Don the Beachcomber
| Donn Beach | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt February 22, 1907 Limestone County, Texas |
| Died | June 7, 1989 (aged 82) Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
Donn Beach (February 22, 1907 – June 7, 1989), born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, was the founding father of tiki restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. The many so-called "Polynesian" restaurants and pubs that have enjoyed varying degrees of popularity over the last 80 years are directly descended from what he created. After years of being called Don the Beachcomber because of his original bar/restaurant, Gantt changed his name several times, first using Donn Beach-Comber, then Donn Beachcomber, and finally settling on Donn Beach, which became his legal name.
Gantt, a Limestone County, Texas native, had left home in 1926 and traveled around the world on his own, scouring many of the islands of the Caribbean and the South Pacific.
A former bootlegger during Prohibition he moved to Hollywood in the 1930s. Gantt opened a bar called "Don's Beachcomber" in 1933 at 1722 N. McCadden Place. In 1937, the restaurant moved across the street to 1727 N. McCadden Pl. and its name was changed to Don The Beachcomber. He mixed potent rum cocktails in his tropically decorated bar. This was such an escape from everyday life, it quickly gained popularity, especially with Hollywood celebrities. At "Don the Beachcomber", customers ate what seemed like wonderfully exotic cuisines, but, in actuality, were mostly standard Cantonese dishes served with flair. The first "pu pu platter" was probably served there. A competitor's attempt at a copy of his Zombie cocktail (a rum drink) was served at the 1939 New York World's Fair. He also was known for creating "Tahitian Rum Punch," "Navy Grog" and many other cocktails.
Gantt was a Major in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II as an operator of officer rest-and-recreation centers. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star while setting up rest camps for combat-weary airmen of the 12th and 15th Air Forces in Capri, Nice, Cannes, the French Riviera, Venice, the Lido and Sorrento at the order of his friend, Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle. When Gantt was serving his country, Don the Beachcomber flourished under his ex-wife's management, turning into a chain with 16 restaurants.
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