Dana’s opened on March 13, 2024, from the team behind Penny Drip and Night Train — part of Be Better Hospitality, a beverage-focused and community-centered hospitality group based in Fort Wayne.

Over the years, the group has helped bring national attention to Fort Wayne through nominations including Best American Bar Team, World’s Best Cocktail Menu, and Best American Restaurant Bar.

At its core, Dana’s is a timeless neighborhood tavern built around a long white marble bar, thoughtful hospitality, and a belief that great food and drinks should feel both exciting and familiar.

The kitchen, led by Chef Adam Heller, focuses on seasonal ingredients, classic techniques, and comforting dishes made with care. Chickens are sourced locally, broken down in-house, brined, and prepared from scratch. Potatoes are cut, soaked, and fried three times in beef tallow for extra crispness. Burgers are finished with house-made tallow butter made from rendered beef fat and grass-fed butter. The goal is simple: take tavern classics seriously without overcomplicating them.

Behind the bar, co-owner and bartender Trevor Scovel leads a cocktail program centered around precision, speed, and consistency. The team works with fresh ingredients and modern techniques including clarification, batching, draft cocktails, carbonation, and temperature-controlled preparation to create drinks with the detail of a high-end cocktail bar and the pace of a neighborhood tavern.

Many of the cocktails begin hours before service starts. Spirits are infused, juices clarified, ingredients blended and batched, and glassware chilled below freezing so that when a guest orders a drink, it arrives quickly without sacrificing quality or attention to detail.

The back bar focuses on respected producers and quality spirits, alongside a concise wine list centered on low-intervention wines with minimal additives.

Dana’s also offers Happy Hour daily from 4pm–5pm, featuring half off the entire cocktail menu.

Whether you’re stopping in for a burger and fries, a quick martini, or a long night at the bar, Dana’s is built to feel timeless, welcoming, and worth returning to.