Pops

[RadicalModerate]

When the line was too long--and the music too loud--at the Nichols Hills location of Hopdoddy, we treated our just out of the Air Force nephew and his wife to a visit to Pops (Nichols Hills). It might not have been perfect, yet it was OK. (And the drive to Arcadia would have been pointless.) Edited to Add: Yes. We walked away with two six-packs of Designer Soda. Guilty.

[SoonerQueen]

I heard today that Pop's in the Nichols Hills Plaza has closed. So sorry to hear this. With Irma's gone, it was a nice place to go. I guess the competition hurt them.

[kukblue1]

Who wants to spend $2-$3 for a pop you may for may not like. Also all their pops was the same price so a Dr Pepper was expensive compared to everyone else.

[corwin1968]

I've never eaten at the original Pop's location but I've heard good things. The Nichols Hills restaurant was mediocre at best.

[Pete]

[GoldFire]

Not surprising. The last time we went there was probably around September and virtually all of the sodas were out of stock.

[Joe Kimball]

Yes, went by yesterday in an attempt to pick up some candy and saw the monochrome version of this sign. I'm not surprised, but it was still sudden (as these things tend to be).

It's a cool space; hope it's filled quick

[stile99]

It really wasn't THAT sudden. My first thought upon reading that it had closed was "Yeah yeah, this is at least the third time I've heard this rumor", and we've been discussing the decline in this thread the last few months.

[Joe Kimball]

Well, I wasn't really in the loop. I mean "sudden" in "did the employees have notice", which upon my experience in similar cases, they don't.

The decline was undeniable. Healthy stores don't have a lack of stock as they did, which looked as if a 75% sale had just been announced that morning. It's one of those things that you can recover from if you try. Obviously though, between that and what I'd heard of the food of late, that was it.

[PaddyShack]

I don't know about anybody else on here, but the Arcadia location has seen better days. First off the electronic sign out front needs to be replaced. They need to better clean the place all around, inside and out. I know it is a gas station with a lot of traffic, but you could have at least one employee go check on the trash cans every hour or two. Next they really need to clean their display shelves along the front windows. It is pretty bad sitting and seeing all of the dust.

[chuck5815]

I don't know about anybody else on here, but the Arcadia location has seen better days. First off the electronic sign out front needs to be replaced. They need to better clean the place all around, inside and out. I know it is a gas station with a lot of traffic, but you could have at least one employee go check on the trash cans every hour or two. Next they really need to clean their display shelves along the front windows. It is pretty bad sitting and seeing all of the dust.

Yes, and the food isn't much to write home about it either.

Hard for a place like that to compete on the merits with The Garage, S&B, Tucker's, Hopdoddy, Johnnies, etc., etc.

Then you add the drive, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if we saw the AL location close in 2019.

[Ginkasa]

Part of the original, at least, is going to be the experience. Visiting OG Pops, to me, felt like the classic Route 66 experiences I've heard about. It was kind of unique and kind of a fun mini-trip. Plus all the unique sodas are fun; trying new things. I don't think Pops necessarily has to have particularly amazing food or necessarily compete with all of those other burger places. However, they do need to ensure the experience stays fresh and worthwhile. If the maintenance and upkeep of the place is going downhill, that's going to ruin it.

[SEMIweather]

I don't know about anybody else on here, but the Arcadia location has seen better days. First off the electronic sign out front needs to be replaced. They need to better clean the place all around, inside and out. I know it is a gas station with a lot of traffic, but you could have at least one employee go check on the trash cans every hour or two. Next they really need to clean their display shelves along the front windows. It is pretty bad sitting and seeing all of the dust.

Went to the Arcadia location several months back and was pretty disappointed. Butcher BBQ in Wellston is a much better Route 66 food experience.

[rtz]

Are they building a new location in Edmond or North OKC? Just wondering where they will locate it?