Before the Vintage Mall took over most of the place, ND Foods would have a super long line for lunch during the week. I remember waiting in line for 30 minutes sometimes to get a sandwich. It was always worth the wait. Gonna miss this place.

The food has always been terrific, a place like that should be packed at lunch. Did the Vintage Mall impact their business? I bet they'll be busy this week.

The food has always been terrific, a place like that should be packed at lunch. Did the Vintage Mall impact their business? I bet they'll be busy this week.

When the mall started taking over most of the area, I think people forgot ND Foods was there. They struggled with keeping it consistent. I think it was just time for them to move on.

I found that other dropped off in recent years so this doesn’t surprise me.

After 30 years, ND Foods announced on FB that their last day is Monday. Always a great sandwich and dessert place but never convenient location wise for me. I need to go by and get a pecan square this week.

Sad but 30 years is a good run, not a lot of restaurants last 30 years right now, I am guessing they are closing because they want to retire and spend time with their families

Sad but 30 years is a good run, not a lot of restaurants last 30 years right now, I am guessing they are closing because they want to retire and spend time with their families

No doubt, 30 years is a good run for any business.

So, I am hearing that ND Foods will stay open for to-go orders only, and the menu will be smaller to accommodate that. Room 3 will take up most of the area that used to be the seating section and counter space. I'm not sure when they plan on taking to-go orders, but they will at least try to exist a little longer.

Packard's closing at the end of the month:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/packards061524a.jpg

Packard's closing at the end of the month:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/packards061524a.jpg

That’s really disappointing. Great run though.

I’ll reiterate that I think Midtown has been hit particularly hard by office vacancies in the CBD and other districts. I believe Midtown had emerged pre-pandemic as the district of choice for weekday lunches and happy hour, due to a number of reasons including F&B density/options, consistent new and creative additions and ease of parking.

The pandemic recentered significant swaths of the office market away from downtown (this is still unfolding), subtracting those reliable customers from the mix. As the district infills there has been and will continue to be a systematic elimination of free parking options. Also, Paseo and other areas have become trendier for new dining establishment launches of late (the “hottest neighborhood” designation is always a temporary one).

Bricktown experienced something similar more than a decade ago, first with the disappearance of most free parking options during lunchtime, but also with developments such as Devon Tower and Nebu moving the very reliable Devon lunch crowd to a less comfortable lunchtime walking distance and giving them and others in the CBD a quality, inexpensive lunch option inside Devon Tower.

Fortunately for Bricktown the addition of multiple hotels has created a very strong visitor economy that otherwise helps overcome the loss of lunchtime customers, but there was still a lot of shuffling that took place.

Hoping that Midtown continues to adapt itself to newer realities, and I believe it absolutely will with such strong leadership and influence from Midtown Renaissance. The district is INCREDIBLY fortunate that MR has such an overwhelming interest there. Significant new office additions actually IN the district, currently under construction, will create a more captive lunch market.

But at the end of the day more office-to-housing conversions downtown can’t come soon enough.

Hate this! Got reservations for dinner tonight.

Keep in mind that a lot of these places are coming to the end of a lease term, typically 5 or 10 years.

Many of them opened when Midtown and the core first became hot.

My observation is that many of these restaurants and bars have been limping along for quite a while and when given the easy out of an expiring lease term, they are walking away, moving, or consolidating rather than exercising an option. Also, the various forms of pandemic relief are now long gone.

I’ll reiterate that I think Midtown has been hit particularly hard by office vacancies in the CBD and other districts. I believe Midtown had emerged pre-pandemic as the district of choice for weekday lunches and happy hour, due to a number of reasons including F&B density/options, consistent new and creative additions and ease of parking.

The pandemic recentered significant swaths of the office market away from downtown (this is still unfolding), subtracting those reliable customers from the mix. As the district infills there has been and will continue to be a systematic elimination of free parking options. Also, Paseo and other areas have become trendier for new dining establishment launches of late (the “hottest neighborhood” designation is always a temporary one).

Bricktown experienced something similar more than a decade ago, first with the disappearance of most free parking options during lunchtime, but also with developments such as Devon Tower and Nebu moving the very reliable Devon lunch crowd to a less comfortable lunchtime walking distance and giving them and others in the CBD a quality, inexpensive lunch option inside Devon Tower.

Fortunately for Bricktown the addition of multiple hotels has created a very strong visitor economy that otherwise helps overcome the loss of lunchtime customers, but there was still a lot of shuffling that took place.

Hoping that Midtown continues to adapt itself to newer realities, and I believe it absolutely will with such strong leadership and influence from Midtown Renaissance. The district is INCREDIBLY fortunate that MR has such an overwhelming interest there. Significant new office additions actually IN the district, currently under construction, will create a more captive lunch market.

But at the end of the day more office-to-housing conversions downtown can’t come soon enough.

MR really needs to get that massive nearly empty block in the middle of Midtown developed. More residents in the middle of the district and more continuity between automobile alley and the plaza court area seems like it would help. Something like Santa Fe square or NOMA in Tulsa would be awesome in that spot fronting 10th.

For as far ahead of the curve as Tulsa is in terms of office to housing conversions, OKC is that far behind.

Plus, MR seems to just let huge lots sit vacant, or become dog parks -.- housing and residents are needed to help support the vast amount of restaurants in Midtown.

For as far ahead of the curve as Tulsa is in terms of office to housing conversions, OKC is that far behind.

Plus, MR seems to just let huge lots sit vacant, or become dog parks -.- housing and residents are needed to help support the vast amount of restaurants in Midtown.

I think the downtown OKC area is behind downtown Tulsa in housing conversions (by quite a bit right now) for sure but I think it's still ahead of Tulsa in new construction.

I think the downtown OKC area is behind downtown Tulsa in housing conversions (by quite a bit right now) for sure but I think it's still ahead of Tulsa in new construction.

I agree with you on the second part. I just think there are quite a few buildings that could be converted (not easy or cheaply, I know) from office to housing, as they are mostly, if not totally empty.

Losing Packard's is temporary, someone will open something with that Patio. Housing in the core of the city is absolutely critical. Everything from new construction, renovation from offices to residential, to lighting a fire under speculators asses to develop or sell their holdings. Greater density in the core should be a priority for the city.

…MR seems to just let huge lots sit vacant, or become dog parks ….
Oh, please. MR has been the most consistent and aggressive developer in downtown BY FAR for more than a decade. They are without question deliberate and strategic - which I greatly appreciate - but generally every lot of theirs has a long-term plan attached, and each of THOSE is part of a district-wide development strategy.

I swear, sometimes the expectation here that urban redevelopment is as easy as snapping your fingers or waving a wand or whatever gets very tiresome. There’s honestly very little legitimate criticism that can be directed at their efforts, ESPECIALLY in Midtown itself.

Losing Packard's is temporary, someone will open something with that Patio...
Yep. I 100% agree that this particular space won’t be vacant for long. Still a bummer to lose them.

It is sad to see long running restaurants being closed these days

Mi Xian, on the first floor of The Edge, is another Midtown closure. https://x.com/winerev/status/1798689979977363745

Went there at the beginning of the year. Food was really good, and they had some unique offerings I hadn't seen elsewhere (not sure how often the Shaanxi province gets represented in Chinese restaurants). Sad to see it go before I had another chance to try more, but when I was there, I was the only patron. So, might have been a sign they weren't bringing in the customers.

^

They had no idea how to promote themselves.

And that entire strip has had nothing but turnover. They finally gave up and converted the space on the southern end to an office use.

Went there at the beginning of the year. Food was really good, and they had some unique offerings I hadn't seen elsewhere (not sure how often the Shaanxi province gets represented in Chinese restaurants). Sad to see it go before I had another chance to try more, but when I was there, I was the only patron. So, might have been a sign they weren't bringing in the customers.

They failed at atracting customers, if I would've heard about them I'd for sure give them a try, too bad

^

They had no idea how to promote themselves.

And that entire strip has had nothing but turnover. They finally gave up and converted the space on the southern end to an office use.

Had no clue they were there. How long were they open?

^

They had no idea how to promote themselves.

And that entire strip has had nothing but turnover. They finally gave up and converted the space on the southern end to an office use.

This is an example of why we shouldnt necessarily force commercial developments to have retail on ground floor. While I would prefer most urban developments to have retail on the street, you sometimes cant force it. Fortunately the coffee shop and book store have stayed in business, and there will be a restaurant come take this space soon enough. And yes, the marketing, the concept, the Asian language as part of the signage all contributed to its downfall.

This is an example of why we shouldnt necessarily force commercial developments to have retail on ground floor. While I would prefer most urban developments to have retail on the street, you sometimes cant force it. Fortunately the coffee shop and book store have stayed in business, and there will be a restaurant come take this space soon enough. And yes, the marketing, the concept, the Asian language as part of the signage all contributed to its downfall.

this ..

the Lift apt commercial space is still vacant ... (and always has been )

^

Devon leased only one of the dozen or so ground-level spaces (Hot Tamale) and it didn't last long.

Steelyard has struggled to lease its retail space.

The Pontiac Building mostly gave up on retail in favor of office use.

There isn't nearly enough foot traffic for many of these projects.

The Rose Room on Classen appears to have closed and emptied that space. If this was posted early and I didn't see it, whoops.

Yokozuna at Chisholm Creek has closed.

They had been dying a slow death for a long time.

While I liked going to eat at the bar, it was never full. Or even half full. Just too big of a place but always enjoyed the food

Golden Palace Chinese Buffet on Air Depot is closing after 30 plus years. The one on Meridian is staying open

The Rose Room on Classen appears to have closed and emptied that space. If this was posted early and I didn't see it, whoops.

I've since seen they are taking the space by boomtown creamery on 23rd.

Is Dan's Ol' Time Diner closed for good? Saw a story from Dave Cathey about it being closed, and he wasn't sure.

Is Dan's Ol' Time Diner closed for good? Saw a story from Dave Cathey about it being closed, and he wasn't sure.

I read a FB post that the owners were looking for cheaper space to rent; landlord at their prior location had hit them with a huge rent increase they couldn't sustain. Sounds like there *may* be some underlying animosity between the parties. Don't know. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the info, just what was posted.

i remember that something like that happened 3 years ago... i wonder if their lease was up and they were hit with another increase.

i'll try to swing by later today and see if there is a note on the door.

i remember that something like that happened 3 years ago...

If I remember correctly this scenario has raised it's head a few times with them.

i can confirm that they are closed... there wasn't a note on the door, but it looked like many, if not all, of the tables had been removed from the place.

If I remember correctly this scenario has raised it's head a few times with them.

maybe so... i only remember the one from around 2021 which resulted in the place getting a new vent hood and some cosmetic updates.

Is Dan's Ol' Time Diner closed for good? Saw a story from Dave Cathey about it being closed, and he wasn't sure.

This may have been posted elsewhere. They are moving to 10633 S. Western at Westminster Village. They hope to be open by September 15th if not before.

^that's good news... i hope their business can survive the move.

so, i moved out of my office... i used to put the cups of the places we'd eat for lunch in the window. here are some of the places that don't exist anymore:
19048

out of those, i think i miss the burgers at irma's the most.

For the record, Deep Deuce Grill is still kicking. That said, R.I.P. Craig Brown. What a character.

For the record, Deep Deuce Grill is still kicking. That said, R.I.P. Craig Brown. What a character.

d'oh... no offense intended to them!

I miss Mutt's the most.

I used to collect the cups too to use when I would invite a crowd over for BBQ.... Think I threw them all away when I moved in with my ex.... Wish I had kept the cups now. ;)

Back Door and Cultivar are the ones I miss most. I did what I could to keep them in business, but evidently I cannot eat enough. Lol.

so, i moved out of my office... i used to put the cups of the places we'd eat for lunch in the window. here are some of the places that don't exist anymore:
19048

out of those, i think i miss the burgers at irma's the most.

+1 for irmas

oh, the Brenda's Fries at Irmas was awesome. I dearly miss that place.

oh, the Brenda's Fries at Irmas was awesome. I dearly miss that place.

Yeah, agreed, I don't think we've found a burger place yet that we like as much as we did Irma's.

Sideline Bar & Grill - Plaza District.

Sideline Bar & Grill - Plaza District.

This doesn't surprise me. They lasted longer than I expected. Only went once and it was all very 'meh'. Service, vibes, and food were not great. Food wasn't terrible, but not worth going back to.

Sideline Bar & Grill - Plaza District.

I saw this outcome even before they opened. The OKC dining scene is much better now, and mundane restaurants won't last long. It's not just about the food, but also the service, the vibe, the social media—everything.

Rendezvous Pizza announced on their FB page that they are closing the Quail Springs location, effective today.

Rendezvous Pizza announced on their FB page that they are closing the Quail Springs location, effective today.

I'm not surprised by this. We went a couple of times and the only reason we returned after the first visit was their happy hour.

I'm not surprised by this. We went a couple of times and the only reason we returned after the first visit was their happy hour.I ate there with my kids a couple dozen times. The food was always good, especially the Detroit-style pizza and their wings, but the service usually left something to be desired. The tables were never cleaned very quickly and it seemed to be poorly managed. I will miss their Happy Hour, definitely.

$30 pizza is a tough sell in this type of economy. Especially if it is a glorified casserole.

We went there last week, and I noticed that it wasn't very busy AND the service was not very good

I first tried them due to the incredibly glowing reviews this forum gave it after they opened, and honestly, they were probably a little too glowing, since my expectations were sky-high and the pizza ended up being...fine.

I’m concerned about Barrios. I went there on Saturday night and the place was 1/3rd full during prime hours. I noticed this about three weeks ago too, but chalked it up to a fluke because some big event was happening downtown—can’t remember what.

I’m concerned about Barrios. I went there on Saturday night and the place was 1/3rd full during prime hours. I noticed this about three weeks ago too, but chalked it up to a fluke because some big event was happening downtown—can’t remember what.

They are still doing big brunch business.

Rendezvous Pizza announced on their FB page that they are closing the Quail Springs location, effective today.

Their bricktown location is on our family rotation. We really enjoy and it has been consistent every time.
Hopefully it is just the quail springs location.