Prairie Thunder

[soonerfan21]

First impressions are everything in my opinion, when trying to open your doors to a new business (especially when you have Irma's next door). In the article that was posted on "Roadtrips" restaurants it also mentioned Hamburger & BBQ spots. Leo's was mentioned as 1 of 4 places in OK for excellent BBQ. But the one thing that popped out to me was how the owner, Charles, greets everyone he can and makes his presence known in the place. The reviewers and patrons notice that, let me tell you.

[GWB]

mecarr, I was in there yesterday also around 1pm or slightly after. I suppose my experience was similar, yet different.

The atmosphere is nice, it was kind of quiet since few were in there. The owner was standing up front but didn't greet myself nor a few other patrons that came in around the same time. I personally found the staff rather rude (and I was in a suit, not sure if that means anything). No one greeted upon arrival, (including the owner doing nothing), he was standing behind the counter just staring at customers in line, while the other girl was taking orders very slowly.

As you mentioned, the selection/menu is very minimal and rather disappointing actually. As others have stated, they're usually picked over pretty good by this time. They had the two salads (one bread), quiche and sandwiches as you mentioned (although you forgot they have ham sandwich also). Almost all the desserts/pastries were gone, except for a few truffles, cherry danish, and one or two other things. Theyhad a few loafs of bread and baguettes left as well.

I ordered the ham sandwich with everything. It was $6 bucks on it's own. It's the equivalent of about a half a sandwich. It was pretty small. The bread was good (couldn't tell much difference than Big Sky or Panera), the ham was an excellent smoked ham, the leafy greens were very good and earthy (although I ended taking off because there was way too much), the "roma tomatoes" were disgusting and shouldn't have been put on there, they were wayyyy out of season. Overall, once I removed the veggies and put a little bit of light mayo on it, it was pretty good. I was very disappointed with the portion size. I asked if they had a lunch special or combo and she said that was it. You don't get chips or a small roll or apple. She offered to buy a bag of chips for $.99cents or drink and pastry. Personally, I think a combo should not cost $10 bucks for a sandwich and chips that are average and very small.

I suppose for my fresh sandwich lunch fix, I'll be sticking with Panera where you can get the 1/2 sandwich 1/2 salad or soup plus apple or chips and bread roll for $6. Panera's sandwiches are much bigger and tastier IMO.

I was highly looking forward to eating here and I suppose it didn't live up to the expectation. I will return just to try again, but more than likely, I'll ownly patronize for the occasional loaf of bread with a nice slow cooked dinner at home.

DECOR: 5 out of 5
STAFF: 2 out of 5
FOOD: 3 out of 5
VALUE: 2 out of 5
OVERALL: 3

Metro, your evaluation of PTBC is right on. I totally agree with you. I was there at 10:30 this morning and was surprised to see how picked over they were already. I asked the cashier why there was so little to offer in the display case. She said that they were busier than they expected and sold out most of their pastries this morning. Either they were swamped with tons of customers or they didn't plan very well. Not counting me, there were only two other customers when I was there. After four days in business, you would think that they would have had a better handle on the amount of pastries to prepare--in my opinion.

For breakfast, they only had two blueberry scones left (I bought both of them). I asked if they made other flavored scones, and she said they also made cranberry orange scones as well (sold out). The blueberry scones are some of the best I've eaten. I highly recommend them if you are into scones. (Off topic, but I hope Coffee Slingers buys them and sells them in their cafe. The scones they sell now taste like they're made with bisquick)

They also had cinnamon buns (as they call them) in their display case. There was only two left and I bought the last two they had. They are rather small and lacking in uniformity. They were very dry tasting and the dough was not very sweet or flavorful and I could hardly taste the cinnamon. There was some kind of glaze on it that was used sparingly. It helped improve the flavor of the rolls, but not much. Unless they come up with a better recipe, I think they are not doing themselves a favor by selling them. You expect more from a place like this.

They had quite a few cookies left on the counter, but only offered two kinds--chocolate chip and oatmeal with raisins (and cranberries I think). The cookies are very good--firm, yet chewy. I doubt there will be any left for people who get there at 1:00 and on.

I also purchased (forgot the name of it) a cone shaped cookie that is made of sliced almonds. I took only one bite of it just so I could share here how they tasted. Ma Ma Mia! These things (whatever they're called) are absolutely delish! Sorry I don't remember the name of it, but it looks like a little ice cream cone thats been dipped in chocolate (the top), and then filled with some kind of a creamy chocolate. Out of this world!

The only other breakfast "pastry" they offered at 10:30 this morning was croissants. They looked pretty good, but I didn't buy any, so I can't comment on the taste. They had some quiches in the case that looked alright. They offered one with cheese and vegetables and one with bacon, cheese and vegetables. I might order one next time and bring it home and have it for lunch or something.

I too saw the owner of the place and he did not greet me either. He looked at me, and I nodded to him, but he just moved on and went back into the kitchen. The staff seemed to be a little uptight and not very friendly. I would suggest they loosen up a little bit and not be so uptight. Also, I think they'd be better off preparing too much, than not making enough. There'd be a lot less disgruntled customers this way. If they have a lot left over at the end of the day, they could either donate the left overs to a food bank, or sell it for half price, the next day, as some bakeries do. Being sold out of almost all of their pastries, and not offering friendly service, doesn't leave a very good first impression. I know it's all new for them, and they're still learning the ropes, but first impressions are important.

I'll go back and try it again, but, if these folks don't get a handle on things within the next few weeks, I'm afraid they aren't going to be around long. That would be ashamed because they have a lot of potential. I hope the owner, or someone in the cafe, is reading this thread. I think it would help them see things from a customer's perspective so that they could make improvements where they're needed.

By the way, for two cookies, one almond cone cookie, two blueberry scones and two cinnamon buns, the total cost for these seven items was $15.88. That comes to about $2.25 per item. I don't know what each individual item cost me because the receipt does not itemize what I purchased. It simply gives the grand total with tax. I should have payed more attention to that. I don't think the prices were too bad actually, but the cinnamon buns weren't worth 2 cents in my opinion.

I look forward to hearing from others who have gone there and hear what your experience was like.

[GWB]

First impressions are everything in my opinion, when trying to open your doors to a new business... The reviewers and patrons notice that, let me tell you.

They DO indeed!

[Steve]

Every single positive Randy Hogan story I've done has been at your suggestion.

Steve, just how many articles have I "inspired"?

[Martin]

^well played. -M

[OKCCrime]

PTBC... closed on Saturdays... Arg........

[metro]

Yep, strike two against the place, my wife and I tried to go for a morning brunch/breakfast on Saturday only to find they are closed on weekends. I'm sure Browns Bakery and Cafe Do Brasil are appreciating that fact.

[Steve]

I wonder what the track record is for downtown shops staying open Saturdays ... hey, Metro, that's another story! Back to an earlier part of this thread. In all seriousness, yes, I see Metro a lot downtown and he has been a great source of story ideas, and I noted so at my blog in my very first posting:

"The advent of new media also brought down traditional walls between information providers and consumers. Now it’s a two-way street, and I’ll be the first to acknowledge I’ve chased after story ideas and tips published on web sites.

A news item from Minneapolis posted on dustbury.com by Charles Hill inspired me to make a few phone calls of my own and write a story about Sonic building a drive-in in a town slightly colder than Oklahoma City. ”Metro” and ”Patrick,” posters at www.okctalk.com, have been consistent sources of story ideas and frequent reminders that I’m far from running out of stories to write about on this beat."

[metro]

steve, that would be a good story, to see who is open downtown on the weekends.

[Martin]

wow. i also tried visiting on saturday, only to find the place closed. i would've thought that a place like prairie thunder would make a decent amount of money on a saturday.

-M

[d8usti5n]

Just curious, what kind of credentials does everyone have?
<br>
Personally i would much rather go to a bakery that bakes everything freash daily as oppossed to a bakery that sell an item days after its been made. Shorter shelf life means shorter time in my body, ever stop to think about what most bakeries put in thier products to make them last so long???? Ever think about what that does to your body?

[GWB]

Just curious, what kind of credentials does everyone have?
<br>
Personally i would much rather go to a bakery that bakes everything freash daily as oppossed to a bakery that sell an item days after its been made. Shorter shelf life means shorter time in my body, ever stop to think about what most bakeries put in thier products to make them last so long???? Ever think about what that does to your body?

Are you the owner or affiliated with this place?

[betts]

I went today at about one, and there were plenty of baguettes. I got one and it was delicious, with a perfect crust and flavor. The owner was chatting with someone, and I heard him mention something about working on being open Saturday. I also brought a Napoleon home for my husband and tried a bite. It too was delicious, and definitely homemade.

[metro]

It seems like after 1pm, about all they have left is baguettes. Why stay open until 6pm if that's all you have left.

[foodiefan]

disclaimer. . . do not have any association with this business. I think/hope that this is a beautiful "work in progress"!! Stopped in today around 3 pm. . .took home a ciabatta that is excellent! (me/myself/I so I still have a lot left). Several other breads available, including baguettes that were absolutely beautiful. Some delicious looking pastries. . .I will definitely be back-many times!! It is so exciting that we have something like this in the midtown area and I hope people will support their efforts. I do not live in midtown, but am in the area frequently and will definitely go the "extra mile" to purchase their baked goods as long as they maintain the quality they have shown so far.

[betts]

Delicious chocolate chip cookies, I forgot to add. A friend highly recommended the cherry and cheese danishes, but I haven't tried them.

[OKCCrime]

It seems like after 1pm, about all they have left is baguettes. Why stay open until 6pm if that's all you have left.

More importantly, if you aren't going to have bread available to sell until 11am (like today), why be open from 7-11? I'm guessing that the stars must be misaligned for me and the PTBC. I've been there four times and successfully come away with bread only once. I've been seriously let down by this place after having such high hopes and expectations.

Moral of the story: If you want to go to PTBC and not be disappointed, go from 11am-1pm M-F.

[Pete]

Give them time to work out the kinks.

This isn't a franchise or chain and aren't most of us always complaining about those non-local places? Comparing it to Panera at this point is a bit unfair IMO.

Give it a couple of months. I know first impressions are very important but hopefully they will be there for the long haul.

[GWB]

More importantly, if you aren't going to have bread available to sell until 11am (like today), why be open from 7-11? I'm guessing that the stars must be misaligned for me and the PTBC. I've been there four times and successfully come away with bread only once. I've been seriously let down by this place after having such high hopes and expectations.

Moral of the story: If you want to go to PTBC and not be disappointed, go from 11am-1pm M-F.

I've gone in there three times since they've opened, between ten to noon, and each time they were out of most of their breakfast danishes. Apparently people have been complaining about it too. Last week when I went in, they had a sign on the counter saying that if you want something in the morning call ahead and order it because they run out early. Well, that's just fine if you know what you want, but often times I order something based on what appeals to me in the display case. They got some quirks to work out for sure, but I'm not sure that they see it that way. If they don't think they have a problem, they're not gonna fix it. Their baked items are pretty good, if they could just figure out how to get a handle on making enough of it, and getting it in the case early enough, they should do well. I really hope they make it.

[mecarr]

By Steve Lackmeyer
Business Writer

After spending 30 years as an oil and gas geologist, John McBryde was tired of the 9 to 5. So he ditched his downtown office, pursued his dream, and jokes he is now working "5 to 9” operating MidTown's newest addition: the Prairie Thunder Baking Co., 1114 Classen Drive.

"This place came to me in a vision three years ago,” McBryde said. "What I wanted was to create a neighborhood bakery that was an partisan bakery that would serve a market not currently being served in Oklahoma City.”

His idea? "Fresh, made from scratch, baked goods, from the best ingredients, using old school methods.”

But it wouldn't be easy. Starting three years ago, McBryde, a Heritage Hills resident, began discussing his idea with Greg Banta just as the developer was beginning to buy properties in nearby MidTown. Banta didn't yet own MidTown's Plaza Court building at NW 10 and Walker Avenue, but both agreed the property would be the perfect spot.

By 2006, Banta had added the Plaza Court to his expansive MidTown holdings, and McBryde's Prairie Thunder Baking Co. was one of the first announced tenants. Banta declared the bakery would be one of his leading anchor tenants.

Hobby becomes career
Baking had always been a hobby for McBryde. He started baking breads as a boy, and continued to dabble with recipes in college that he would keep handy at his home. But pursuing the dream of an artisan breads and pastry bakery wouldn't come cheap — he spent $100,000 for a big gas-fired oven, $25,000 for the pastry oven, and $30,000 for two large mixers.

The entire cost of getting the bakery up and running would total $600,000.

McBryde designed the restaurant to match the Art Deco era of the Plaza Court building, and did the detailed wood work and light fixtures himself.

By mid-2007, one could see what looked like a finished bakery ready to open. But the wait continued. Oklahoma City residents Bill and Jane Garthoeffner were among many a passerby who would visit to see if the bakery had opened yet. Bill Garthoeffner was born at St. Anthony Hospital and recalled buying 28-cent quarts of ice cream across the street at Kaiser's.

"It's good to see the area coming back,” Garthoeffner said. "And we've needed a bakery like this for a long time — artisan bread that is lovingly made.”

But the delays continued, and weeks turned into months. The very nature of the equipment McBryde needed made predicting an opening virtually impossible.

"We have an Italian pastry oven, a large deck oven that came from France,” McBryde said. "It took more than 18 months to get the large oven here, and then six weeks to get it built and calibrated.”

The oven weighs 18,000 pounds and can heat up to 430 degrees inside.

An installer from Salzburg, Austria, spent three weeks working 12-hour days just to install the breads oven. The oven, with steam tubes and a masonry base, may be the only one in Oklahoma, McBryde said.

"A lot of people wonder if the decks slide in and out,” McBryde said. "They don't. They stay in, and they are heated from below and above from super heated steam.”

The bakery, which opened three weeks ago, has seen a steady rise in business despite no advertising or promotions. Future customers like the Garthoeffners who walked up to the bakery in March were treated to taste some of McBryde's recipes, and he doesn't rule out the possibility that created some good word of mouth.

McBryde admits his shop is "not yet breaking a sweat,” and is only producing 100 loaves of bread when it has the capacity 1,000 per shift. McBryde said he also is not competing with the legendary Browns Bakery across the street, which specializes in cakes and doughnuts.

"I don't do doughnuts and all, and the cakes I do are very limited,” McBryde said.

Prairie Thunder Baking Company is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, though McBryde expects he will eventually open for a shorter shift on Saturdays. He likes the neighborhood emerging in MidTown, which includes Irma's Burgers, 1492 New World Latin Cuisine and Cafe do' Brasil.

He does not want to compete with those restaurants, however, for dinner business.

"We want to have a breakfast crowd, we want to have lunch, and we also want to sell breads and pastries until the afternoon drive is over,” McBryde said. "We're not aiming for dinner — we believe there are plenty of opportunities for dinner downtown, and we think our niche will be mornings and lunches.”

[betts]

I've been in several times in the afternoon and they've been out of bread. I'm hoping they either have underestimated demand or they're figuring out how to increase production. I would think you only know you're making enough bread when you've got some loaves left over at the end of the day.

As far as pastries go, I would assume the same. It's not a good thing to be out of merchandise before the store closes, and their goal should be to have to give or throw away a little bit so that they can accomodate demand.

[flintysooner]

... I wanted was to create a neighborhood bakery that was an partisan bakery ...

There you have it.

[metro]

Here's an article in today's JR. I think McBryde is a little dis-illusioned on how most posters/reviewers on this forum and people I've talked to in person. Everyone seems to agree about not having enough bread/selection, high prices of lunch items, and not being open on Saturdays/Sundays. I really want the place to do well and had high expectations, but unless this guy cranks out more bread/pastries, I won't be returning or recommending.

Baker pleased with response in Midtown
Journal Record
May 20, 2008 OKLAHOMA CITY – Five weeks after opening the Prairie Thunder Baking Co. in Oklahoma City’s Midtown, owner John McBryde is literally running in circles, but doing something he loves.

McBryde spent years in the oil industry, and was transferred to Oklahoma City from Houston in 1990, but found that for a second career he would look to a hobby that dated back to his youth.“I’ve been an amateur baker since my teenage years,” he said. “I always enjoyed doing it but it was not an overriding passion, it was just something I enjoyed doing.”

About three years ago McBryde decided to look into leaving the oil business behind and consider opening a bakery. The first step was to determine the viability of an artisan bakery in Midtown, and how much bread McBryde would have to make to be profitable.“You’ve got to sell a lot of bread to pay rent,” McBryde said with a laugh.

The decision to move to Plaza Court was also a risk when McBryde signed a lease with The Banta Cos. in August 2006. Developer Greg Banta had purchased the 1927 Plaza Court and renovated the building after it sat mostly vacant for several years.

When McBryde first considered the building, renovations were under way and tenants were few. Banta now reports 24,000 square feet of the building is leased with only 3,800 square feet of retail and 3,400 square feet of office space available.

Prairie Thunder is joined by neighbors like Irma’s Burger Shack II, Subway, and the YMCA Midtown branch on the building’s second floor. McBryde said he was drawn to Plaza Court because of the proximity to his home, and for the chance to be a part of the building’s return as a thriving center of retail activity.“I always thought the Plaza Court was a stunning building,” he said.

McBryde said his bread is unique in that it is almost entirely made by hand, a process that takes much longer and is more labor-intensive than the method used at many commercial bakeries. From start to finish the bread takes about 36 hours to make. He said the perfect bread has a crusty outside but is soft and chewy inside.

Several countries in Europe are represented by equipment in the kitchen, including an oven from France, mixers from Germany and a rotating double-rack pastry oven from Italy. Those fit well for McBryde’s product, which he calls old world-style bread. The bakery also offers breakfast and lunch items, coffee and pastries.

With a crew of 10, including McBryde, he is staying busy running nearly every aspect of the bakery, which begins with baking bread at 5 a.m. On Monday afternoon, McBryde was ringing up customers one minute, answering the phone the next, then without missing a beat moved to the kitchen to begin lumping dough on trays by hand to begin the baking process. And already the bakery has had several recent days where demand was so great they sold out of bread.“I vowed that that wasn’t going to happen this week,” he said.

McBryde said he is planning accordingly, and gauging the amount of bread sold, to get to a point where at the end of the day most, if not all of the product is sold, without running out. Another reason McBryde does not want leftovers is that he does not intend to sell day-old bread.“I want it to be fresh,” he said. “And I don’t want to compete with myself.”

Owner John McBryde of the newly opened Prairie Thunder Baking Co. in Plaza Court works with 5-grain levain bread dough Monday in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Jennifer Pitts)

[flintysooner]

I think McBryde is a little dis-illusioned on how most posters/reviewers on this forum

Can't imagine why.

[Steve]

It's a partisan thing.