Larger than life: the Kapok Tree Restaurant

Note: Since this post was published in 2011, the Kapok Tree tribute website sadly disappeared. 

Growing up in Florida, I was vaguely aware of the Kapok Tree Restaurant, but I never dined there because I never visited Clearwater. As I began collecting vintage Florida ephemera I kept coming across postcards of the restaurant that looked more like a palace in Europe than any place I'd ever dined. And when I saw photos on Flickr and discovered the website dedicated to preserving the memories of this amazing place, it quickly made my list of places to visit in the Sunshine State. Unfortunately on the day I visited near Thanksgiving, it was anything but sunny, but that did not diminish the grandeur and opulence that was once one of this country's premier eating establishments.

The website created by Ben Mancine is very comprehensive, if you want to know anything about the amazing place, the information is already online. So thanks to Ben, here is a little history of the Kapok Tree:

• The namesake Kapok Tree was planted with seedlings from India by citrus grower Robert Hoyt who came to the area in the late 19th century
• By the 1940s the tree had grown to such a size that it was already a popular local attraction
• The Kapok Tree Restaurant was created by musician and restaurateur Richard Baumgardner in 1958
• Postcards of the restaurant read " Country Dinners served beside Florida's Famous Kapok Tree in the midst of exotic tropical gardens." According to the website: "...menu choices were ham, fried chicken, fried shrimp or T-bone steak... all came with roasted potatoes, hush-puppies, green peas served family-style and a lazy susan relish tray with creamy coleslaw and famous apple butter..."
• The Kapok Tree Inns Corporation went public in 1970 and opened other Kapok Tree restaurants in Madiera Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach
• In 1976, the same year it was named one of the top 100 restaurants in United States, founder Baumgardner passes away
• After ownership changes and litigation among family members for control of the restaurant chain in the 1980s, the restaurant closed for good in 1991
• Today the property is owned and maintained by 3 separate business: the Sam Ash Music Store, the Players School of Music and the Kapok Special Events Company

The Florida Room featured native plants, floor to ceiling fountains and twenty statues

The Italian Fountains, "the carvings are the work of Morselletto from Vencenza, Italy, whose grandfather built the DuPont mansion in Delaware," says Ben Mancine

The Kapok Tree Mall was over 300 feet long and featured Italian sculpture, gift shops and the ticket booth where one purchased tickets for a ham, chicken, steak or shrimp dinner.

Diners in the Florida Room in 1978

The popular Grand Ballroom featured views of the South Garden and had decorations recreated from the Medici Palace in Florence

Fountain in the Mall as it looked in the mid-twentieth century
Images from the State Archives of Florida

Map of the entire complex

From Ben's Tribute To Clearwater's Fabled Kapok Tree Restaurant website

Vintage postcard of the Red Velvet Lounge

Vintage postcard of the namesake Kapok Tree

Vintage postcard of the Patio Dining Room

My visit to the site was unexpected and I thank my friend Simon for acting as chauffeur. The tree itself is huge and still a powerful presence from the road. We visited the North Gardens first where they appeared to be preparing for a wedding. Despite icky green water in the Italian Fountains, the place appeared to be pretty well maintained. Next we entered the Mall near the ticket booth and were immediately overwhelmed at the scale of the room. Even with musical instruments allover the place it is still a grand space. My immediate reaction was regret that I had not seen it in its prime. But I am still grateful it is largely intact.

The Kapok Tree today

The North Garden

Indoor plants press against the glass, survivors of more glorious days

After wandering around what was the Mall we ducked into the Gallery Room to marvel at the great chandelier. Much of the statuary, light fixtures and interior decoration still remain and seem odd juxtaposed to the garish retail fixtures of the music store. Certain areas are closed to anyone but employees, but we poked our head into to see more amazing spaces, hidden from public view.

The Mall today

The Gallery Room

Much of the building's exterior is covered in beautiful wallpaper-like covering and there is still a great deal of architectural detail. We concluded our trip after exploring the West Garden beneath the canopy of the great tree. I could just see excited snowbirds in the 1960s, lined up here to for a big family-style dinner in the grandest place they had ever set foot in. If you get a chance to visit pay homage to the remnants of this over-the-top mid-century dining experience, by all means, do it!