Restaurant closings

[Shortsyeararound]

Weird then that a restaurant would just up and move then if they were doing good especially considering what Pete just said about the firm they used to design their space. Why move further from the most expensive zip code in the state?

73116/73120 are not the most expensive zip codes in the state, that belongs to 74137 in Tulsa. Maybe Nichols Hills has the most expensive property in the Okc area, but the zip code is lumped with the corridors to the north and south of it that have lower home values. I get what you meant though.

[Plutonic Panda]

73116/73120 are not the most expensive zip codes in the state, that belongs to 74137 in Tulsa. Maybe Nichols Hills has the most expensive property in the Okc area, but the zip code is lumped with the corridors to the north and south of it that have lower home values. I get what you meant though.

Interesting. I’m wasn't sure about Tulsa maybe they have a zip code with more expensive homes I just know Nichols Hills is a premier area and I’m surprised this place would leave but as others have pointed out maybe they just couldn’t work arrangements on fair rent. Who knows. I have not tried their Nichols Hills location though. I’m guessing the Tulsa zip code is for the Southern Hills area. Very beautiful part of the city. OKC really doesn’t have anything like it.

[Shortsyeararound]

Interesting. I’m wasn't sure about Tulsa maybe they have a zip code with more expensive homes I just know Nichols Hills is a premier area and I’m surprised this place would leave but as others have pointed out maybe they just couldn’t work arrangements on fair rent. Who knows. I have not tried their Nichols Hills location though. I’m guessing the Tulsa zip code is for the Southern Hills area. Very beautiful part of the city. OKC really doesn’t have anything like it.

Yep, that area is Southern Hills and the area butting up to Jenks. I love Nichols Hills and Southern Hills- wish there were more areas like those.

[OkieBerto]

My ex-wife and I visited Osteria for a special occasion date night and it was not a great experience. To their credit, when I filled out the survey accordingly, they invited us back for a comped meal. While I was very appreciative, and we did return for the second meal, the food still just wasn't that great. Service was ok, but just not worth the money, for me. I'd be interested in seeing what happens when they move. I still haven't been over to the Britton District, I need to change that.

They also had offered me a comped meal, but to me if you mess up a dish that is a specialty, then I don't want to try anything that you might be making. It is clear your food is not going to be up to par. I appreciate the customer service, but what good is that if the food, that costs a lot of money to some, isn't very good?

[OKCRealtor]

We've been to Osteria a few times and they seemed to always have a pretty good flow of traffic. That said it is good, not great. I would bet it's more the cost to operate/rent than anything along with the unwinding of the partnership from the quote.

[barrettd]

They also had offered me a comped meal, but to me if you mess up a dish that is a specialty, then I don't want to try anything that you might be making. It is clear your food is not going to be up to par. I appreciate the customer service, but what good is that if the food, that costs a lot of money to some, isn't very good?

I hear you. And I went back and forth on whether we should even take them up on it, but a free meal is a free meal. I did want to give them a chance to make it better, and the service was much improved. I, of course, tipped the server well, and appreciated the meal, but the food just wasn't worth the money, to me. Different strokes.

[barrettd]

We've been to Osteria a few times and they seemed to always have a pretty good flow of traffic. That said it is good, not great. I would bet it's more the cost to operate/rent than anything along with the unwinding of the partnership from the quote.

Yes, both times we went they were full. That's the other reason I was surprised the food wasn't terrific.

[Jeepnokc]

There is a good chance that their licensing agreement with the airport requires them to have a non airport location open.

[CatholicSooner]

Oh please.

Restaurants have always been an incredibly tough business, and high end places have a short window (5-10 years at most) to go from "next hot thing" to "institution". We are experiencing normal business changes in a high churn industry.

We are pumping more oil out of the ground in the lower 48 than at any time in history. Record consumption every day. Slowing economies don't do that. We have historic highs in employment and lows in unemployment. We are buying more goods than ever.

You do know Sears and K-Mart withered and died before the pandemic, right?

lol

[Pete]

There is a good chance that their licensing agreement with the airport requires them to have a non airport location open.

Great point.

I've been told by someone involved in those airport licensing deals that it's "mailbox money" to them, as they just provide the name and a bit of advice on the front end, then get sent a check every month.

The airport gets the benefit of a known name, but that doesn't really work for them if the namesake goes completely out of business.

[Urbanized]

^^^^^^^^
This is accurate. Paradeis licenses their marks, they consult on product mix and aesthetic, but after that Paradeis runs everything and sends them a cut. Whether someone would call it a big cut or a small cut depends upon their own perspective. But after it’s all set up, “mailbox money” is the best way to describe it.

[Pete]

It's always sad to see a business close but like it or not, all of this is part of the continued maturation of the OKC market.

There has been a rash recently but that's bound to happen when you have hundreds of new places -- literally -- opening every year. The City is not growing fast enough to accommodate everyone, so the strong survive.

Think about how the OKC restaurant and bar scene has improved in the last 5-10 years. Huge leaps and bounds.

And almost every time a closure is announced, the most common reply is 'I haven't been there for a while'. The truth is that most of us like the idea of a place, but everyone ultimately votes with their wallet.

There are other factors squeezing profits (rent, food costs, labor costs) but there are still thousands of places continuing to operate while others can't hack it. It's simply because there was not enough business to make these restaurants profitable, and that is much more a function of customers choosing to spend their money elsewhere.

There are still dozens of new places in the pipeline. And most of the vacated spaces will not stay empty for long.

[fromdust]

Capital's in midtown seemingly has closed

[Pete]

This is a list of the places that closed in 2023. What have I missed?

Yuzo
Ludivine
Osteria
Sunset
Louie's MT
1492 MT
Scatch
Capitals MT
City + State
Cafe do Brasil
Oak and Ore
Ned's Starlite Lounge
The Catch - BI
Elk Valley Brewery
Twisted Spike Brewery
Cross Timbers Brewery
Moni's
The Mantle
The Copley - 23rd
Black Mesa Brewery
City Garden
VZD's
The Eleanor
Shiki

[DoctorTaco]

Wow I just learned from this post ^^^ about Capitol's Ice Cream closing. Makes sense. Last time I was in there the portions were smaller, the place was dirtier. Had all the hallmarks of a restaurant in a death spiral.

[Jeepnokc]

This is a list of the places that closed in 2023. What have I missed?

Yuzo
Ludivine
Osteria
Sunset
Louie's MT
1492 MT
Scatch
Capitals MT
City + State
Cafe do Brasil
Oak and Ore
Ned's Starlite Lounge
The Catch - BI
Elk Valley Brewery
Twisted Spike Brewery
Cross Timbers Brewery
Moni's
The Mantle
The Copley - 23rd
Black Mesa Brewery
City Garden
VZD's
The Eleanor
Shiki

Did Caol Ila in Film Row close in 2023? Also, the restaurant that was on the corner of Hudson and Main in BOK . Victoria's on SW 104th/May, Earls in BT

[Pete]

^

I just noticed last week that Hot Tamale closed in the BOK Parking Garage.

They never even put their sign up and now it's like they were never there. That leaves all the retail/restaurant space at BOK completely empty.

[Shortsyeararound]

Would you say this is more or less than recent years (not counting during 2020)?

[Pete]

Would you say this is more or less than recent years (not counting during 2020)?

I would say things are about the same.

The more restaurants that open -- and there were literally hundreds in the past year -- the more that will close. And many more open than close.

It's the natural cycle of things and the places that know how to operate and promote themselves survive, while others just are no longer competitive in an increasingly competitive market.

[Urbanized]

I’d also add that much of this is still pandemic-driven in that there has been a massive restructuring of when/how different parts of town are utilized. Particularly work from home has decimated the weekday daytime white collar downtown market. It’s slowly bouncing back, albeit with different demographics; state agencies, residential replacing energy sector, financial, professional services offices, etc.

But quite a few of the recent closures, especially in Midtown/downtown have been due to literally lost lunch money and after workday business such as happy hours or dinners downtown. It’s a definite reshuffling.

[Teo9969]

I'd guess that PPP Loans and Employee Retention Credits prevented a few closures in 2021/22 that would have otherwise happened even without a pandemic.

[PhiAlpha]

Sadly, add one more to the closure list:

[jbkrems]

Sadly, add one more to the closure list:

What is or was this ??? And where ???

[Dob Hooligan]

What is or was this ??? And where ???

I “think” it’s that place in Norman that Wayne Copeland spent years building. That development on the west side of I-35 in the area where Home Depot and Interurban are. He told me years ago he was gonna call it Wayne’s Waterside Grille.

[Jake]

Capital's in midtown seemingly has closed

After Boomtown opened up I kind of forgot Capital's existed.