TheBuzz
TheBuzz
A new nightclub has opened at the Waikiki Trade Center, but that's not the only reason center General Manager Daisy Yamada is smiling. New life, night
life at WTCThe center has recently added large tenants, such as DFS Hawaii Group, which leases multiple floors in the building for executive and administrative offices.
"We've really gotten some nice tenants recently," she said, such as the 8,000-square-foot second location of Legend Seafood Restaurant. "The first is in the Chinese Cultural Plaza downtown, but this is bigger."
Starbucks and Jamba Juice are also new tenants.
The new nightclub, called "Maze," is in 10,000 square feet of space vacated two years ago by the Joy Square video arcade and karaoke bar. Maze is owned by longtime Honolulu nightlife impresario George Kail.
"When the space first went vacant I immediately thought having two nightclubs would be wonderful," Yamada said, so club-hoppers would be faced "not with a question of where, but which one shall we go to?"
The first nightclub, Zanzabar, opened in late 1999 replacing the long-vacant space once filled by Maharaja. Zanzabar Managing Partner Jim Boersema (by day a partner at Starr Seigle Communications Inc.), said he was unconcerned about the second nightclub opening mere feet away. "Everything is competition," he said, "the movies are competition, but my overall impression is that I'm glad he's going to be there.
"Experience shows that when you group together restaurants and nightclubs they tend to bring more people to the vicinity. All boats rise with the tide," said Boersema, adding that he has a good personal relationship with Kail.
Yamada seconded the notion, saying, "From the beginning, we have been very friendly on this." She sees the second nightclub as making the Waikiki Trade Center a nighttime destination.
Maze is comprised of three differently themed rooms, The Red Room with house music, The Paradox Lounge featuring jazz, and the Maze Arena with progressive house and trance music.
It is to be open weekends only at first, operating its bar with a catering license. Its liquor license application is pending before the Honolulu liquor commission, Kail said.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com