A decade before the Queen Mary docked in Long Beach, David Tallichet opened The Reef, a tiki-themed restaurant on the nearby waterfront.
After its 1958 debut, it quickly became a destination, attracting thousands of customers a day and helping launch a chain of dozens of themed destination restaurants across the country.
But the Reef shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, and while the space opened up again for private events when allowed, the dining room has remained closed for the past six years.
Now, it’s making its return. Owner John Tallichet, David’s son who took over the business after David’s death in 2007, said they were waiting for the right time. The opening of Long Beach’s new waterfront amphitheater, practically next door, was the perfect opportunity. The Reef reopened last week, hoping to build on its already rich Long Beach legacy.
David Tallichet was famous for his empire of restaurants that included the Proud Bird next to LAX and the Castaway in Burbank, but that business started with The Reef. Early in his career, he moved around a lot as he worked in the hotel industry, but when he landed in Long Beach and started working at Hotel Lafayette, he didn’t want to leave.
“He just kind of fell in love with Long Beach, and figured, ‘This is where I want to stay,’” John said.
Wanting to put down roots in Long Beach and expand beyond the hotel business, David opened The Reef in partnership with five other businessmen. One of his partners, George Millay, would go on to open SeaWorld, Magic Mountain and a waterpark called Wet ’n Wild.
Unsure if The Reef would be successful, David kept his job at Hotel Lafayette for another year. The Reef turned out to be a great success, and the first of the many themed restaurants David would open.
“We’re very proud of this restaurant. Being born in Long Beach, this is where it all began, and it’s extremely important, not just to me, but my whole family,” John said.
The Reef has gone through many changes in its 68 years. The original building was destroyed in a fire in 1976, but was quickly rebuilt. Several renovations have turned it into the grand, three-story space it is today. The Reef lost its tiki theme along the way, became The Sassafras for a couple of years in the ’80s, and saw Long Beach expand around it.
But John said the heart of the restaurant remains the same, and his family is excited to keep doing what they do and get The Reef’s name back out there.
“I think a big part of what we do today is being part of the community. We have so many events here, we have companies have events here, we have so many weddings and quinceañeras and bar mitzvahs, and just so many things that give people a chance to come and celebrate,” he said.
John said families have told him that they’ve had several generations get married at The Reef with a view of the ocean and The Queen Mary as their backdrop. Other couples had their first date at the restaurant and have come back to The Reef for their wedding.
Now, he hopes it will remain a special place for them and a generation of new customers.
The Reef, 880 Harbor Scenic Drive, is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. They hope to expand their hours in the future.