past. The windows were blocked with newsprint and the building still sported the paw prints that decorated the previous pet grooming business ... quite a transformation to the newly decorated building.

Above are the owners Jim & Debie Cook. I got the clear impression that this restaurant is a real labor of love for this pair. Their first customer Missy Bailey walked in while I was there. She is shown above as she signed the dollar bill that had been used in that first purchase. It will probably be mounted on the wall soon.

Above and below are photos of the window at the entrance and several of the different views inside. The owner gratiously agreed to take of photo of me (J. Franklin Campbell) on my trike outside the restaurant.

I finished up by taking a few photos outside the restaurant shown above. The last two of them show how close they are to the Mason Elevator Company. Debbie Cook promised to send me photos of Mason Mayor Leon Clark cutting the ribbon officially opening Tiki Jim's.

Below are some photos provided by Jim & Debbie Cook, owners of Tiki Jim's, along with some comments by Debbie. Below that is a scan of their menu and the announcement of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Click on the menu for a slightly larger version in a popup window.

First, we want to say THANK YOU for including Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut on your web page! We are very excited to have opened up our business in Mason! As promised, attached are a few photos of our "Hula Grass" cutting on opening day, August 4th ... because you just know that an ordinary ribbon just would not do for Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut. A very special thanks to Mason Mayor Leon Clark, his wife Georgie and Pat Hicks for sharing our special day with us. I've also included a few outdoor shots from opening day.

Thank you for your support, see you soon!

   Jim & Debbie Cook
   Tiki Jim's Hawaiian Food Hut
   100 State Street, Mason, MI 48854
   Phone: 517.676.7114
   Website: tikijimshawaiianfoodhut.com (under construction, coming soon)

Opening Day for Tiki Jims Hawaiian Food Hut, 4 August 2012

New menus posted on December 11, 2012
(Click on a menu for larger size in popup window)

Menu for Tiki Jim Hawaiian Food Hut December 2012

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