Crockett's smokehouse what happened??

[whorton]

CROCKETT'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ:

Can anyone of my esteemed fellow posters offer any insight on what happened to them? They were a great chain with a good product at a reasonable price. . . And then it seemed the just died. They had several stores and seemed to do a "brisk" business if you wibut, The guy that managed the Midwest city location turned up at a BBQ place on Classen, but disappeared before it occurred to me to ask what happened with the Crockett's chain.

Anyone?

[gjl]

I won't name specific names or details but this is what I know about it. The person who started the Pizza Planet restaurants started Crockets. When he retired he turned them over to his daughter and son in law. The son in law happened to be my ex wife's brother. He ran them well for a while and even opened a burger restaurant on 23rd and Rockwell called SOBs. Super Onion Burgers He then decided to open a Crockets in Bricktown that required a lot of money to open. It didn't do very well I think because of it's location and IMO no one knew it was there. I believe that is what started their downfall and he ended up having to close them all.

[PhiAlpha]

A family friend of ours owned Crockett’s. Pretty sure he said they sold to Rib Crib but I haven’t talked to him in a few years.

[PhiAlpha]

Well I was close but wrong on who he sold it to. https://journalrecord.com/1998/09/cr...se-chain-sold/

[gjl]

And Paul McNutt is my ex brother in law. And it all went down hill after he opened the Bricktown location. I was still married to his sister in 98.

[PhiAlpha]

And Paul McNutt is my ex brother in law. And it all went down hill after he opened the Bricktown location. I was still married to his sister in 98.

Ha! Small world. I was in boy scouts with he and his son for nearly a decade.

[Pete]

From the Journal Record:

Crockett's Smokehouse chain sold
September 16, 1998

Creative Restaurant Concepts will buy the three Crockett’s Smokehouse restaurants for $600,000.

The company plans to liquidate the Crockett’s Smokehouse now closed in Bricktown and give “facelifts” to the three remaining stores that generate about $1.5 million in revenues, said CRC President Joe Johnston.

CRC will purchase the stores from owner Paul McNutt, with the deal set to close in October. The restaurants are located on W. Reno Avenue, S. May Avenue and Air Depot Boulevard.

McNutt was unavailable for comment. Johnston said McNutt will act as a “transition consultant” for the next 90 days.

Upon completion of the transaction, McNutt will become a CRC stockholder of less than 5 percent, Johnston said.

Sed Kennedy, former director of operations at Steak and Ale, will manage the Crockett’s stores, in addition to managing the company’s Ground Floor Cafes bought in July for $800,000.

CRC changed its name last year from Magnolia Foods, in an effort to jump-start Johnston’s company. Johnston was a former developer of Chi-Chi’s and Joe Kelly’s restaurants. At Magnolia’s peak, the company had nine Magnolia Cafes, with one in Oklahoma City. In 1994, CRC signed a deal to own and operate 10 Skolniks Bagel Shops, but the parent company filed bankruptcy within a few months of the agreement.

Publicly traded CRC also is part-owner of a City Bites in Wichita.

CRC will look for “unique ways to distribute” Crockett’s food, Johnston said, which may include so-called remote locations (restaurants without kitchens) for the barbecue restaurants. Right now, the Ground Floor Cafes have two remote locations: downtown in Leadership Square and inside Mathis Bros. Furniture on W. Reno Avenue.

Johnston said CRC also may distribute Crockett’s fare through kiosks set up in areas of Oklahoma City “with heavy foot traffic.”

The Crockett’s chain employs 45 workers. Johnston said all will keep their jobs.

[Pete]

BTW, Crockett's was in a huge 10,000 SF space at 108 E. Main.

Same building as City Walk and now home to All About Cha.

[gjl]

I believe if he had never opened the Bricktown location there is a good possibility they would still be around and Paul would still own them.

[whorton]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the frank answers. It certainly sounds like things went south after the chain was sold. Truly a shame though as their food was good and reasonably priced. I used to frequent the Air Depot location and was always greeted by name and received great service. I really hated to see them go under.

I recall now that "g J l" mentioned it, noticing that many of the Crockett's had previously been Pizza planet locations on another forum.

The actions of magnolia are a bit perplexing, as I had noted elsewhere that Magnolias café was great. . . of course the hepatitis problem was apparently the nail in their coffin. A couple of great eateries shot down there.

Actually a bunch of inter related failures:

Pizza planet
Crockett's smokehouse
Magnolia café

So, what was the Air Depot managers name and any clue what became of him?

Thanks again for cluing me in.

[gjl]

I don't think Pizza Planet was a failure. I think he (Mack McAlister not sure of the spelling) just decided to go in a different direction with Crocketts. This was all over 25 years ago I was close to this. I don't remember Paul selling the business. All I know is we went to a grand opening party for friends and family at the Bricktown location and it wasn't too long after that that Paul was getting out of the restaurant business. I don't think they stayed open long after Paul got out of it.

[gjl]

If I remember I think his SOBs restaurant on 23rd and Rockwell was doing pretty good business. There weren't that many onion burger specialty restaurants around back then.

[whorton]

I have to chuckle. . .funny how we remember people, you certainly seem to have differing memories of the fellow than I do. He was always professional and polite to me as a customer. .and the place was always clean and well managed when I stopped in.

[gjl]

I have no idea who or what you are referring to.

[barrettd]

I have no idea who or what you are referring to.

The only thing I can think of is maybe they thought you were calling him an SOB instead of naming the restaurant?

[rayvaflav]

Was there more than one Super Onion Burger ? I remember dining there but not out on Rockwell.

[gjl]

I don't remember if he opened more than the one on 23rd and Rockwell. It was on 23rd. I'm pretty sure it was in the building just to the east of McDonalds. If I remember he opened it pretty close to the time he opened the Crockets in Bricktown so it was kind of short lived. Again it was 25 years ago and my memory of the details of all that could be a little foggy.

[citywokchinesefood]

And Paul McNutt is my ex brother in law. And it all went down hill after he opened the Bricktown location. I was still married to his sister in 98.

How is her barbecue?

[Urbanized]

If he doesn't say it's mighty fine I'm going to be deeply disappointed

[Martin]

If he doesn't say it's mighty fine I'm going to be deeply disappointed

then whistles 5 notes

/dang, i had completely forgotten about those ads