Gone, But Not Forgotten

Installed on the railing separating the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel’s outdoor restaurant, The Hau Tree Lanai, from Sans Souci Beach is this simple plaque honoring of all things – a hamburger stand (specifically, the Kaimana Beach Hamburger Stand).

Hamburger Stand Memorial Plaque

In 1983, the hotel was ordered to remove a small hamburger stand it operated at the spot for the convenience of beach-goers and guests who wanted something to nibble on between forays into the water. The stand apparently violated zoning laws.

More than 5,000 people signed a petition supporting the stand, newspapers wrote editorials, readers wrote letters to the editor, and politicians stuck their noses in (they knew a good publicity battle when they saw one).

Alas, the hotel lost its final appeal two years later, and in 1985, the stand was removed.

All that remains now of the hamburger stand is the fading memory of old-timers, and this corroding plaque.