Tulsa, Not OKC, Is Getting a Hard Rock

[dismayed]

I know this has been discussed in the Tulsa forum, but in case you didn't see it the Tulsa metro area (on Cherokee Nation land) is getting a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (links below).

The intent of this post isn't to announce it but is really to discuss... why? I'm happy for the Tulsa area and think it's great, I will certainly be traveling up the road to see it, but why is it that since almost day one we have been talking about having a Hard Rock Cafe in Bricktown but could never really pull it off, but the Cherokee Nation somehow managed to swing a deal. What is it that they did that we have not? Is it purely a matter of the casino gambling, or is it something else? What could we have done differently to have seen this developed in the OKC area?

Thoughts?

Hard Rock Casino Tulsa (2009)

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | About Us | Press Release Detail

[Pete]

First of all, this is just buying the Hard Rock brand for a complex almost completed.

Secondly, it is merely a franchise of their name.

And third, the Hard Rock brand is now owned by the Seminole Tribe.

[Steve]

Pete's right. Hard Rock Cafe, by the way, is a 1990s definition of a city achieving big league success. The brand follows tribal casinos, and locations are no longer determined by urban hipness, etc.

[Pete]

One of the original, signature Hard Rock Cafes (the one in the Beverly Center with the Cadillac sticking out of it's facade) closed here in Los Angeles and barely a soul noticed.

[dmoor82]

Do you really want to go into what OKC is getting/has and what Tulsa is not? cuz we can and it would be mindblowing!!!1

[Stinger]

Yeah, but if they get the WNBA too, it's a wash.

[Stinger]

One of the original, signature Hard Rock Cafes (the one in the Beverly Center with the Cadillac sticking out of it's facade) closed here in Los Angeles and barely a soul noticed.

Same thing happened in Dallas (Although not really a signature HRC)

[dmoor82]

Yeah, but if they get the WNBA too, it's a wash.

LOL!!! that is funny,WNBA is Good for Tulsa it brings the city's national image status up! and having a Hard Rock Hotel/Casino,while cool is hardly something to brag about,give me an NBA team and a 925 ft tower over a faded brand casino any day of the week!!!!!Tulsa is outdoing OKC??????? LMFAO!

[fuzzytoad]

LOL!!! that is funny,WNBA is Good for Tulsa it brings the city's national image status up! and having a Hard Rock Hotel/Casino,while cool is hardly something to brag about,give me an NBA team and a 925 ft tower over a faded brand casino any day of the week!!!!!Tulsa is outdoing OKC??????? LMFAO!

you forgot about the banjo museum

[dmoor82]

you forgot about the banjo museum

And you forgot about the Dave and Busters!!!!,thats what the title of this thread should be-Tulsa is getinng a D&B,not OKC!!!!LOL I think SOME Tulsan's are still bitter about OKC getting an NBA team,and it being called the Oklahoma city thunder and not the Oklahoma -------!Yeah I said it so what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fuzzytoad]

And you forgot about the Dave and Busters!!!!,thats what the title of this thread should be-Tulsa is getinng a D&B,not OKC!!!!LOL

yeah, nevermind, you obviously missed the point.

[dmoor82]

yeah, nevermind, you obviously missed the point.

I guess I did,my bad,the title of this thread is so stupid,it's like who gives a shi-!I'm just getting defensive for no reason!i'm done with this thread!

[pokemike]

First of all, this is just buying the Hard Rock brand for a complex almost completed.

Secondly, it is merely a franchise of their name.

And third, the Hard Rock brand is now owned by the Seminole Tribe.

This is correct. It will not actually be a Hard Rock, the Cherokees just bought the name rights for their place. I know some folks at the Seminole Gaming in Florida who are none-too-happy about this. They're pissed that Hard Rock is seeling it's name to just anyone right now (including Kansas City Motor Speedway's bar), when the Seminoles were supposed to have exclusive rights.

[progressiveboy]

Same thing happened in Dallas (Although not really a signature HRC)

Actually that is true, it closed about 2 years ago on McKinney Avenue, however they just had there grand reopening on July 15 in Victory Park. The HR officials stated they missed being in Dallas and wanted to re enter the market

[dismayed]

For the malcontents who refuse to read what I originally posted, the point was that the city of Oklahoma City and/or Bricktown leaders, in articles in various newspapers going back a decade, said that they were actively trying to get a Hard Rock in Bricktown. The question wasn't about whether or not early 21st Century tastes have evolved, it was simply why, if we wanted one, we didn't get one, but another city in Oklahoma, that did want a Hard Rock, did get one.

[Pete]

dismayed, these are not the same things though.

I don't think anyone was clamoring for a Hard Rock Indian casino in Bricktown.

[fuzzytoad]

For the malcontents who refuse to read what I originally posted, the point was that the city of Oklahoma City said it wanted a Hard Rock and early posts in The Oklahoman that interviewed Bricktown leaders said they were actively trying to get a Hard Rock into town. The question wasn't about whether or not early 21st Century tastes have evolved, it was simply why, if we wanted one, we didn't get one, but another city in Oklahoma, that did want a Hard Rock, did get one.

Probably something to do with the gambling aspect of it.

I can't believe there's no casinos in OKC, especially in or around Bricktown and I believe I read on this forum somewhere that it was the fault of whatever group of people control Bricktown.

[dismayed]

dismayed, these are not the same things though.

I don't think anyone was clamoring for a Hard Rock Indian casino in Bricktown.

Ok, fair enough.

[adaniel]

Probably something to do with the gambling aspect of it.

I can't believe there's no casinos in OKC, especially in or around Bricktown and I believe I read on this forum somewhere that it was the fault of whatever group of people control Bricktown.

I don't think it has anything to do with that. It is probably because most of OKC lies in land that was never assigned to any one tribe. On the flip side, Tulsa straddles both the Creek and Cherokee Nation. Hence why several large casinos lie right outside the metro (Riverwind, Firelake Grand) but Tulsa have casinos within its city limits.The "Racino" at Remington Park has gambling only because the racetrack was bleeding money, but feel free to correct me if that's not accurate.

As someone who used to frequent the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas when I was a kid, that brand has slowly gone downhill as well as Planet Hollywood. There hasn't been a new cafe in the US in quite some time and, as has been mentioned, the hotels only open up with adjoining casinos.

[mburlison]

Judging by the few I've been to, the HR's are over rated in my opinion.

[oustud7]

I agree when people say that hard rock cafe isn't a yardstick by which to measure a city anymore. I dont think its any more special than the cheesecake factory at this point. Maybe it was 15 years ago, but a lot of other things have changed since then. Its just another chain bar/restaurant. And in oklahoma, just another indian casino.

[Steve]

For the malcontents who refuse to read what I originally posted, the point was that the city of Oklahoma City and/or Bricktown leaders, in articles in various newspapers going back a decade, said that they were actively trying to get a Hard Rock in Bricktown. The question wasn't about whether or not early 21st Century tastes have evolved, it was simply why, if we wanted one, we didn't get one, but another city in Oklahoma, that did want a Hard Rock, did get one.

Dismayed, I don't want to come off as arogant and a know-it-all here and I hope people don't think that after reading this. I've been the guy covering this beat now more than a dozen years, and your comments about the city/Bricktown pursuing a Hard Rock Cafe simply is not true. There were never (to my knowledge) any public pronouncements about trying to become home to a Hard Rock Cafe. I challenge you to produce a legitimate newspaper story (Oklahoman, JR, Gazette) that says otherwise.
I'm not accusing of lying. But I do think you've fallen into the trap of buying into an urban legend.
For what it's worth, I'm betting the addition of the Academy of Contemporary Music to Bricktown - something you won't find in any other urban entertainment district in America - will have far more impact than a Hard Rock Cafe.

[Steve]

Probably something to do with the gambling aspect of it.

I can't believe there's no casinos in OKC, especially in or around Bricktown and I believe I read on this forum somewhere that it was the fault of whatever group of people control Bricktown.

More clarification is needed here: a state compact that allowed Remington Park to create a Racino and the tribes to do Class II casinos is what prohibits any other casinos from opening shop in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City was part of the unassigned lands. And that's why a tribe can't set up a casino here - they can only do so on tribal land.

[bluedogok]

One of the original, signature Hard Rock Cafes (the one in the Beverly Center with the Cadillac sticking out of it's facade) closed here in Los Angeles and barely a soul noticed.

The one here in Austin closed in early 2006, it was pretty much deserted every night on Sixth Street while all the other bars were open. The thing that killed them here was it was supposed to be a rock club but never had any live music.

[Thunder]

This Hard Rock Cafe, is this the one that was in the movie, Honey I Blew Up the Kid?