Tulsa, Not OKC, Is Getting a Hard Rock

[DM1031]

I am in Tulsa also, and In_Tulsa does not speak for all of us.
Tulsa has some things that OKC doesnt, OKC has many things that Tulsa doesnt, why not keep it that way, lets keep the turnpike busy, visiting each others town.
I personally enjoy my routine trips to OKC.
but on one aspect, they may be jealous, because all they have is an NBA team, and we are getting a WNBA team, now take that OKC.

Now, if OKC ever gets an NFL team, then I would be ticked off (but I would still come to all home games)

[cannon_fodder]

Tulsan here . . .

I don't see what the big deal is. Tulsa is uniquely situated to have large Indian Gaming establishments (too bad we didn't plan it out and have them in one district to attract larger gaming crowds, but I digress). Most cities don't have large sections of tribal land within them conducive to such things. That includes Oklahoma City.

And while it is mildly exciting to be getting a Hard Rock in town and it very well may attract some visitors, it certainly isn't a milestone.

Oklahoma City did very well in the last 10-15 years redeveloping downtown, getting businesses to open up and breathing new life and a new image into "an old cow town." You are on ESPN every other weekend for rowing, softball, AAA baseball, or the NBA. Large conventions populate downtown and frequent your central entertainment district. New skyscraper is in the works and your governmental employer base is growing way faster than the private sector.

Tulsa lagged behind for nearly two decades. From the oil crash in the 1980's, the collapse of CFS, WorldCom and Williams, then the devastation of our aviation industry . . . until relatively recently we stagnated. We're catching up some ground as your new entities are settling in.

I welcome a robust competing between the two cities to make each a better place to live. A Hard Rock Cafe in Tulsa doesn't suck tax money or business from OKC and a lively Bricktown doesn't draw many beer sales away from the Blue Dome. It's a huge non-issue. Two vibrant mid-sized cities growing just down the road from each other could benefit from amazing synergy.

Now all we have to do is connect them by rail.

Article on the Hard Rock asking why, oh why:
Why Are Some Businesses Coming to Tulsa, Not Oklahoma City? - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

[Steve]

This is for you OKC YouTube - Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy Right on!!!

Said in good humor to In Tulsa:


(Um, now let's quit it with the OKC/TULSA wars - both cities need to prosper and become great in their own right if this state is to move forward)

[OKCNDN]

Can't unassigned land be reassigned as tribal land though?

Tribes can buy land anywhere just like any business. But they must declare if that land will be used for gaming before the purchase is made.

Only their assigned lands can be used for gaming. Any new land purchased that was not in their original assigned land cannot be used for gaming.

[ProudTulsan]

The tribes do not decide on if a purchased peice of land will be a casino or not. The land must be placed in Trust by the US government, as set forth by the guidlines that are in place for such. The most recent gaming pact gave the option to have class II gaming at existing race tracks, but can not exceed a specific number of games. So you will not see a hotel being built at any of the tracks. Also, the HR name isn't just being placed on an old hotel and resort. The new, larger tower has only just been completed, along with the new gaming floor. This is not to say that the New tower and gaming floor was built with HR in mind, since the foundations, litterally and figurativly, were laid long before HR was brought in and laid on the table. However, Toby Keith entered into negotiations before the ground was even broken for the new Tower. And no, the Toby Keith Resteraunt is not to be INSIDE the hotel and casino, but has always been planned to be placed on the property. Also, saying that the HR is a comparable distance from Tulsa as casinos near OKC is not accurate either, seeing as the hotel and casino lays less then half a mile from the Tulsa city limits.

Now, beyond the simple facts that have been misrepresented so far, I don't know why everyone seems to be so bothered by the fact of Tulsa getting something good. It seems to be the height of concete to beleive that another metro area in the same state should not get anything that you do not. Putting down anything that happens on this end of the state speaks volumes about you.

[In_Tulsa]

At the bottom of this story you can watch a video of what the new Hard Rock Tulsa looks like.


Tulsa World: Video: Ready to rock

[kevinpate]

Coming soon to a water cooler or kitchen table near you

"Wanna slide over to the new HARD ROCK Casino and grab a bite?"
"Sure. Where do we eat once we're at the HARD ROCK?"
"Toby Keith's I Love this Bar & Grill."
"Toby Keith's????"
"Yep, It's inside the HARD ROCK Casino."

blank stares, trembling lips, then ROTFLOL ensures.

[In_Tulsa]

I think the Hard Rock Cafe opens in summer of 2010.

[zcamaro70]

I understand it is not an official site, but I dont see Tulsa on this list.... Beat's Hard Rock Cafe

[Oil Capital]

I think the Hard Rock Cafe opens in summer of 2010.

You might try reading the article in today's Tulsa World. No Hard Rock Cafe is included in the license agreement.

[In_Tulsa]

It is going just outside to the east of the casino.

[Steve]

OK everybody, can we just quit falling into this laughable Tulsa vs. OKC debate? Let Tulsa be proud of having a Hard Rock Casino and prospects for a cafe. It doesn't say anything negative about OKC for Tulsa to have this anymore than it says anything negative about Tulsa to not have an NBA team, blah blah, blah...
In Tulsa, congrats on your latest attraction.

[In_Tulsa]

I think this is a great chance for you guys to come up to Tulsa for a weekend at the Hard Rock it good for Oklanoma. Before this you would have to go a long way from Oklahoma for a Hard Rock. Also the Hard Rock Cafe that is coming is NOT part of the casino it will be in the parking lot.

[Steve]

Tell ya what In Tulsa - I love visiting Tulsa. But I'm not a casino guy. I love the aquarium, Ollie's on Southwest Boulevard is an incredible Route 66 icon, and I can't get enough of downtown Tulsa's Art Deco architecture. I'll likely be going up there this next month or so on some book business, and I'll report back to my fellow Oklahoma Citians the progress being made in your town.
BTW: how is work going on the Route 66 plaza project that was planned as part of Vision 2025? Has that started yet?

[Patrick]

I think this is a great chance for you guys to come up to Tulsa for a weekend at the Hard Rock it good for Oklanoma. Before this you would have to go a long way from Oklahoma for a Hard Rock. Also the Hard Rock Cafe that is coming is NOT part of the casino it will be in the parking lot.

Why would I want to go to Tulsa for a typical tribal casino (we have plenty of those nearby) and a chain restaurant that isn't much different than Chilis or Friday's?

I doubt either will be selling points for tourism. I'd focus on touting your more unique attractions like Philrook, Gilcrease, etc.

[In_Tulsa]

Why would I want to go to Tulsa for a typical tribal casino (we have plenty of those nearby) and a chain restaurant that isn't much different than Chilis or Friday's?

I doubt either will be selling points for tourism. I'd focus on touting your more unique attractions like Philrook, Gilcrease, etc.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

This will bring more prople to Oklahoma then anything else we have in this state just watch....

[BDP]

This will bring more prople to Oklahoma then anything else we have in this state just watch....

OK, this thing has gone off the rails now.

I don't doubt that it will be a nice casino and hotel, but that is way overstating the draw of Oklahoma's half-assed gaming and certainly the Hard Rock brand. If this was the first or only casino in Oklahoma, then maybe you'd be right, but there are dozens of casinos in Oklahoma already and something like 30+ states have casino hotels now. It's just not that big of a deal anymore and neither is the Hard Rock brand.

Honestly, the net gain on tourism to the state will probably be minimal, if anything. The biggest impact will probably be on other casinos in the state. It may end up being one of the biggest draws in the northeast part of the state, but probably at the expense of other resorts. Really, the state would have to actually change the way it regulates gaming before any single new casino suddenly became the states top attraction. There are just too many other gambling cities with better gaming and better resorts and that's not going to change until the games change. No matter what brand or facade you put on it, it's still Oklahoma Indian Gaming and that only has so much demand that is already well met.

Again, if it elevates the class and quality of accommodations in the state, then that's great, and I would welcome it in Oklahoma City, but it's no windfall. I have never been to an Oklahoma casino and this will not change that and that's simply because it is so cheap and easy to go gamble somewhere else with much better accommodations, entertainment options and much better gaming. I just find it hard to believe that there are that many people just waiting for an Oklahoma casino to be re-branded after a chain restaurant before they come here to play. I suspect that most people who want to play in the state of Oklahoma under our gaming rules are already doing it.

[In_Tulsa]

It is the out of state people this will draw. That's good for the state!!

[Pete]

Article just posted on Newsok.com says the deal does not include a cafe:

http://newsok.com/hard-rock-hotel-ca...adlines_widget

[In_Tulsa]

Article just posted on Newsok.com says the deal does not include a cafe:

http://newsok.com/hard-rock-hotel-ca...adlines_widget

I just told you the cafe is NOT part of the casino deal. It is a stand alone Hard Rock Cafe Tulsa.

[dmoor82]

Hmmmm!Hard Rock casino with no cafe? so basicly its a fancy indian casino with a toby kieths!

[Pete]

Link?

[BDP]

It is the out of state people this will draw. That's good for the state!!

That's what I'm talking about. It will draw out of state people by more than twice the in state people, easily. What is hard to imagine is that it will cause a significant increase in out of state gambling tourism as a whole. We already have dozens of easily accessible casinos drawing thousands of out of state people every year. The re-branding and remodeling of the Catoosa Cherokee Casino is much more likely to shift that business to its facility than it is to create a sudden increase in gaming tourism for the state. This is simply because of the nature of Oklahoma's gaming industry, its demographic, and the steep competition it faces from better regulated and better funded casino resorts in other states. As long as our gaming rules stay as is, the overall demand will not change much. It will be well positioned, however, should Oklahoma change the fundamental way its gaming industry is regulated and structured.

It should help Catoosa's convention business and maybe help it draw more attractions as well. Tulsa may benefit from this, but it may also simply be that some of Tulsa's small to mid-size convention business will be moved to Catoosa and the Cherokee Casino's facilities. But again, this has more to do with the upgrade to its facilities than it does with the Hard Rock brand. It's a good thing for the area for sure, let's just keep it realistic as to what exactly its benefits will be and who will be enjoying those benefits. In the end, if it does become the top draw for out of staters, it will most likely be at the expense of other casinos in the area more than a significant and long term increase in Oklahoma's overall tourism numbers.

[Steve]

It is the out of state people this will draw. That's good for the state!!

I agree. In Tulsa, do you have a story link you can provide about the stand-alone Hard Rock Cafe?

[Steve]

I am in Tulsa also, and In_Tulsa does not speak for all of us.
Tulsa has some things that OKC doesnt, OKC has many things that Tulsa doesnt, why not keep it that way, lets keep the turnpike busy, visiting each others town.
I personally enjoy my routine trips to OKC.
but on one aspect, they may be jealous, because all they have is an NBA team, and we are getting a WNBA team, now take that OKC.

Now, if OKC ever gets an NFL team, then I would be ticked off (but I would still come to all home games)

Ah, at last, some common sense....