There are restaurants that serve cocktails—and then there are restaurants that serve legacy. For nearly seven decades, The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale has stood as a hallowed temple of Polynesian Pop, where waterfalls rush beneath torch-lit palms, rum flows like ritual, and time slips away somewhere between the sound of drums and the shimmer of a sequined skirt.
But in 2019, a catastrophic water main break collapsed part of the kitchen roof—damaging the famed Chinese brick ovens and shuttering the iconic restaurant indefinitely. To many, it felt like the final curtain for a place that had long been more experience than eatery.
It wasn't. It was just intermission.
From Ruin to Rebirth
Enter Bill Fuller, the Miami-based hospitality visionary whose childhood memories of The Mai-Kai burned bright. With his partners at Mad Room Hospitality and in collaboration with the Thornton family, who have operated the Mai-Kai since 1956, Fuller led a three-year, $20 million+ restoration that would transform not just the building, but the entire guest journey.
“This wasn’t just a renovation—it was a preservation,” Fuller says. “Every lamp, every tile, every carving was protected, restored, or rebuilt. We even sourced the original slate from a Connecticut quarry to match the floor.” Over 275 handmade lanterns were meticulously reengineered, now fitted with LED lighting. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC—all brought to modern code while leaving the soul intact.
Even the gardens got a dramatic glow-up, now complete with a smoking volcano and new roundabout that sets the stage before guests even step through the doors. And from the moment you arrive, you’re greeted with a resounding “Aloha” and “Mahalo,” ushering you into a world untouched by time.
For GM Kern Mattei, It’s Personal
Mai-Kai General Manager Kern Mattei didn’t just help steward the rebuild—he lived it. His parents met at the restaurant in the 1960s: his mother, a Tahitian dancer; his father, a manager. “I grew up at The Mai-Kai,” he says. “To see it brought back to life with such care—it’s emotional. I watched crews pouring their blood and sweat into it. I was lucky to be part of that.”
Where the Secrets Stay Secret
Much of The Mai-Kai’s mystique lies behind the bar—quite literally. Though every drink is made to order, the proprietary blends of syrups and juices are pre-batched in a locked room. Since 1956, only six bar managers have ever known the full recipes, including those for icons like the Barrel O’ Rum, Jet Pilot, and Black Magic.
And while the classics remain, the updated cocktail list introduces inventive newcomers like the Brown Butter Old Fashioned, a tropical reimagining of the speakeasy staple, and a Tequila Tiki with a mezcal twist.
“All of our syrups are made in-house,” Mattei adds. “We use custom rum blends, fresh juices—it’s all crafted, nothing is off the shelf.”
A Menu with Roots and Reach
The food menu is intentionally leaner now—partly due to the roof collapse that destroyed the area housing the original Chinese ovens. Those vintage ovens, including their bricks, were carefully salvaged and are slated for rebuild in Phase 2 of the renovation.
Yet the flavors that made The Mai-Kai famous endure. The Pupu Platter still arrives sizzling and celebratory, complete with egg rolls, teriyaki beef, ribs, and bacon-wrapped shrimp. New additions, however, offer modern flair: the Bourbon Lobster Pad Thai layers buttery lobster claw meat with wok-charred noodles and Thai basil heat, while the Skirt Steak Luau is a chargrilled standout infused with smoky-sweet island flavors.
A Revue Like No Other
At the heart of the experience is the show—a thunderous, transportive performance that first debuted in 1961 under the direction of Mireille Thornton, former dancer and later co-owner. It is the longest-running Polynesian floor show in the United States, including Hawaii.
Now under the direction of Teuruhei Buchin, the nightly revue has been reimagined with deep cultural care. Costumes feature hand-painted tapa cloth, mother of pearl, feathers, abalone, and flowers. Each year’s show honors a new facet of South Pacific life at the turn of the century, blending traditional storytelling with vibrant, heart-pounding choreography.
It’s not just entertainment—it’s ancestral memory, danced into the present.
A Legend That Lives On
With Phase 1 complete and future expansions to come, The Mai-Kai is once again what it was always meant to be: not just a place to dine or drink, but to disappear—into another world, another time, another rhythm entirely.
Because true escapism doesn’t need reinvention. It just needs reverence—and a few good secrets kept.
This wasn’t just a renovation—it was a preservation. Every lamp, every tile, every carving was protected, restored, or rebuilt.