Donn Beach was a world traveler, beachcomber and explorer and saw many things during his younger years that he wanted to share with the people around him. One of his most famous quotes was, “If you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you” and that he did to those on the mainland US. But when he first arrived to Honolulu he was shocked; almost disappointed that the lifestyle he saw was less the tropical paradise he envisioned in his head, and more the current day hustle and bustle of a typical metropolitan city. He knew that when tourists came to the islands they would expect to see thatched roofs, tiki carvings and native hula dancing. To this end, he created the International Marketplace with traditional tiki carvings, a treehouse, and a series of grass huts that housed merchants selling exotic items from all over the world. Most importantly, Donn created the island style luaus that tourists expected to see and now customarily attend when visiting the Hawaiian islands for the first time!
