'Bittersweet moment': After 49 years, Jacksonville Chinese restaurant, tiki bar closes

For nearly half a century, a Jacksonville family built a legacy serving "old school" Chinese cuisine from the Beaches to the Southside, where the restaurant's speakeasy-like tiki bar was a favorite.

That ended suddenly on Friday.

Pagoda restaurant featuring Secret Tiki Temple, at 8617 Baymeadows Road, shut its doors and announced its immediate closure via social media posts thanking the restaurant's customers.

Citing the restaurant's "proud legacy spanning 49 years," the owners posted the decision to close was made "with a heavy heart."

"This decision is due to changes in our business structure and future plans. Despite this bittersweet moment, we are profoundly grateful for your support and patronage over the years," the owners posted on the restaurant and tiki bar websites and Facebook pages.

However, they encouraged people to "stay connected with us" via social media "as we embark on the new adventures."

"We look forward to the possibility of reconnecting in the future and continuing to share moments of joy and delicious cuisine," the posts read.

Tikis not for sale

There are no plans currently to reopen or relocate either Pagoda or Secret Tiki Temple, operations manager Tommy Tam, whose late father co-founded the restaurant, told the Times-Union on Sunday.

Tam founded Secret Tiki Temple when he returned home to Jacksonville from California to help his parents run Pagoda.

"It's come to an end for now and I don't know if it's possible or not yet. It's too soon. But if the opportunity arises and I'm able to bring it back, it would be fantastic," said Tam, noting he doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up regarding the future of the restaurant and tiki bar.

Meanwhile, people have been flooding him with questions about the tiki decor.

"Everyone's been hitting me up about wanting to buy a piece of history. They want to come and buy some of my decor … And I'm like, it's not for sale," he said. "I mean people are like vultures."

Family builds legacy from Beaches to Baymeadows

The closure comes 14 months after Tam's father, James Kin Wai Tam, an 82-year-old restauranteur and entrepreneur, passed away on Feb. 5, 2023.

James Tam co-founded Pagoda with his grandfather, Wei Chow Tam, and partners Mon Lee and Richard Chin.

The original restaurant debuted in 1975 at 223 S. 9th Ave. in Jacksonville Beach.

Pagoda built a reputation for serving award-winning "old school" Cantonese and Szechuan Chinese cuisine. Advertising that everything was made to order with fresh, healthy ingredients, Pagoda billed itself as "an alternative to Chinese buffets, fast food establishments and national chain restaurants."

The Jacksonville Beach restaurant closed in 2002 after 27 years. By then, the family had already opened the Baymeadows restaurant, which like the original, was built from the ground up, Tommy Tam said.

Resembling a traditional Chinese pagoda, the 4,969-square-foot Baymeadows restaurant built in 1984 was hard to miss.

'Sssh!" Tiki Temple a secret

It became even more eye-catching when Tommy Tam hand-painted the murals of playful pandas and iconic tikis on the restaurant's exterior walls.

He'd launched the Secret Tiki Temple concept in 2016. He'd become a fan of tiki bars — which date back to the 1930s in Hollywood, Calif. — as well as the speakeasy concept rooted in Prohibition.

"I somehow came up with the idea to combine my passion for those two things. Why not combine the tiki concept with a speakeasy?" Tam said.

Initially, Secret Tiki Temple wasn't successful "because you can't advertise a secret." But it caught on in 2020 as soon as restaurants were allowed to reopen following the state-mandated closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He did most of the tiki decorations and painted the murals during the pandemic shutdown, he said, because "I was bored."

As soon as the mandatory shutdown ended, Secret Tiki Temple gained popularity — fueled by social media — as a "go-to" night spot known for its rum-based craft cocktails and fun eclectic decor.

Tam said since the closure announcement, Pagoda and Secret Tiki Temple have received an outpouring of community support.

"I think by our restaurant closing and … with us being a legacy business, I don't know what's going to happen. All I'm trying to do is continue our legacy but we're going to have to wait and see," Tam said.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pagoda, Secret Tiki Temple close in Jacksonville after 49 years