hawk
8 posts
Jan 19, 2009
3:11 PM
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Does anyone know when they went out of business and why? I believe it was on North Main St. I use to love going to this place. I remember such a nice atmosphere, they parked your car. I believe they had live entertainment. Are there any other fans out there?
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SeeDavid
155 posts
Jan 19, 2009
6:38 PM
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I loved the Tropics!! Went there in high school after or before a dance. That was the first time I had lobster and was afraid to eat it, didn't know how to, but my date was a man about town. He told me I would like it, and I DID!!! Wonderful!! It was that tropical/polenesian theme with the tiki torches on the outside of the fence at the entrance! My parent's thought that this date would have been a keeper because they thought the Tropics was such a "FANCY" place. I can taste the lobster now.. none better since. Thank you! Look on MHS Dayton Nostalgia site and see an ad from the 60's 70's where lobster was $3 something there. ~Cindi
Last Edited by on Jul 19, 2012 2:13 PM
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driver62
157 posts
Jan 20, 2009
8:18 AM
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I think the Tropics went out of business sometime in the 80's but don't quote me on that.
I don't think there was any reason given for the closing. Employees came to work one day and the place was locked up so they had no idea it was closing.
The building is long gone now. A pharmacy was built on the site. When it closed, a day care center opened there and I believe it's still open.
I also ate there a few times, mostly for company Christmas dinners.
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William Scroggins
1 post
Feb 06, 2009
9:17 AM
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My Father (Orville Ray Sigler) worked at the tropics. I remember him telling me that but for the life of me I can not remember when.
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Bill68
47 posts
Feb 07, 2009
12:55 PM
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I remember seeing a matchbook cover 42 years ago that said "Edy Sigler's The Tropics". She was the mother of a girl I knew in high school. Any relation to you?
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hawk
10 posts
Feb 07, 2009
4:06 PM
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Does anyone know who owned the Tropics?
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driver62
160 posts
Feb 08, 2009
8:55 AM
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The owner was George Rubin or Rudin. It's been a long time and I'm not sure which name is correct.
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jakspot@sprynet.com
12 posts
May 22, 2009
1:41 PM
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It was George Rudin.
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Mikey
10 posts
May 23, 2009
10:18 AM
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The greatest place in town! It was spoken of in awe by my parents when I was a kid (around 1950) so naturally, as an adult, my wife and I patronized it regularly. The Tropics had buy-one-get-one coupons in the original Dayton Gourmet Book. The book was about an eighth of an inch thick and cost $5.00. All the good places were in it, including Johnny K's Reef downtown on Main St (between First and Monument?) A few words about The Reef...food, including good steaks, was practically free (<$5.00) I think that the downtown after-hours barflies fed their kitty quite well!
Anyway, The Tropics building was an absolute dump outside but was so fabulously decorated inside that it didn't matter. Where else could you get TWO surf and turf meals, a salad, plus two martinis for ten bucks? AND get this, if you became known by the staff, they returned your gourmet book coupon; The Reef had this policy also.
On Saturday, we danced to live music for the price of a drink (cheap.) Does anyone remember the Tropics matchbooks that featured a topless native girl in a grass skirt with certain features above the waist that were in raised relief? I had a few of these until last winter (my grandson discovered them and my wife gave them to him.) I don't want to get into trouble with the webmaster, so this should be a trouble-free description of the match books. Nobody seemed too concerned about them at the time.
A family friend, my fathers age, who grew up in the Tropics area, told me that George Rudin originally ran a butcher shop.
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Mikey, Gatlinburg, TN
Last Edited by on Jul 19, 2009 1:10 PM
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Becky73
111 posts
May 23, 2009
12:53 PM
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I remember the matchbooks. My Father smoked cigars and picked up matchbooks from everywhere, including the back of the Yellow cab he used to drive as a second job. I only remember being in the Tropics once that I know of - at least I think it was there. All I remember was aquariums. My Mother refused to go there on a regular basis because she thought the owners were "connected".
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carlatm75
14 posts
Jul 13, 2009
1:08 PM
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Aww the Tropics. I went there with my date for dinner before my prom in 1975. It was such a fancy place. I think it did close sometime in the 80s.
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Mike C
39 posts
Jul 14, 2009
7:02 PM
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I remember taking my prom date there probably in 1970 or so. The waitress dumped a alcoholic drink on my date that evening as she was delivering the tray of drinks to the table behind us. That should have been a clue to things to come.
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RIVERDALE RAT
12 posts
Aug 23, 2009
12:57 AM
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I remember it well it had a Polynesian atmosphere. I thought it was george rueben though, guess I was wrong.
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pie8me
13 posts
Aug 28, 2009
2:54 PM
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Whenever the act would change, I was the kid that delivered the new signs for the upcoming act. There was a scary old guy that would come to the back door. He had one eye, always wore the same stained white T-shirt with holes in the armpits. He would be cutting filets for the evening fare. You could feel the layer of grease on the floor through you shoes. This was 1972-1975. Sorry but that's my memory of the Tropics.
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Matt C T
6 posts
Dec 24, 2009
8:09 PM
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Friends of mine from high school rented half a double (now boarded up and abandoned) on Burton Ave.west of Main St. across the street and south of the then former Tropics Supper Club around 1985-1987. The former Tropics at the time was a teen night club catering to an african-american clientele. We'd have our "white suburbanite" parties on the porch of the house while sometimes watching large scale "socialization" on the other side of the fence across the street in the parking lot of the former Tropics...interesting memories of a neighborhood that was very much in transition at the time.
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magran
4 posts
Jan 07, 2010
10:22 PM
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The tiki theme was so hot in the 60s and the Tropics was a N, Main tradition. I was there in 75 for a date.
The matchbooks were famous and I think of them often.
That area was the place to be in the 60s /70s, after 1980 it seems everything changed fast and things moved north and south.
I parked cars at Sutmillers (sp) across the street, supper club, big time place and really something in its day. I made $70 -$100 in 1974-75 a night.
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Bigmo
30 posts
Jan 08, 2010
12:54 PM
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I went to Tropics quite a few times. But I remember as time went by, I got tired of the attitude by the owner or host. If you had, say, 7 pm reservations, you were typically still waiting for your table at 7:45. If you complained about the wait, they'd get in your face like it was some dive in a northeast city. My wife and I stopped going for that reason.
Last Edited by on Jan 08, 2010 12:55 PM
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JeansDayton
2 posts
Dec 03, 2010
6:16 AM
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I went there on a prom date in the early 80's...probably right before they folded. The atmosphere was still tropical and cool.
Now, I need to find out (as a favor/Christmas present)the name of the head bartender, and if anyone would know if his 'black book' still exists.
Thanks for any info!
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MikeH
15 posts
Dec 08, 2010
5:49 PM
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Well, there were several bartenders. There was Cuppy Marris, Andy Vavel, Frank Reeves, Jimmy Mannis. The fellow mentioned earlier with the stained t-ship and holes in the armpits was likely Benny Berlin. He also had a brother, Max, that worked there. Do you have a description of the bartender in question?
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Mike Harris
Class of ' 69
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JeansDayton
6 posts
Dec 10, 2010
11:57 AM
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All I know is that my friend would like the name of the main head bartender. Sorry, I don't have much more than that.
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luv my dayton
86 posts
Jul 14, 2012
2:54 PM
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The last time I was ever there was for a late night snack after a movie. Was really hungry for a sardine and bermuda onion sandwich. Only restaurant in town open late and served that fair. If I tried that now you'd be transporting me to the hospital. Have no idea when it closed but even the great establishments for food have disappeared. Not the Dayton I remember just one mall after another and hard to build any memories on those.None are unique now adays.
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DaytonDennis
50 posts
Jul 14, 2012
3:43 PM
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I think the Tropics (like Suttmillers and other business' in the area) eventually folded as the neighborhood became increasingly worse. Back in my semi-hippie days the part of North Main was a cool place to hang out. Never went in the Tropics (nor Suttmillers) and I really wish I had. They were both definitely a part of Dayton history remembered by many.
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tlturbo
358 posts
Jul 14, 2012
5:31 PM
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Back around 1967 I knew a girl who lived across the street on the corner immediately to the South of the Tropics parking lot. I would swear that the street behind her house dead ended as there was a place behind her house where I could park my car. Sometime around 68-69 they moved to Kettering, across from Fairmont East. I believe they moved because they were going to tear down the house and build a pharmacy? Makes me think they might have been renters as someone on here pointed out that the house belonged to a elderly lady who died and they sold the house.Never been able to track her down but I believe her name was Terri Bray not positive about the spelling.
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87 Buick GN
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Bowfoot
42 posts
Jul 14, 2012
6:45 PM
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I performed with Earl Scrugs and Lester Flatt at the Tropics one evening...I was a Patterson Co-op student who worked at Warehouse Paint Center...The paint companies would take us out for dinners and wine and dine us to get us to sell their brand of paint...This evening we were all at the Tropics...in a private room eating and drinking...I was under age but the guys I worked with slipped me some booze. I was drunk...They brought in Flatt and Scrugs to play for us ...my co-workers started teasing me into going up on the stage and sing with them...I said, I will if you guys will go with me...so our whole store team ...went up on stage and instead of asking us to sit down...they said...get in here close to the mic and help us out...They played Rocky Top ...we sang...after the song was over they said for everyone to give us a hand and for us to go sit down so they could finish their gig...We were known as the crazy crew from then on !
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Bowfoot
43 posts
Jul 14, 2012
6:49 PM
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Now I live not to far from Lester Flatt's home ...it's in Sparta Tn.
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denise paskin
1 post
Sep 01, 2012
5:21 PM
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ahhh yhe steaks were delous yum
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wrgood
4 posts
Sep 18, 2012
12:30 PM
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Does anyone remember a fire at the Tropics in the early 50's??
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Happy to Be
12 posts
Oct 05, 2012
6:23 PM
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Tropics and Suttmillers, either of those two places were the place we ate before homecomings and proms in the 70's
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copson
11 posts
Jan 20, 2013
11:44 AM
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becky73, at yellow cab my father was personell director and leasing director, and i worked for him there also.. and i drove a cab also when would I get off from work there in the office, i also dispatched and was a supervisor and safety coordinator.. what was your father's name?.. please feel free to email me..at gardenrob56@aol.com or mthiker@gmail.com i'm sure i knew your father... my father smoked cigars too.. not too many of the driver,s smoked cigar's.. did he drive day's or night's ?.....
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2013 11:45 AM
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vegasbluedevil
16 posts
Aug 12, 2013
1:50 AM
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Here is an old ad for the Tropics from October 1969. I hope this link works, because I'm not sure how to post a picture on here if it doesn't......
[IMG]http://i41.tinypic.com/2je79lf.jpg[/IMG]
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joedooley
19 posts
Aug 21, 2013
4:37 PM
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Was there not a Johnny Samu, or some such that had something to do with the Tropics at one tine. Frequented there often in '56 and '57, there and the Pine Club, knew the Meinzers, son and dad both.
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blue J
114 posts
Aug 29, 2013
8:54 AM
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I'm too young to have enjoyed the Tropics in its prime- I was born in 1973. But I have an old placemat that had the menu printed on it (did they always do that?). It's in an old scrapbook that my grandmother put together; I would guess the menu dates from about 1955. I might also have a matchbook cover from the Tropics.
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Tbone
17 posts
Aug 29, 2013
10:44 AM
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Does Tall Timbers rank up there with Sutmillers and the Tropics? I was too young to frequent them places but I do recall Steve Kirk always talking about Tall Timbers on the radio...he raved about that restaurant.
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Billd1952
102 posts
Aug 29, 2013
11:36 AM
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I have only been to theTropics one time. I had two "singapore slings" and I don't remember much about the food, but I had a great time.
Thye "Tall Tembers" was a very popular resturaunt, and the steaks were terriffic.
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dave58
13 posts
Aug 29, 2013
12:51 PM
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I never ate at the Tropics but I have numerous times at Tall Timbers. It was excellent restaurant.
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jfox68
81 posts
Aug 30, 2013
4:24 AM
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Didn't Steve Kirk always say something like "Tall Timbers - where all the waitresses look like Gina Lollobrigida".
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blue J
117 posts
Sep 04, 2013
12:50 PM
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I will look through my things and see if I do; I'm not sure.
I still need to send you an email re: the photo you offered to send to me awhile ago. If I have that matchbook, I'll scan it and send you an image.
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donm
5 posts
Oct 31, 2013
1:45 PM
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Loved the Tropics. The food was "exotic" enough to convince a 12 year old that he was in the tropics. The decor was awesome too, as i remember it. One of our favorite "special" places to go for major family events. Extra special because there was a Hobby Shop right nextdoor and we got to go there before eating occasionally. It was a real shame when it closed.
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haus192
2 posts
Nov 03, 2013
12:08 PM
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I don't know if it is run by the same people, but there is a Tropics In Kettering Across from the Fraze.
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daybird
2 posts
Aug 08, 2014
10:30 AM
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The best meal I have had in my life was at the Tropics
in Dayton early 70's. It was tropical duck. Wow! that
was over 40 years ago. They said the duck was roasted
between rocks. I remember the rice, tropical fruit, and the duck. Anybody remember it or the recipe?
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