Trader Vic
Encyclopedia
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. (December 10, 1902, San Francisco, California – October 11, 1984, Hillsborough, California
Hillsborough, California
Hillsborough is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hillsborough is one of the wealthiest communities in America and has the highest income of places in the United States with populations of at least 10,000...
) was the founder of a chain of Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n-themed restaurants that bore his nickname, "Trader Vic," and was one of two people who claimed to have invented the Mai Tai
Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is an alcoholic cocktail based on rum, Curaçao liqueur, and lime juice, associated with "Polynesian-style" settings.-History:It was purportedly invented at the Trader Vic's restaurant in Oakland, California in 1944. Trader Vic's rival, Don the Beachcomber, claimed to have created it in...
. The other was his amicable competitor for many years, Don the Beachcomber
Don the Beachcomber
Donn Beach , born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, is the founding father of tiki restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The many so-called "Polynesian" restaurants and pubs that enjoyed great popularity are directly descended from what he created...
.
Biography and expansion
Bergeron attended Heald CollegeHeald College
Heald College is a for-profit, business-career college with multiple campuses in the Western United States. Prior to its acquisition by Corinthian Colleges Heald was a non-profit private College....
in San Francisco, California. On November 17, 1934, using $500 in borrowed money, Bergeron opened a small bar/restaurant across from his parent's grocery store, at San Pablo Avenue and 65th Street in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. He named it Hinky Dink's. As its popularity spread, the menu and decor developed an increasingly tropical flair, and Hinky Dink's soon became Trader Vic's. In 1940 the first franchised Trader Vic's opened in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. In 1950, Bergeron opened a Trader Vic's location in Hawaii and in 1951 at 20 Cosmo Place in San Francisco. The chain of restaurants grew and is credited as one of the first successful themed chains, a marketing model which many other restaurants followed. In 1972 the original location in Oakland was closed and replaced by a bayfront restaurant in nearby Emeryville
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
, now considered the flagship restaurant of the chain.
During the Tiki culture
Tiki culture
Tiki kitsch culture is a 20th-century theme used in Polynesian-style restaurants and clubs originally in the United States and then, to a lesser degree, around the world...
fad of the 1950s and 1960s, as many as 25 Trader Vic's restaurants were in operation around the world, all featuring the popular mix of Polynesian
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
artifacts, unique cocktails, and exotic cuisine. In the 1980s and 1990s, the chain began to shrink as a new generation of people had little or no connection to the restaurants' tiki theme. Poor locations or less trendy addresses took a toll on the chain's popularity. While many of the original locations have closed, Trader Vic's once again has grown to 25 locations around the globe As of 2010 there are six Trader Vic's restaurants in the United States, three in Europe, seven in the Middle East, and three in East Asia. The Trader Vic's Corporation also franchises restaurants and bars under the names the Mai-Tai Lounge, Trader Vic's Island Bar & Grill and Señor Pico.
Books of recipes and stories
- Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink (1946)
- Bartender's Guide by Trader Vic (1947)
- Trader Vic's Kitchen Kibitzer (1952)
- Trader Vic's Pacific Island Cookbook (1968)
- Trader Vic's Bartenders Guide (1972)
- The Menehunes (1972)
- Trader Vic's Book of Mexican Cooking (1973)
- Trader Vic's Helluva Man's Cookbook (1976)
Books published by third parties
- Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails & Food to Share with Friends
- Cocktails of the South Pacific and Beyond (with a detailed early history of Trader Vic's original location)
Media References
- Warren ZevonWarren ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
mentioned drinking pina coladas at Trader Vic's in his song Werewolves of LondonWerewolves of London"Werewolves of London" is a rock song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.The single was released by Asylum as...
.
Headquarters
The company has its headquarters in Emeryville, in the San Francisco Bay Area.At times the company had its headquarters in several locations in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, including Corte Madera
Corte Madera, California
Corte Madera is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Corte Madera is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet . The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census...
and San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
.