Kapok Tree Inn - Clearwater, Florida

The Kapok Tree was opened in 1958 by Richard Baumgardner in Clearwater, Florida. The restaurant thrived in its early years, relying mainly on word-of-mouth advertising.
The Kapok Tree Inn had several themed dining rooms including the Main Dining Rooms, the Grape Room, the Chandelier Room, and the Patio Room. The complex was so large that there were two souvenir stands within the complex.
Business boomed and five other Baumgardner owned restaurants opened around Florida in the early 1970s.
Due to family squabbles and other various issues, by the late 1980s, all but the original restaurant closed. The original remained opened for a few more years and closed on May 14, 1991.
All of these postcards are from my collection. If you click on the postcard, it will send you back to my flickr and will give you a description of the room.
For a much more comprehensive history of the Kapok Tree Inn visit Benz Place.