Houston’s Black history goes beyond the individuals who were change agents in their day. It includes educational institutions and Black-owned businesses that helped produce the modern-day Houston Black middle class, and organizations, faith communities, and movements that moved the arch of the moral universe toward justice.
But left out of the conversation are those clubs, juke joints, and speakeasies that were just as much part of the fabric of Black communities as anything else. One of those spots was (and still is) Club Waikiki (3115 Bay St., Houston 77026).
“Club Waikiki was one of the first restaurants and bars in Houston where Blacks could enjoy themselves back when Blacks couldn’t go anywhere but stay in their own communities,” said Dr. Alice Kirkmon, owner of Club Waikiki. “It was one of the upscale restaurants and bars back then. It’s gone through generations and generations, and it still exists.”
Amazingly, Kirkmon was a student at Prairie View A&M when she bought the club almost on a whim, though the story behind the purchase sounds like Club Waikiki being in her life was destined to be.
“I was doing a study on real estate, and my professor gave us all topics. I had to go to an auction, get information, come back, and do a report. I went to this hotel in the Galleria, I was sitting there, and all of a sudden, this property came up, Club Waikiki. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s in my neighborhood,’” she recalled.
While at the auction, Kirkmon mentioned to a man sitting next to her that she would love to own that property.
“Well bid on it,” he told her. But being a broke college student, Kirkmon didn’t see how bidding on a property she couldn’t pay for made sense.
“I’m like, ‘I’m in college. I do not have any money.’ So, he said, ‘Bid on it. If you win, I’ll tell you what to do. And if you lose, then you wouldn’t have lost anything,’” she shared.
Kirkmon bid on the property and won. The gentleman instructed her to then stand in the Small Business Administration line.
“When I got up to the desk, they just asked me for my driver’s license and my social security card. And that is the story. I paid $149 a month.”
Kirkmon thought she was just buying the Waikiki, but soon discovered she purchased the club and sizeable land surrounding it, making it an even better purchase.
“I went home and told my dad, and he says, ‘Where did you get the money to buy a property?’ I showed him all the paperwork and everything and he was just very, very proud. By the time I graduated, I had paid for the property,” said Kirkmon.
Kirkmon worked campus jobs while at PV and paid her “note” religiously. The result: she was and still is the owner of a piece of Houston’s Black history.
And according to Club Waikiki patrons, though the club isn’t as swanky as it was in its heyday, the establishment still delivers a good time to those who venture to Kashmere Gardens and go through its doors.
One Club Waikiki fan shared her review online.
“If you’re in the mood for some blues, R&B, southern soul or good old fashion cafe’ music this is your spot,” said Cimone S. “It’s a 40-50+ establishment with safe parking and friendly people. It was a very well-known spot in the Black community back in the day, and underwent some beautiful renovations before the reopening. This is one of the many ‘hole in the wall’ style clubs I actually enjoy dressing up for as I would for any upscale nightclub here in the city.”
