Imagine you wanted to make your own Tiki bar but you were “good with tools.” The possibilities would be endless! If you can dream it, you can build it and that’s what Dana Fryer, aka Cabana Man, did with his place. Dana wanted a bar, so he built it. He wanted a tide pool, so he built one. How about a cave? No problem, it only took Dana 74 beers to build one. The name of Dana’s Tiki escape is called the Cabana. Here is his story…
When did you get into the Tiki lifestyle and what got you into it?
Dana- Hmmm…this is tricky. I’ll be honest, I love Tiki, however, it’s not just about that for me. I LOVE the tropics! Always have. And here comes the painful (for you) but honest part: I’m also a Parrothead. Yeah, I know, Buffet is over-rated, but it’s the attitude I love. And, in my delving into the Tiki niche, I’ve discovered that can be a deal breaker to some. Sorry. Anyhow, for me it began with a love of pirate lore as a child, as well as a huge love of Peter Pan and Never Never Land. Later as a teen, I got hooked on scuba diving and a decade later even became an instructor. I’m still in love with Peter Pan and Never Never Land. So around the Cabana, you’ll find a mixture of South Pacific, Caribbean, California, and Florida beach feel. So, add anything tropical, whether it’s the music or the ambiance, I’m a happy man.
What is your favorite Tiki drink? Why?
Dana- My favorite Tiki drink would have to be the Mai Tai. I like other rum drinks (there are so many) and I love Margaritas, but am pretty partial to a Mai Tai. Although, a Rum Punch with grapefruit/cinnamon is another one I often make for myself. Hmmm… as to the “why,” I’m not certain. It’s just a taste that seems to please me. When it comes to liquors, rum has to be the best. Though you can find variety in Scotch, Whiskey, and Tequila (Vodka? Please, don’t make me laugh), they pale in comparison to rum. What a range of flavors and aromas!
Not including your own, what is your favorite Tiki bar? Why?
Dana- I’ve not been to a large amount of Tiki bars, but over the past five years or so, whenever I travel, I always make it a point to find a local Tiki bar if I can (I was going to go to one in Ghent until a terrorist bomb in Brussels changed our plans). Last year in New York City, I found a bar that had a Tiki or two, but that was about it. However, I found a different bar in NYC that I think Tiki lovers would love: the Trailer Park Lounge and Grill. Though it is NOT a Tiki bar, they did the whole trailer park, velvet Elvis poster, bowling alley, kitschy, tackiness kind of thing, so good! Over the top and the food and drink are great! But I digress. My favorite Tiki bar thus far is Hale Pele here in Portland. Not just because they’re local, but because the décor is awesome and right on target. Also, the food and drinks are excellent! The quality is definitely a notch above any of the others I’ve been to.
When and what made you decide to build your own Tiki bar?
Dana- It’s been an evolving process over the past ten-ish years. It began as a small area on the side of the house. The kid’s play area was there, but they outgrew it. It was a pirate ship and a three-level castle (yeah, pushing my tropical love onto my kids). So, I talked them into letting me tear it down to build a tropical bar area I eventually called the Cabana. It really didn’t have a Tiki look back then, but it kept growing and changing and is now quite the beast, with much more of a Tiki feel.
What was the first piece you bought on the path to making your own Tiki escape?
Dana- The first piece was Leaky Tiki. I bought him at Bamboo Craftsman and turned him into a fountain. Troy is the owner and is a great guy! He just completed the Tiki bar in the Bothell McMenamins. Very nice. I’ve bought a ton of bamboo from him. The significant Tikis found here are: Leaky Tiki…
Sneaky Tiki (hidden booze)…
Stinky Tiki (bottle opener over the garbage can)…
Peaky Tiki Twins (glowing eyes)…
Me Tiki (one I carved out of Styrofoam), and the Chess Tikis…
Can you give a little history of how it all came together?
Dana- Well, after the initial build, we didn’t see any changes needed. But then the neighbors behind us cut down all their trees. The back yard became an instant ugly, so we expanded to the back yard. That forced reorienting the bar to open to the back yard, so I knocked out a couple walls to give more room and better positioning. Then I built a tide pool…
My baby, my love, my one and only… sorry. I need another drink. There. Now where was I? Oh yeah, the tide pool. It took me FOREVER to figure out how to make a wave machine that wasn’t electric. I got online and I asked around to no avail. After countless hours of staring into a barrel of water, I figured it out…
Still running strong. I’m quite proud of that feat. Anyhow, I was then done with the Cabana—until the cherry tree died. With that gone, more ugliness, so using the same cement-like mixture I built the tide pool out of, I built something to look like ancient ruins…
Kind of a Spanish-fort-in-the-Caribbean attempt. Then I was done—until this year when I came up with the idea to build a cave…
Now, for reals, I’m done. I’ve run out of space!
Any future plans?
Dana- Seriously, I’m done. Okay, there is one other idea: when the time is right, if it ever is, I might very well buy some property and build an event center. A place where groups and individuals can rent for parties, events, weddings, whatever. Not a restaurant or bar. It would have facilities for people to prep food or set up catering, but I don’t want the headaches. I’ve had to rent building space for different events, but it’s always just a big boring room with supplies. I want to create an escape: a cheap trip to the tropics for those who need to escape our winters here. Yeah, it’s not what everyone wants or needs, but I think there’s enough of a market. We’ll see. Just an idea I’m kicking around.
Cabana Man made the news! Here is a feature done on the Cabana for Fox 12 Oregon.
All pictures used for this post were taken by my good friend Dieter Weber…
