Everyone's favorite Polynesian happy hour will be a little shorter this month. The Mai-Kai just announced it will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout September.
The announcement isn't much of a shock for anyone following this shockingly slow summer restaurant season. For many restaurants, September is an even worse month revenue-wise than August, and even big-name restaurants like the Mai-Kai aren't immune.
South Florida owes a lot of its restaurant business to tourism, but this is the first summer Charlie can recall seeing so many restaurants (Testa's, Nick's, Safire, et al.) shorten hours or shut down temporarily. It could have to do with the record summer heat -- this year, the average temperature in Fort Lauderdale has been higher, at 84.6 degrees, than ever before.
With temperatures that high, it makes great sense to cool off with a barrel of rum at the Mai-Kai bar. Just don't show up on Mondays or Tuesdays or you'll be cooling off alone.