Hawaiian Tropic is an American brand of suntan lotion. Hawaiian Tropic was founded by Ron Rice in 1969. Hawaiian Tropic became the largest private manufacturer of sun care products in the United States. The company was acquired by Playtex Products, Inc. in May 2007. With Hawaiian Tropic and Playtex's Banana Boat brand, Playtex became the largest manufacturer of sun care products in the Western Hemisphere. Shortly after purchasing Hawaiian Tropic, Playtex Products was purchased by Energizer Holdings Inc. in a deal valued at $1.9 billion. Restaurant In late 2006, a theme restaurant called Hawaiian Tropic Zone opened in New York City near Times Square. The restaurant was advertised as the "Hottest Place on Earth" and featured waitresses in bikinis designed by Nicole Miller and a restaurant menu created by chef David Burke. Later that year, four former employees sued the restaurant, alleging repeated groping by managers, as well as rape. The restaurant closed in mid-2010. Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Hawaiian Tropic sponsored swimsuit competitions among women to select spokesmodels for its products. Many winners appeared later in advertising campaigns, swimwear, erotic magazines, and lingerie catalogs. In May 2008, the Hawaiian Tropic Brand celebrated the 25th annual Miss Hawaiian Tropic International model search finals at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In late 2008, the pageants ended in the United States. The former state directors transitioned to Swimsuit USA, which is the official successor. Notable winners Miss Hawaiian Tropic USA Rebecca DiPietro 2005: Former World Wrestling Entertainment backstage interviewer on ECW and Playboy model; finalist in Hawaiian Tropic International 2005 pageant Shana Hiatt 1995: Hostess for the World Poker Tour and Playboy model Ashley Massaro 2002: Former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl Crista Nicole 2001: Playboy Playmate of the Month for May 2001 Brooke Richards 1998: Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 1999 Suzanne Stokes 1999: Playboy Playmate of the Month for February 2000 Miss Hawaiian Tropic Canada Ashley Massaro 2004: Former WWE Diva and Playboy cover girl Maryse Ouellet 2003: WWE Diva and Playboy model Crystel Geoffré 2005 Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Cecilia Hörberg 1984: Top 10 at Miss World 1988, representing Sweden Jennifer Campbell 1989: actress and model XiXi Yang Miss China 2008: international spokesmodel, U.S. media personality/TV host; appeared in MTV, VH1, and NBC Hawaiian Tropic Teen Miss Casey Reinhardt 2003: former cast member of the second season of Laguna Beach and frequent