I noticed on the FREEB!IRDS webpage that there is a location in north OKC slated to open in 2011. Just wondering if anybody can confirm this. I love FREEB!IRDS' burritos. I just have a hard time driving all the way to campus corner in Norman to get my fix.

Call the Norman store and see if they can give you some info

Glad to see them make inroads into the OKC market if true, but have to state my opinion that Chipotle by far beats out Freebirds anyday!

Oh, I hope so!! I'm went to Texas A&M--where it started. I can't wait!

OMFG Freebirds FTW!!

Update. I checked the Freeb!rds website and noticed that the planned store for OKC has disappeared. :(

Daughter at OU just called and said Freebirds is closed up, out of business and gone from Norman. She and friends ate at Fuzzy's and the people that work there said, this came out of the blue. No word of, warning, notice to customers, nothing. One day there in business, the next day totally gone.

Sounds like a tax problem, just guessing. Or maybe the owners had a desperate need to be somewhere else.

No major loss. Went there maybe twice. No where near as good as Austin. Won't miss them.

I would not miss them anywhere. Good but not good enough to drive out of my way. Fast food burritos, ho hum.

First Moe's now Freebirds. The taco exodus continues on Campus Corner.

Don't let the door hit them on the keister.

I may be a traditionalist but really barbeque sauce on a burrito? I have eaten at them on several occasions and could never get them the way I wanted them, always something messed up of intermingled ingredients that were not requested that migrated into my burrito (Personal Pet Peeve alert). For the price I would much rather eat at Chipotle any day of the week. I am so in love with Chipotle it is absurd. Nothing else compares to me anymore, I simply won't eat a burrito at any other place, even at Mexican restaurants I have to go with other selections because I am so often disappointed at the poor quality and thought that goes into the individual ingredients that make up the whole. Yeah, I pretty much have issues when it comes to the imposter A&M Freebirds (Really a messed up wrap) that tries to pass as a burrito...but I digress...

Down here in Austin I prefer Freebirds over Chipotle, it has been years since I have eaten at Chipotle. There are things that I just don't like about Chipotle burrito but I guess I will learn to adapt after moving to Denver, since that is where they are based out of and no Freebirds up there. Since a Torchy's Tacos and Taco Bueno opened up in our part of town we go there more often than either Freebirds or Chipotle. Freebirds actually started in Santa Barbara, California in 1987, in this part of the country they started in College Station in 1991 as the previous poster stated. Chipotle first opened in Denver in 1993 near the University of Denver campus.

I still wish I could find a burrito like the one that El Rancho Sanchez made when they were still by the old Shotgun Sam's at NW 39th & May.

Taco Bueno...OMG give me the epecac.

Wow, so many burrito and Mexican food experts on this board. The students at OU really liked the place, and most everyone I know really liked the place. I apologize on behalf of all of us dumb asses for Freebirds being so unacceptable to some of you. Sorry I started the damn thread. ESAND

I don't really care what people think of the places that I eat at because food is so subjective, all food is a matter of taste and we all have different tastes. I like Taco Bueno and it is much better than many similar chain places....plus it is an element of home that I grew up with having lived close to the one at NW 23rd & Meridian.

I have been to places that people have raved about and think is the greatest place ever and it was just horrible to me. I am definitely that way about "interior Mexican" places, sorry, I like Tex-Mex, most of the "great interior places" that I have been to I have never been back to again. I think a lot of these "small, local places" that people some rave about are a mixed bag, yes, some are great and others I just don't like others must because they are busy.

Wow, so many burrito and Mexican food experts on this board. The students at OU really liked the place, and most everyone I know really liked the place. I apologize on behalf of all of us dumb asses for Freebirds being so unacceptable to some of you. Sorry I started the damn thread. ESAND

Don't get sour grapes and apologize for starting a thread. Nothing wrong with that. Just understand not everyone loved it...apparently since they closed. Like Bluedog, I like Bueno over any other fast food Mexican place. However I have friends that think it is gross and prefer Taco Mayo. Some people like Victoria's on CC...I think their tomato sauce tastes like crap. To each their own.

well, something would make for a good newcomer in that building especially with the upcoming gamedays, or maybe Sugers could expand like Norman needs them to

bummer. the website doesn't have norman as a location any more. i really liked the place in the same way i liked atomic burrito in the 90's. customer service was always spot-on. -M

I was on the Freebirds website last week and noticed that the Norman location did not show up. Thought it was strange.

Hmm. . . I always preferred Freebirds to Chipotle. . . This sucks.

A friend said he went by the day they had closed and there was a strange cryptic note on the door about moving to Tulsa.

RIP Freebirds. Texas A&M jumps to the SEC and now Freebirds closes in Norman.

A friend said he went by the day they had closed and there was a strange cryptic note on the door about moving to Tulsa.

Did it start out 'I must be traveling on now ..."

A friend said he went by the day they had closed and there was a strange cryptic note on the door about moving to Tulsa.

They are opening a Freebirds in SW Tulsa off Hwy 75.

And Torchey's is awesome. Wish they would expand to Norman. Much better than Fuzzy's IMO.

And Torchey's is awesome. Wish they would expand to Norman. Much better than Fuzzy's IMO.
We ate lunch at Torchy's today since we needed to go to Costco.

After Chipotle opened we did not go back to Freebird. But I hate to see any business on CC close particularly if the students like it. JMO, but I do think Chipotle ran them out of business.

That Freebirds location wasn't like the ones in Texas... it had some cleanliness issues among other things.

I wonder what will come of this location... It used to be Malone's which was a hopping bar for a few years in the early 2000s.

Building permit today to remodel 2,800 square feet in the Belle Isle Shopping Center for a Freebirds (http://freebirds.com/) location.

This is the old Moe's space.

"old Moe's space"? Oh no! Say it ain't so!

wow... i haven't been to that moe's in about a year but it seemed busy. personally, i like freebirds way better. -M

Moe's is crowded when we go, but it is primarily military.... I think they give a larger than normal discount to them.

cool... that's pretty close to me

"old Moe's space"? Oh no! Say it ain't so!

Has anyone confirmed this? Moe's is closed?!? First the Norman location, and this is the last one in the area. Moe's is my favorite by far. I actually have found Freebirds to be the worst of the chain burrito places, but to each his/her own...

The building permit is for the same address and suite # as Moe's and the permit specifically says renovation of existing restaurant space.

Has anyone confirmed this? Moe's is closed?!? First the Norman location, and this is the last one in the area. Moe's is my favorite by far. I actually have found Freebirds to be the worst of the chain burrito places, but to each his/her own...

Freebirds was alright...from a novelty stand point though. Nothing I would write home about. This is probably why the Norman location failed to really do well.

Of course I was also comparing it to the Austin version which was pretty good. Maybe they'll bring their people up to help keep the product consistent.

Just called Moe's and they said "Yes, we are open and doing great! Free queso today!".

I guess Freebirds is going in right next door.

The only one I've ever eaten at was their location in College Station, which was their 2nd store and it was great. But, as everyone knows, the more a place expands, often, they become not nearly as good. Heck, I used to eat at the original Chili's in Dallas when I was in college too and it was delicious, but I wouldn't dream of eating at a Chili's now.

What's with the head-to-head competition? Raisin' Canes .vs. Chick-Fil-A? Freebird .vs. Moe's? The new Popeye's on south Western .vs. KFC and Grandy's? Just doesn't seem like an intelligent business model.

Heck, I used to eat at the original Chili's in Dallas when I was in college too and it was delicious, but I wouldn't dream of eating at a Chili's now.

We must be close to the same age.

I used to go their first location on upper Greenville for every OU-Texas game and loved it. What it is now is so far removed from the original I can't even see the connection except for the name.

What's with the head-to-head competition? Raisin' Canes .vs. Chick-Fil-A? Freebird .vs. Moe's? The new Popeye's on south Western .vs. KFC and Grandy's? Just doesn't seem like an intelligent business model.

In the 80's I was the real estate broker that represented Burger King in OKC and the local franchisee told me they like to be right next to an existing McDonald's because they knew they could do at least 75% of their business.

It seems some chains will let competitors test the waters and build their business, then come in right behind them.

There used to be a Freebirds in Norman, right next to La Luna (now Chimy's), and close to Fuzzy's... They closed within the last year, and I think that it definitely ranks below the other two.

Just called Moe's and they said "Yes, we are open and doing great! Free queso today!".

I guess Freebirds is going in right next door.

That is also the address for Pei Wei Asian Diner

In the 80's I was the real estate broker that represented Burger King in OKC and the local franchisee told me they like to be right next to an existing McDonald's because they knew they could do at least 75% of their business.

It seems some chains will let competitors test the waters and build their business, then come in right behind them.

CVS v Walgreens
Home Depot v Lowes

I never understood it either.

What's unusual about this Freebirds / Moe's thing is that they seem to be going into the same shopping center.

Typically, a tenant will ask for and receive some sort of exclusivity rider in their lease. A restaurant couldn't hope to exclude all other restaurants but Moe's could have easily said "no other quick-service Mexican style restaurant".



You should see the exclusivity clause Whole Foods has for the Classen Curver area! Has all types of restrictions on virtually every type of food service, with their unilateral right to allow certain things or not. I'll see if I can dig it up and share it here. It's pretty interesting but also representative of what lots of retailers and restaurants are give.

Of course, any business can't control what happens across the street, but the idea is your own landlord shouldn't be bringing direct competition.

Well, hopefully the Freebirds in Belle Isle will do better than their store in Norman did; which closed and went out of business, unfortunately.

I liked Freebird's when we lived in Austin, we had one close to the house and close to the office. Here in Denver I prefer Illegal Pete's to Chipotle (both are based here), there was an article with the Illegal Pete's CEO and they hope to start expanding to other markets in the next few years. Between the (Austin) Freebird's and Illegal Pete's, I prefer Freebird's but Pete's is still good, I ate at the one on the 16th Street Mall for lunch today.

As far as Chili's I used to eat there quite a bit when they first opened up in OKC after eating at the Greenville one, we stopped by one on the way home form the airport a few months ago, we probably won't go back. It just seems like pre-packaged and re-heated food now, too many other options that are better. Hacienda Colorado has much better fajitas so we go there now for them. TGI Friday's seems to have gone this way as well.

I have not been to Freebird's, but I look forward to trying it. Hopefully Moe's stays because I appreciate that they have free range chicken, grass fed steak, gluten free ingredients, etc. Plus my boys love that the people at Moe's say "Welcome to Moe's".

CVS v Walgreens
Home Depot v Lowes

I never understood it either.

Very simple explanation found here: I've Never Been Good With Titles: Fist-Pumpin Economics (http://anotherdavid.blogspot.com/2010/01/fist-pumpin-economics.html)

Market share. It's really obvious wih car dealers.

Free birds is a big upgrade IMO.

I loved Freebirds when it was in Norman! I thought Chipotle was complete garbage compared to them. The staff at Norman wasn't exactly the most cordial, but I think their location was really a curse. Sure, they were at campus corner, but they were way back in that corner that shared a wall with Sugers. Barbeque sauce on a chicken burrito? Yes please.

... my boys love that the people at Moe's say "Welcome to Moe's".

Least favorite part of going there.

Chipotle>qdoba=freebirds>>>>>moes

In the 80's I was the real estate broker that represented Burger King in OKC and the local franchisee told me they like to be right next to an existing McDonald's because they knew they could do at least 75% of their business.

It seems some chains will let competitors test the waters and build their business, then come in right behind them.

Spot on.

I was going to eat at Moe's today and the place is officially closed. The lights were turned off at a usually busy time (Monday lunch).

Nooooooo!!! There was no indication when I ate there last week. Oh well. Hopefully Freebirds will be good too.

Man... :(

Yeah, I was afraid Freebirds was instead of rather than in addition to Moe's.