In the 1960s, a craze for Polynesian-themed restaurants swept the country, and Memphis had a really nice one. Developed by Dobbs Houses, the Luau was located on Poplar, right across the street from East High School.
Featuring faux-Polynesian architecture, interiors, and cuisine, it was a hit with Memphians of all ages. Most people remember the giant stone head (made of poured concrete) that stood by the entrance, modeled after the mysterious, massive heads found on Easter Island.
But even though just about everybody I know ate there at least once, few people seemed to have bothered taking a photo of it, either outside or inside. People didn't carry "smart" cameras around in their pockets and purses as they do today.
So I'm always pleased when any image of the place turns up, and going through some old correspondence, I just now discovered that a reader from Bartlett, Corinne Richey, had sent me a somewhat grainy snapshot of her family standing outside the restaurant sometime in the 1970s.
Although the photographer was mainly (and literally) focusing on the people, you can clearly see the imposing entrance to the building, the eye-catching Luau sign, and look carefully, and you can see that giant stone head — just the top of it, to the right of the sign.
The people shown here are, left to right, Frances Mann, John Richey, Amos Mann, and Corinne Richey.
Thanks for sharing the photo, Corinne.
