Mumbai: Popular nightclub Hawaiian Shack in Bandra has shut down

The Hawaiian Shack in Bandra shut shop on August 20

If you've grown up in the city, there's a good chance you've been to the Hawaiian Shack. The Bandra hangout was known for its retro tunes and footloose vibe. This March, it'd got a facelift. So, it came as a shock to learn that it had downed its shutters a couple of nights ago. "Running the restaurant took up a lot of our time. So, after doing it for years, my mother [Sadhna] thought it was time to retire," says Sheen Romy, daughter of the late Romy Lalwani, who had launched the Shack in 2003.

The popular nightclub had launched in 2002

"It was my dad's dream to open a place where everyone was welcome, and it was on August 20, 2002, that we sat and talked about it. So, it felt apt to go out with a bang on its 15th anniversary," she says, referring to the party they held before the curtain call.

Because the decision was a spontaneous one, the staff, too, was informed of the shuttering the very same day. The family, however, has no intention of leaving them high and dry. "They'll be with us for another month, and in the meantime, we will find them jobs in the city," says Sheen.

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For now, the family plans on leasing out the property, a spacious three-storied structure, and taking a much-deserved vacation.

Actor Dalip Tahil, a regular at the Shack, recalls, "I have a personal connection to the place, because Romy and I were friends, and even neighbours at one time. It's one of those rare nightclubs where even the waiters would dance and interact with the crowd. Romy's passing away was a big blow, and everyone thought the family would give the space up. It was brave of Sadhna to take up the challenge and keep Romy's legacy alive."

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Tahil was one of the guests invited to the last party held at the space, as was Royston Coelho, better known as DJ Roy, the first DJ to man the console during the first three years of Hawaiian Shack's existence.

"It was the only nightclub that allowed guests to walk in wearing slippers and casuals. They would also have lucky draws and gift the winners television sets and even motorbikes. There would be free shots and spot prizes through the night. There was never a dull moment," Roy says, adding that the family let him keep the disco ball as a memento.

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At the final party, all the DJs who had played at Hawaiian Shack over 15 years were present, and Coelho had the honour of playing his signature last track - Leaving on a Jet Plane - and signing off the way he always did: "Good night, and hope you had a great time at the Shack."

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