Kowloon, the family-run Route 1 icon in Saugus, is getting some sand between its toes. Owner Bobby Wong says a beachside offshoot called Kowloon Tiki on the Beach is slated to open on Revere Beach by May, even as the family moves ahead with plans to shrink and rebuild the sprawling Saugus complex. The new venture follows the restaurant's 75th anniversary and, Wong says, is part of a long game to keep the business viable as younger family members eye careers outside the restaurant world.
Speaking with JC Monahan on NBC10 Boston, Wong confirmed the waterfront project under the name "Kowloon Tiki on the Beach" and summed it up simply: "It's gonna be fun." He added that the family is "thinking ahead" as the next generation considers other paths and that there is still no firm date to start downsizing the Saugus location.
License details for the Revere spot
City filings show the owners have applied to run the new bar and restaurant at 21 Revere Beach Boulevard under the name "Revere Beach Operating KTB, LLC d/b/a Kowloon Tiki Bar." According to the City of Revere's licensing agenda, the proposal calls for about 115 indoor seats and 60 outdoor seats, with hours stretching to 2 a.m., and lists John Carlino as manager.
Reports vary on capacity and concept
Local coverage is not perfectly aligned on the final headcount or layout, but the broad strokes match. The Boston Globe reports that Wong described an indoor dining room with roughly 120 seats, plus about 100 seats outside, and notes that the new operation will replace the former Vivi at 21 Revere Beach Boulevard. The Globe also reports that some longtime Kowloon kitchen staff may shift over to the beach outpost, while general management will fall to Carlino, who does not come from the Kowloon family.
What’s next for the Saugus site
Back on Route 1, architects have pitched a major overhaul of the five-acre property that would swap the current cavernous complex for two six-story mixed-use buildings with nearly 200 one-bedroom apartments and a smaller Kowloon presence at street level. As detailed by Axios Boston, each building is expected to take more than a year to complete, and the owners plan a phased approach so the restaurant can keep operating throughout construction.
What to expect at Revere
On the beach, the focus will be tiki drinks and Kowloon greatest hits, with pu-pu platters and mai tais front and center. The Revere outpost is expected to lean louder and more social, with an Instagram-friendly energy that goes beyond the traditional dining rooms, according to the Boston Globe. Wong told the Globe he wants to give loyal staff a path to ownership at the new spot and has brought in an outside operator to manage day-to-day operations so the family can gradually step back.
"What happens at Kowloon, stays at Kowloon," Wong joked in the NBC10 Boston interview, saying the Revere location is built to be "fun" and a summertime magnet. For fans of the neon-lit Saugus landmark, that means the Kowloon name is not going anywhere, even if the late-night party shifts closer to the waves.
