Chicago, but make it Waikiki. Club Waikiki promised Hawaiian food, cocktails, and “authentic atmosphere” at 804 Wilson Avenue, which is exactly the kind of mid-century confidence we like around here: palm trees on the wall, island music in the room, and Lake Michigan politely pretending to be the Pacific.
This design revives a bright little scrap of Chicago tropical nightlife, complete with palms, sunset, lagoon-blue water, and a hula girl holding court like winter never stood a chance. It is part restaurant matchbook, part vacation postcard, part evidence that you did not need an ocean to sell the South Seas. You just needed a good sign, a strong drink, and a room willing to lie beautifully.
Product details: vintage-inspired tiki graphic tee featuring Club Waikiki artwork from 804 Wilson Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Designed for fans of lost Chicago restaurants, Hawaiian supper clubs, vintage tiki bars, mid-century tropical cocktails, old restaurant ephemera, and Polynesian pop design.
Unisex graphic t-shirt
Subject: Club Waikiki / Honolulu Harry’s Waikiki
Location: 804 Wilson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Era: 1950s
Theme: Hawaiian food, tropical cocktails, Chicago tiki, Polynesian pop, lost restaurants
Style: vintage matchbook / postcard-inspired restaurant graphic
Print look: distressed retro illustration with teal, yellow, and orange tropical color
Shirt color shown: light blue
Category: vintage tiki tee, Chicago restaurant tee, lost bar shirt, Hawaiian cocktail tee, tropical graphic tee
Great for fans of: tiki history, Chicago nightlife, old restaurant signs, Hawaiian lounges, tropical cocktails, vintage menus, and rooms where the weather outside was absolutely not invited
The Story Behind the Shirt
Club Waikiki was part of Chicago’s mid-century love affair with tropical escape, operating at 804 Wilson Avenue in the city’s Uptown area. Connected with Honolulu Harry’s Waikiki, the venue sold Hawaiian food, cocktails, entertainment, and “authentic atmosphere” to a city that knew a thing or two about needing winter relief. The artwork captures the whole promise in one bright little scene: palms, sunset, water, flowers, and a woman in island dress turning a Chicago address into a tropical appointment.
This is the kind of lost restaurant graphic TikiBarn loves best: cheerful on the surface, loaded with paper-trail weirdness underneath.
• 100% ring-spun cotton
• Fabric weight: 6.1 oz/yd² (206.8 g/m²)
• Garment-dyed
• Relaxed fit
• 7/8″ double-needle topstitched collar
• Twill-taped neck and shoulders for extra durability
• Double-needle armhole, sleeve, and bottom hems
• Blank product sourced from Honduras
Size guide
| |
WIDTH (inches) |
LENGTH (inches) |
SLEEVE CENTER BACK (inches) |
| S |
18 ¼ |
26 ⅝ |
16 ¼ |
| M |
20 ¼ |
28 |
17 ¾ |
| L |
22 |
29 ⅜ |
19 |
| XL |
24 |
30 ¾ |
20 ½ |
| 2XL |
26 |
31 ⅝ |
21 ¾ |
| 3XL |
27 ¾ |
32 ½ |
23 ¼ |
| 4XL |
29 ¾ |
33 ½ |
24 ⅝ |
| |
WIDTH (cm) |
LENGTH (cm) |
SLEEVE CENTER BACK (cm) |
| S |
46.4 |
67.6 |
41.3 |
| M |
51.4 |
71.1 |
45 |
| L |
55.9 |
74.6 |
48.3 |
| XL |
61 |
78.1 |
52 |
| 2XL |
66 |
80.3 |
55.3 |
| 3XL |
70.5 |
82.6 |
59 |
| 4XL |
75.6 |
85 |
62.6 |
