Restaurant closings

[KTB]

Shiki on N. May has closed.

[Pete]

Shiki on N. May has closed.

Been meaning to post this.

Will be a chain called Wingers. I'll create a new thread.

[Bill Robertson]

Just heard that Back Porch Brewhouse has a 'Temporarily Closed" sign on the door. Based on the total lack of business I suspect its permanent. Perfect example of a great concept run very, very badly.

[baralheia]

Just heard that Back Porch Brewhouse has a 'Temporarily Closed" sign on the door. Based on the total lack of business I suspect its permanent. Perfect example of a great concept run very, very badly.

They're marked "permanently closed" on Google and the location has been removed from their website too. Lasted just over a year in that spot.

[Bill Robertson]

Not surprised. Great concept horribly executed.

[amocore]

Not surprised. Great concept horribly executed.

Surprising !
We stopped at the one in Wichita Falls, few month ago, following advice from a west TX friend and it was a great neighborhood place.
I’m surprised it didn’t in OKC. The product was solid. I have not tried it here though.

[Bill Robertson]

Surprising !
We stopped at the one in Wichita Falls, few month ago, following advice from a west TX friend and it was a great neighborhood place.
I’m surprised it didn’t in OKC. The product was solid. I have not tried it here though.

The food was really good. Service was good at first but got worse and worse as time went on. The bar was constantly out of the most basic things. Management was clueless.

[Jersey Boss]

Logan's Roadhouse in Norman is out of business. I went there for lunch a few times with work crew and it was never better than fair. The steaks were overcooked whenever I ordered medium rare.

[Boop]

Golden Spoons have closed

[Boop]

Logan's Roadhouse in Norman is out of business. I went there for lunch a few times with work crew and it was never better than fair. The steaks were overcooked whenever I ordered medium rare.

Good, I always confused them with Texas Roadhouse

[fromdust]

If you like craft beer make sure you hit up TWISTED SPIKE before the end of the month. They are closing their doors.
Okc craft breweries that have fallen this year: Elk Valley, Black Mesa, and now Twisted Spike. Word on the street is Vanessa House is next

[goldenHurricane22]

Is Twisted Spike closing completely, or just the taproom? One of my favorite craft beer places, so that's disheartening to see them close.

[fromdust]

Is Twisted Spike closing completely, or just the taproom? One of my favorite craft beer places, so that's disheartening to see them close.

From what the guy behind the counter said it was done, not just the taproom

[Pete]

From what the guy behind the counter said it was done, not just the taproom

That's a major bummer on so many levels.

1. They make great beer; 2. Bruce Sanchez is one of the nicest guys ever and very well-respected in the local brewing community; and 3. TS was second only to Anthem as far as a brewery and taproom opening in the core.

[Jersey Boss]

If you like craft beer make sure you hit up TWISTED SPIKE before the end of the month. They are closing their doors.
Okc craft breweries that have fallen this year: Elk Valley, Black Mesa, and now Twisted Spike. Word on the street is Vanessa House is next

When did Black Mesa close?

[April in the Plaza]

If you like craft beer make sure you hit up TWISTED SPIKE before the end of the month. They are closing their doors.
Okc craft breweries that have fallen this year: Elk Valley, Black Mesa, and now Twisted Spike. Word on the street is Vanessa House is next

Yea, I’ve heard the math is extremely tough for most of the micro-craft guys. The margins are basically non-existent, especially if you’re exposed to expensive real estate.

[Roger S]

When did Black Mesa close?

On the 1st... They retired.

[OKCRealtor]

Yea, I’ve heard the math is extremely tough for most of the micro-craft guys. The margins are basically non-existent, especially if you’re exposed to expensive real estate.

Sounds just like the restaurant biz.

[jedicurt]

Yea, I’ve heard the math is extremely tough for most of the micro-craft guys. The margins are basically non-existent, especially if you’re exposed to expensive real estate.

really? because if you can actually get people in the taproom, the margins there are actually quite good. the issue is that we hit a saturation point. there are so many breweries now that if you don't stand out, or have a great location, people aren't just going to go, because there are now better options. This would be the twisted spike scenario... it was hard to their taproom, because there was not much immediate parking, and if you are going to have to park and walk a block or two, then why not go to one of the better and easier to get into breweries.

Black mesa the guy retired, and elk valley just didn't advertise, and i think they were too far off from automobile alley for people to really know they were there. i used to go regularly, but when i talked about it to people you lived right around it, they didn't even know it was there.

[Pete]

There was a time you could open a bar, taproom, or restaurant in the core and people would flock.

Now, there are literally hundreds of options and you'd better give people good reasons to come back and you also better be promoting yourself to stay in front of your market which is now overwhelmed with options.

I'm not picking on these breweries, but far too many places here have no idea how to differentiate or market themselves. You can get beer, 'craft' cocktails, burgers, tacos and pizza in thousands of places around OKC. Why would I choose your business over all the others? How will I even think of you when it comes time to make a choice?

[OKCRealtor]

There was a time you could open a bar, taproom, or restaurant in the core and people would flock.

Now, there are literally hundreds of options and you'd better give people good reasons to come back and you also better be promoting yourself to stay in front of your market which is now overwhelmed with options.

I'm not picking on these breweries, but far too many places here have no idea how to differentiate or market themselves. You can get beer, 'craft' cocktails, burgers, tacos and pizza in thousands of places around OKC. Why would I choose your business over all the others? How will I even think of you when it comes time to make a choice?

100%

Everything matters & management and leadership teams have to understand the full circle of business.

You can't just make a good product and have the 'if we build it they will come' mentality. So many more pieces to the puzzle.

[Pete]

100%

Everything matters & management and leadership teams have to understand the full circle of business.

You can't just make a good product and have the 'if we build it they will come' mentality. So many more pieces to the puzzle.

It doesn't help that the legions of ad agencies, PR firms, and marketing companies in OKC don't have any real ideas on how to promote and differentiate businesses either.

They just do a press release to legacy media and then charge their clients for getting something in the Oklahoman or a TV channel (if they are very, very lucky) which can't possibly translate into any real business.


And then I come across the young woman who owns and runs Boomtown Creamery and I knew instantly she was going to kill it, even charging many multiples over ice cream from Braum's. That business has been a wild success, and I could see it coming a mile away. Conversely, it's become pretty easy for me to predict the demise of many places I cover long before they open.

Every time I cover a new place, I make a mental prediction and it's very rarely wrong.

[Jersey Boss]

On the 1st... They retired.

I am surprised to say the least. That facility is what, 4 years old?
I hope some other business resumes brewing there.

[Will Dearborn]

Twisted Spike had unremarkable beer and a worse location, frankly surprised they lasted this long.

[corwin1968]

I just started going to taphouses and almost none are convenient to access. As far as quality, Stonecloud has been the best, by far.