OKC has hit the point recently where it's not just bad concepts and designs that fail, good ones do too. There's a lot of competition in the market.

OKC has hit the point recently where it's not just bad concepts and designs that fail, good ones do too. There's a lot of competition in the market.

I agree that good concepts fail just as much as bad concepts, but I personally think that execution and management play a bigger role in the success of a concept. People too often think that opening up the doors and serving alcohol automatically makes money, so you have a lot of people with no bar/restaurant experience opening up a business that they don't fully understand. I look back at pictures of what FB looked like when we first opened and wonder how in the world people liked it compared to what it looks like now, lol.

Saw a working going on at the old Rockford location. New sign says The Eleanor. Anyone know anything?

Yes, higher-end champagne lounge.

A couple of the people who currently run Greystone (Amanda & Joel).

Hopefully they won't have any back alley drug deals going on like was common at the old place. Several times when we went to Back Door BBQ after dark, there were drug deals taking place on the ramp of the back entrance.

Yes, higher-end champagne lounge.

A couple of the people who currently run Greystone (Amanda & Joel).

What is with the string of sorta-weird concept bars in this location?

Yes, higher-end champagne lounge.

A couple of the people who currently run Greystone (Amanda & Joel).

Bidding them good luck on that venture...Does not seem like a place for high-end champagne unless they're looking to make it more like a club (don't see how you can work that space that way though.)

Not holding my breath...

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/eleanor1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/eleanor2.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/eleanor110619a.jpg

After looking at their buildout plan a little closer, I think this a chance to be pretty nice. My wife really enjoys champagne, so I'm sure we'll visit frequently.

They open the 13th.

Is there really that robust of a market for a champagne bar? It seems like an interesting concept, and I hope they do it well, but I'm skeptical there's demand for such a thing. I've seen these in other cities and they quickly go out of business after the novelty wears off.

There is already a small champagne but in Nichols Hills Plaza called The Merrett.

Will be interesting to see how The Eleanor does. A big investment has been made.

Let’s hope the Trump tariff on Champagne doesn’t go into effect, that will double the price, imagine your favorite ‘grower champagne’ going from $48.00 to $96.00! I don’t think that will sell in OK, or most anywhere else. And with the bar markup.....

I have been to the one in Nichols Hills and it was surprisingly fun. I will check this one out, too. hopefully it is a little more affordable than The Merret.

Yes, higher-end champagne lounge.

A couple of the people who currently run Greystone (Amanda & Joel).


Yes, higher-end champagne lounge.

A couple of the people who currently run Greystone (Amanda & Joel).

I went to The Eleanor Champagne Bar & Restaurant for the first time a couple weeks ago with some friends and had high hopes. I had been seeing their cute little updates on Facebook and was excited for a champagne lounge in my neighborhood. They have been marketing it as an upscale/classy place with delicate food. What they have created instead is a hang out spot for the 20-something night-life crowd of OKC before they go hit the club. It was not the crowd I was expecting.

My drinks were good but really, really slow (maybe if the "push for champagne" buttons worked it wouldn't have been an issue. They are cute but not functional.) which makes me think they were understaffed or just not trained on the drinks well. (they knew how to make a drink.....but it took some time) I ordered off the seasonal drink menu. I can't remember the names of the drinks but both were tasty.

If the drinks took a while, then food took a lifetime to arrive. It also didn't come out together. I can only describe the table side delivery as random. They took a page out of The Merret's playbook (The other champagne bar in OKC) and didn't really offer anything that good in the food department. They did offer free Lucky Charms which was cute. The hot food arrived cold and the food that was supposed to be cold arrived warm. It all seemed either prepped way ahead of time and sat forever or just thrown into a microwave right before serving. Not a great first impression. After digging through the comments on here it makes more since that a club person is running this place. They don't seem to have hospitality figured out yet. Which is a shame because the place is beautiful. It's worth grabbing a drink maybe on a weekday if you had ever been to the Rockford to just see the transformation. I plan on returning after a little bit to see if they have some of the 'new business kinks' sorted.

I don't know Amanda but Joel Buffington has a reputation for drugs and shady business deals. It's surprising that whoever put up the money for this place wanted his checkered past associated with the operation. Hopefully the investors make their money back and get some operators that know hospitality once the night club crowd drives away all the paying customers. I really wanted to go here on NYE but didn't want to risk watching girls throwing up in the bathroom and doing lines of cocaine. Owning a nightclub and a restaurant are very different animals.

Has anyone else been and had a good experience? I hope mine was just them ironing out the wrinkles. BTW, first time posting on OKC Talk. I've enjoyed viewing this board for some time now. I was going to add this to their google review but it seems like it's disabled since I couldn't find it.

I am vocally in opposition to anything Joel or his two proteges have their hands in. His motivations are superficial and his establishments attract the like. I'm sure the build out is beautiful, but I will never see it.

I believe the main investor here is Scott Fischer, the Dippin' Dots guy and son of Mark Fischer the Chaparral Energy founder.

I am vocally in opposition to anything Joel or his two proteges have their hands in. His motivations are superficial and his establishments attract the like. I'm sure the build out is beautiful, but I will never see it.

i'm sure his movivations are the same as every other business owner ......... to make money

i'm sure his movivations are the same as every other business owner ......... to make money
How profound.

I guess The Eleanor went out of business last week.

I guess The Eleanor went out of business last week.They were evicted from their space on NW 23rd Street due to non-payment of rent.

I’m not surprised. I had seen multiple reviews on their Yelp about them taking deposits for private events and despite multiple confirmation emails, the party showed up and the doors were locked and nobody responded. Super shady.

They were evicted from their space on NW 23rd Street due to non-payment of rent.

Also back taxes and likely other unpaid bills.

It amazes me how many of these places screw taxpayers and private parties out of money and there are few repercussions.

i'm sure his movivations are the same as every other business owner ......... to make money

How did they do?