Party and Paper Magazine

Captain Henry’s Pirate Store

Captain Henry’s Pirate Store in Portland, Ore., is not your usual store. It’s become a tourist destination and a favorite stop for locals.

What began as a small retail store at the end of a haunted house in 2004 continued in one form or another as a temporary store within various fairs and festivals in the states of Washington and Oregon. It proved to be so popular, they decided to open it for the holidays in 2007 at a local mall, and that led to their permanent location in Lloyd Center, the largest mall in the city, in 2008.

It’s true that the pirate theme had its heyday a few years ago in most parts of the country, but in Portland — where there are numerous pirate groups, pirate bands and the second largest pirate festival in the nation — pirate fever remains high.

“The haunted house had a pirate theme for one of its attractions in 2004, back when pirate mania was in full force,” said co-owner Henry Miller. “We kept the theme going to see how far we could take it and now, because of its popularity, it’s found a permanent home.”

Miller acknowledges that pirates is a rather narrow focus for a store and warns that it’s not a concept for everyone. He believes it was their creativity that made the store concept work and that they could have done the same with another theme and been just as successful.

Prior to swashbuckling, Miller worked in the special events industry and co-owner Rick Fernandez was a lawyer. With Captain Henry’s, they started small and slowly grew the business, making changes along the way. They sought design inspiration from theme parks and stores they visited or researched online, creating a store offering unusual and fun pirate-themed merchandise, and even a “Pirate Hideout” party room.

“The intense theme and carefully selected merchandise is what most people remember about the place,” Miller said. “It’s a big visual magnet for people walking by, especially children who drag their parents in, wide-eyed and excited to explore the environment.”

Retail Treasure
The adventure begins at the entrance where a rock wall opens to large window displays of treasure chests on sandy beaches, displays that change seasonally to feature hot items or new inventory. Just inside is a waterfall and alligator-filled pond in front of a “treasure”-filled cave. A statue of Captain Henry — a skeleton pirate for photo opportunities — is to the right, while to the left is a bench where shoppers can rest and party guests can gather before entering the Pirate Hideout party room.

“We ask people entering our store if they know the password,” Miller said, “and most guess right as they deliver their best 'arrr!' People love playing and having fun and we do our best to keep things lively in our store.”

A “Welcome Aboard” sign with an animated talking skeleton hangs above the cave that leads into the store. There are large custom “seaweed-inspired” light fixtures and barrels and wooden crates that add to the theme. Even the pirate hat display is made of skulls mounted to rustic wood poles to hold the hats.

“We created a pirate ship in the center of the store to hold the children’s toys,” Miller said. “Kids all want to board the ship, so we placed all of the things that would interest them there, such as pirate swords, hooks and games.”
Captain Henry’s offers the usual selection of party products, all in a pirate theme — plates, cups, napkins, utensils, paper decorations, favors, etc.— but gifts and costumes sell best to the party goers.

“It is not unusual for party guests to arrive a little early to buy their gifts at the store,” Fernandez said, “and we’re ready with pirate giftwrap when needed.”

Pirate treasure — jewels, chests and coins — and toys and small novelties are consistently strong sellers as well, often displayed in and on boulders, barrels, crates and onboard the pirate ship.

“Most people can’t afford the fancy pirate clothing, but almost everyone can afford a simple trinket or candy,” said Miller. “So we stock a wide selection of small impulse buys on our sales counter, displayed in small chests, crates and baskets.”

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Originally posted Wednesday, May. 27, 2009