^

I don't think that first iteration of Hideaway in Norman lasted very long; like maybe only a year or two.

^

I don't think that first iteration of Hideaway in Norman lasted very long; like maybe only a year or two.Probably. I barely remember it being there. But I was commuting to Norman and trying to work enough to afford going to school starting in the fall of '80 so I didn't hang around and eat much. Except for FB or BB game days.

^^^^^^^^^
My guess would be that Richard and Marti Dermer tried to open a Norman Hideaway in the early ‘80s, only a couple of years after they bought the original Hideaway (unbelievably they weren’t the first owners), and that they ended up bailing on that effort.

Everything that came later - EVERYTHING - was from a second company started by former Hideaway employees in the ‘90s. All of the stores besides the original in Stillwater are owned by that later startup, which licensed the name.

By the way, Richard Dermer (R.I.P.) was so cool to me 15+ years ago when I was opening up an Oklahoma-themed store. I wanted to include kites in my offerings, and someone suggested I call him to discuss. He didn’t know me from Adam, but he was so generous with his time; spent probably a half hour or more talking me through the idea, talking about the Oklahoma kite scene, etc.

^

I don't think that first iteration of Hideaway in Norman lasted very long; like maybe only a year or two.

It closed in 85. I don't know when it opened but I darkened the doorway 83-85.
I laughed when I noticed the pizza coupon was published on 4/20

https://www.hideawaypizzafl.com/menu.html
The web site history does not mention this Florida store either. They claim to use the recipe from the 50's.

https://www.hideawaypizzafl.com/menu.html
The web site history does not mention this Florida store either. They claim to use the recipe from the 50's.

The menu is also significantly different.

Yes, the original Hideaway in Stillwater features many different items on the menu. We learned about the story about 10 years ago when driving through Stillwater we stopped to eat there. We couldn't find the garlic knots (my daughter's favorite) so we asked why they weren't on the menu. We were then schooled on it, nicely of course. It's a neat story.

We happened to recently watch some documentary regarding pizza wars in Windsor, Ontario. We noticed one pizza restaurant from the early 1950s that featured a line-up of VW beetles they used for delivery. We quickly made the comparison to Hideaway and their iconic beetles. If you like pizza, I've posted the link to the documentary for you. We thought it was great.

https://pizzadocumentary.com

It closed in 85. I don't know when it opened but I darkened the doorway 83-85.
I laughed when I noticed the pizza coupon was published on 4/20

One of my best friends went to to the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute back in the mid-1980's and one of his cabin mates was the son (Craig?) of the owners of Hideaway. My friend came back with lot's of cool stories. The only one I remember was worthy of a movie scene. It was an invite-only anniversary or birthday party in the restaurant and a very large "item" was brought out on a large pizza pan, for all to enjoy.

We need a Hideaway in Midwest City

It closed in 85. I don't know when it opened but I darkened the doorway 83-85.
I laughed when I noticed the pizza coupon was published on 4/20

I'm trying to picture it...

On that Lindsey & Jenkins corner, O'Connell's faced north. Was Hideaway in that strip center facing Jenkins?


Of course, the university ended up buying that property for what would become the new dorms, and O'Connell's moved to Campus Corner.

It closed in 85. I don't know when it opened but I darkened the doorway 83-85.
I laughed when I noticed the pizza coupon was published on 4/20

I'm trying to picture it...

On that Lindsey & Jenkins corner, O'Connell's faced north. Was Hideaway in that strip center facing Jenkins?


Of course, the university ended up buying that property for what would become the new dorms, and O'Connell's moved to Campus Corner.

I'm trying to picture it...

On that Lindsey & Jenkins corner, O'Connell's faced north. Was Hideaway in that strip center facing Jenkins?


Of course, the university ended up buying that property for what would become the new dorms, and O'Connell's moved to Campus Corner.

Yes The Hideaway was cati-corner to O'Connell's and was facing east. There was a CELLAR Bar to the south that you walked downstairs and a McMar store on the south end of the strip center.

This is an aerial from 1995. Wasn't this the general layout?

And if so, where was Hideaway?

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ou1995a.jpg

This is an aerial from 1995. Wasn't this the general layout?

And if so, where was Hideaway?

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/ou1995a.jpg

#2

interesting... i never knew there were any east-facing businesses in that old strip center.

interesting... i never knew there were any east-facing businesses in that old strip center.

The business faced Jenkins. Sorry to confuse you and me.

The business faced Jenkins. Sorry to confuse you and me.

ahh... gotcha. that makes way more sense.

I found this photo in an old scrapbook... This was from around 1994, the southeast corner of Lindsey & Jenkins.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/oconnells.jpg

I was likely in Norman during this picture! The original O'Connell's was just out of this picture behind Subway, right?

I was likely in Norman during this picture! The original O'Connell's was just out of this picture behind Subway, right?

Yes. I have no idea why I have this photo and was surprised to find it.

There’s a thread on the OKC subreddit about Hideaway ending the commission pay for servers/bartenders and boy this seems to have turned into quite a $&#! Storm for them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/okc/comments/1h57zzr/my_job_is_thanking_us_by_reducing_our_pay_on_jan_6/

ThereÂ’s a thread on the OKC subreddit about Hideaway ending the commission pay for servers/bartenders and boy this seems to have turned into quite a $&#! Storm for them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/okc/comments/1h57zzr/my_job_is_thanking_us_by_reducing_our_pay_on_jan_6/

I do love it when people throw a fit when they don't know the full story.

-It was a commission started during Covid and only affects employees that are still around from that time. These were probably high school students who should be pretty close to graduating college by now. For their sake, I would hope they move on to greater things.
-I bet you anything it was the employees that are not getting a commission that threw a fit.
-It seems problematic to have a small number of employees upselling your products and getting a commission while most of your other employees do not.

I do love it when people throw a fit when they don't know the full story.

-It was a commission started during Covid and only affects employees that are still around from that time. These were probably high school students who should be pretty close to graduating college by now. For their sake, I would hope they move on to greater things.
-I bet you anything it was the employees that are not getting a commission that threw a fit.
-It seems problematic to have a small number of employees upselling your products and getting a commission while most of your other employees do not.

1. Encouraging your longest-tenured / most experienced employees to leave is an odd business practice.
2. That's solidarity, needed most in crummy jobs.
3. See #1.

I do love it when people throw a fit when they don't know the full story.

-It was a commission started during Covid and only affects employees that are still around from that time. These were probably high school students who should be pretty close to graduating college by now. For their sake, I would hope they move on to greater things.
-I bet you anything it was the employees that are not getting a commission that threw a fit.
-It seems problematic to have a small number of employees upselling your products and getting a commission while most of your other employees do not.

Now that we know the "whole story" can I still think it's a crummy thing for an employer to do? Lots of companies ended the salary increases/benefits during Covid, when those companies also gained a lot of wealth, and then went right back to underpaying them as soon as they could.

Who are any of us to determine that a college student or graduate shouldn't be able to make a living doing an honest job like serving at Hideaway?

The employees not getting a commission should also have gotten the commission, so I'm not sure that's exactly "throwing a fit".

If the problem is that everyone doesn't get the benefit, maybe they should have just extended the benefit to the rest of the team.

I seriously doubt Hideaway is struggling financially because they've paid some of their employees a little bit more the past 4 years.

Now that we know the "whole story" can I still think it's a crummy thing for an employer to do? Lots of companies ended the salary increases/benefits during Covid, when those companies also gained a lot of wealth, and then went right back to underpaying them as soon as they could.

Who are any of us to determine that a college student or graduate shouldn't be able to make a living doing an honest job like serving at Hideaway?

The employees not getting a commission should also have gotten the commission, so I'm not sure that's exactly "throwing a fit".

If the problem is that everyone doesn't get the benefit, maybe they should have just extended the benefit to the rest of the team.

I seriously doubt Hideaway is struggling financially because they've paid some of their employees a little bit more the past 4 years.

Exactly this, Hideaway continues to build new shops and continues to charge outlandish amounts for thier product. Seems like something they thought would get overlooked, clearly not the case. I don't understand being so quick to back the business rather than the employee's here.

Exactly this, Hideaway continues to build new shops and continues to charge outlandish amounts for thier product. Seems like something they thought would get overlooked, clearly not the case. I don't understand being so quick to back the business rather than the employee's here.

The vast majority of the comments are pro employee so being quick to take the employers side is clearly not happening.

There's more to it than 'financial reasons'. If I told those same commenters that Mathis Brothers was ending commission based sales, they would cheering.

The vast majority of the comments are pro employee so being quick to take the employers side is clearly not happening.

There's more to it than 'financial reasons'.

Well make the case then. What is the "more"?

Their pizza was underwhelming. Gave it a second chance, but it still didn’t impress. I don’t see a reason to return.

Their pizza was underwhelming. Gave it a second chance, but it still didn’t impress. I don’t see a reason to return.

just out of curiosity. what pizza places do impress you? so that i can make sure i have tried them

Well make the case then. What is the "more"?

Consistency of the customer experience. You would have a small group of employees more motivated to up sale and your managers and trainers have to account for this. At some point you have to remove a 'temporary' policy and notify your employees.

Maybe they don't an official commission policy that promotes bartenders to push drinks? I mean there has been issues with that at bars, probably not Hideaway, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't want to take a chance.

Someone mentioned in the comments the actual payoff was very small. I honestly doubt they expected this level of uproar, but really it only takes one employee who odds are didn't even benefit from this policy posting it on social media.

Consistency of the customer experience. You would have a small group of employees more motivated to up sale and your managers and trainers have to account for this. At some point you have to remove a 'temporary' policy and notify your employees.

Maybe they don't an official commission policy that promotes bartenders to push drinks? I mean there has been issues with that at bars, probably not Hideaway, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't want to take a chance.

Someone mentioned in the comments the actual payoff was very small. I honestly doubt they expected this level of uproar, but really it only takes one employee who odds are didn't even benefit from this policy posting it on social media.

The servers will very much still be pressured to upsell, just like every other retail space. The difference is now they will have zero motivation, so the management will not get the desired results. Why not just extend the commission to the rest of the teams? Seems like an easy win for all.

We've been regulars at the NW Exp Hideaway for years. The floor servers turn over a lot, just like everywhere else we go, so I doubt that any or maybe one or two are affected by this. The bartenders tend to stay longer but I can only think of one that's been there more than 2 years.

I feel like the quality of pizza has gone down over time. I had Halls last month as well as Birra Birra and they were leagues above Hideaway.

I feel like the quality of pizza has gone down over time. I had Halls last month as well as Birra Birra and they were leagues above Hideaway.

Maybe there are just more options than there used to be when Hideaway was the hot item? I still like their pizza, but find so many other options with really good pizza, too. And still more that I haven't even gotten to try yet.

The servers will very much still be pressured to upsell, just like every other retail space. The difference is now they will have zero motivation, so the management will not get the desired results. Why not just extend the commission to the rest of the teams? Seems like an easy win for all.I paid for a couple years of college working as a server. "Upselling" was/is/always will be a key part of being a server, because every upsell adds to the ticket total and therefore to higher tips.

If canceling a small commission leads to a server having "zero motivation," then they weren't a good server to begin with.

I paid for a couple years of college working as a server. "Upselling" was/is/always will be a key part of being a server, because every upsell adds to the ticket total and therefore to higher tips.

If canceling a small commission leads to a server having "zero motivation," then they weren't a good server to begin with.
The latter I agree completely.
The former surprises me. We went out almost every night for many years. Way too much. I don't remember ever having a server upsell. Often they seemed put off if we added to the order things that there are extra charges for.

The latter I agree completely.
The former surprises me. We went out almost every night for many years. Way too much. I don't remember ever having a server upsell. Often they seemed put off if we added to the order things that there are extra charges for.I worked at a couple places that were upscale, higher-end establishments. I could easily sell cocktails, appetizers, extra sides, desserts, etc. It helped to know the menu and read the mood of the customers at the table.

I loved being a server, because the harder I worked, the more money I took home in my pocket THAT NIGHT.

I paid for a couple years of college working as a server. "Upselling" was/is/always will be a key part of being a server, because every upsell adds to the ticket total and therefore to higher tips.

If canceling a small commission leads to a server having "zero motivation," then they weren't a good server to begin with.
Fair points. I'm just generally in favor of employees getting paid more, but your point is valid.

Pete, any updates on the NW 178th and Western location? I drive by there frequently and have been excited about this being on that corner!

Pete, any updates on the NW 178th and Western location? I drive by there frequently and have been excited about this being on that corner!

No building permit issued yet. Hideaway has been slow to respond to required corrections, so they clearly aren't in a hurry.

Pete, any updates on the NW 178th and Western location? I drive by there frequently and have been excited about this being on that corner!

I guess I missed this news. Locating on the same corner as Upper Crust!