Quick service restaurants/retailers for DT OKC

[huskysooner]

I'd like to pose a question to the posters on OKCtalk.

What quick service restaurants or retailers do you think could thrive in the Bricktown/Deep Deuce/Downtown area. I'd particularly be interested in the comments of those of you who work, live or visit downtown frequently. These can be local franchises or stores already in the OKC market or stores/concepts that could realistically open a shop here...for example

Local...
- Old school bagel
- Chipotle/Moe's/Qdoba
- Jamba Juice
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Braums

National...
- Tacone
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Also, feel free to throw out ideas on what we need more of downtown or stores that are currently in a bad location (dry cleaners, banks, etc.). What store have you always thought would kill it in the downtown area??

[jbrown84]

Panera
CoolGreens
Camille's
Chipotle
Which Wich

[metro]

Yeah another thread on the same topic.... woot!

Um Chipotle/Moe's/Qdoba is national as is Jamba Juice and BWW. The only ones you listed are local is Braums and Old School Bagel. Downtowners and Braum's made it clear neither wants each other.

I agree with jbrown on CoolGreens. Also would love to see a 5 Guy's Burgers, Fuddruckers. Would like to see the existing Jamba Juice type place downtown (Crave) move outside leadership square in more of a storefront where they can have extended and weekend hours.

[JTL]

ROI probably does not come close to making one of these profitable in the Bricktown area considering the very high commericial rentals in the downtown area. Weekday Lunch crowds alone cannot support these franchises, probably why you won't see any of them in the future.

[OKC@heart]

I agree to a point, that economic viability is of course a key consideration, however, down town OKC is a changin'! As the hotels are being consistently filled and more of these types of quick service restaurants and retailers slowly move in, the CBD will begin to evolve. People can't purchase from locations that do not exist, and the retailers can't exist if there are no people to buy. So at some point the retailers have to take a gamble and realize that if they are well capitalized they can sustain losses in a location for a given period of time and write off said losses whilst the area develops. It is done all of the time in order to do something called capturing market share in the area. It goes a long way in creating dedicated patrons who then seek out the other locations when they are away from thier place of work in the CBD.

[JTL]

I realize that we are talking about more specialized food joints; however. A good expample of franchised grab shack in the Bricktown area the McDonald's @ Reno across from Bass Pro Shop - corporate owned, and a very poor performer (and also one of the most inefficient in the local McDonald's chains). Everyone thought that would be a gold mine - it's far from it and along with the Ihop (east of the ballpark), these highly-funded franchises are not producing anywhere near the numbers they need to be successful. The economy is also partly to blame, but whomever takes the risk is definitely taking a very large risk indeed. Hat's off to those folks - in all fairness to them, they too did not have the luxury of peering into the crystal ball a couple of years ago and see some of this (economic slowdown) coming.

[metro]

JTL, they also have HORRIBLE locations in Bricktown and are off the beaten path.

[OKC@heart]

I realize that we are talking about more specialized food joints; however. A good expample of franchised grab shack in the Bricktown area the McDonald's @ Reno across from Bass Pro Shop - corporate owned, and a very poor performer (and also one of the most inefficient in the local McDonald's chains). Everyone thought that would be a gold mine - it's far from it and along with the Ihop (east of the ballpark), these highly-funded franchises are not producing anywhere near the numbers they need to be successful. The economy is also partly to blame, but whomever takes the risk is definitely taking a very large risk indeed. Hat's off to those folks - in all fairness to them, they too did not have the luxury of peering into the crystal ball a couple of years ago and see some of this (economic slowdown) coming.

They are also in areas that are beginning to mature. What McDonalds and Ihop need to suceed is increased residents both rental and owners who live in the area. Regardless of the ease or difficulty in pulling it off Bricktown will need residents to make it a true 24/7 vital self sustaining entity. Right now it is succeeding as an entertainment district but it has to begin to add the other needed elements or we will see the rotating door of those who try and then fail and it will continue to teeter on the brink of both success and decline. We are at a tipping point and need innovative developers and landowners who will recognize that one of the keys to their thriving rather than surviving may just be in investing in the renovation of the upper floors of thier businesses and converting static assets into income producing ones, that will end up paying them back in multiple ways. Just a thought, for what its worth.

[huskysooner]

Ok, a point of clarification on the local/national thing. What I meant was retailers that are ALREADY on the local scene (even if they are not a local chain) and retailers that currently operate nationally but not in OKC. Sorry for the confusion.

I can't help but argue that some of these fast grab retailers would do very well just outside the CBD. Can anyone name any quick service restaurant in the downtown area (outside of the CBD)? The only ones that come to mind are:

Subway in Midtown
Prairie Thunder in Midtown
Quiznos on 10th St. near Radcliffes
McDonalds in Bricktown
Taco Bell to the west of Dowtown

Where can you go if you don't want to find parking in the CBD but still work in the downtown area and don't want to sit down for a 45 min meal?

[JTL]

Two very good points just made... I can remember when McDonald's began to break ground on this location, they (and everyone else) thought this was going to be great anchor point for the area, but this did not happen. I agree that with all of the high-end lofts & apartments in the area that this was a five to seven year development plan. It appears that the gamble is not going to pay off in the long run. A good snapshot would be similar Bricktown developments like Wichita, KS (and others). Those areas have also had franchise developments that did not meet profitable expectations and thus have closed there doors or relocated out in the subburbs where upwardly mobile families frequent their establishments. Catering to the business-class lunch and yuppie crowd is very difficult. Starbucks has been extremely successful with it, but not many foodies make it.

[OKC@heart]

That is why I think Chipotle would be genius for the CBD great for the lunch crowd could walk to it, and it has enough draw that people would seek it out afterhours. It wouldn't happen all at once.

Case in point, Houston downtown Chipotle 5 years ago did a very brisk lunch business, as would a OKC CBD location. Afterhours were often slow or even dead. having come back to the area was down there recently after hours and the place was busy!

Houston is adding residents to downtown just like OKC is doing. It takes some time but it will happen and it will add to the vitality of the area.

[jbrown84]

Subway in Midtown
Prairie Thunder in Midtown
Quiznos on 10th St. near Radcliffes
McDonalds in Bricktown
Taco Bell to the west of Dowtown

Where can you go if you don't want to find parking in the CBD but still work in the downtown area and don't want to sit down for a 45 min meal?

Jimmy John's in Triangle/Deep Deuce
Midtown Deli near Plaza Court
Markie's Deli across from the Memorial
Java Dave's on 10th St
Sonic at Sheridan & Classen

[betts]

Old School Bagel would be great. It's different from anything else downtown and I love their food.

[HOT ROD]

Einstein Brothers would also be good (speaking of bagel shoppes). Also, why isn't Blimpie in the CBD?

[Kerry]

I am starting to think Bricktown has become about all Bricktown is going to become unless they start to add housing.

[ljbab728]

Two very good points just made... I can remember when McDonald's began to break ground on this location, they (and everyone else) thought this was going to be great anchor point for the area, but this did not happen. I agree that with all of the high-end lofts & apartments in the area that this was a five to seven year development plan. It appears that the gamble is not going to pay off in the long run. A good snapshot would be similar Bricktown developments like Wichita, KS (and others). Those areas have also had franchise developments that did not meet profitable expectations and thus have closed there doors or relocated out in the subburbs where upwardly mobile families frequent their establishments. Catering to the business-class lunch and yuppie crowd is very difficult. Starbucks has been extremely successful with it, but not many foodies make it.

I would be extremely suprised if that McDonalds closed their doors without giving the area several years to see what develops. That area was never going to be a draw for the downtown office workers. It's definitely going to be much more dependent on housing development and a little spillover from Bricktown. McDonalds doesn't build and then relocate too frequently.

[John]

Einstein Brothers would also be good (speaking of bagel shoppes). Also, why isn't Blimpie in the CBD?

Einstein's "bagels" aren't really bagels, while Old School's are. (Gotta be boiled, otherwise it's just bagel shaped bread.)

That being said, I visit their stores while out of town if I can't find a local option.

[metro]

Ok, a point of clarification on the local/national thing. What I meant was retailers that are ALREADY on the local scene (even if they are not a local chain) and retailers that currently operate nationally but not in OKC. Sorry for the confusion.

I can't help but argue that some of these fast grab retailers would do very well just outside the CBD. Can anyone name any quick service restaurant in the downtown area (outside of the CBD)? The only ones that come to mind are:

Subway in Midtown
Prairie Thunder in Midtown
Quiznos on 10th St. near Radcliffes
McDonalds in Bricktown
Taco Bell to the west of Dowtown

Where can you go if you don't want to find parking in the CBD but still work in the downtown area and don't want to sit down for a 45 min meal?

Yes Subway at Classen & Sheridan, McDonalds at Classen & Sheridan, Sonic at Classen & Sheridan, TacoBell at Classen and Sheridan, China Queen (think that's the name) at Classen & Sheridan. Jimmy Johns in the Flat Iron District (5th & Walnut area). Subway in Midtown. McDonalds in Bricktown, Sonic in Bricktown. Oh and I wouldn't count Prarier Thunder, but if you're going to count places like that, we can add lots more to the list, such as Hobby's Hoagies, Beatnix, McNellies, Irma's, MidTown Deli, that new kabob place by the Sieber, Clancy's, Starbucks in MidTown, Hole in the Wall Burgers (think they may have gone out of business). Nonetheless, I think we get your point and yes the Downtown and inner city area could use a few more to bring in some needed foot traffic. Wish we could get the Chick-Fil-A back downtown but Tanenbaum runned them off. Also Carl's Jr but I think they may have gone out of business after just a few months. There is also a Quizno's in the CBD.

[metro]

Einstein Brothers would also be good (speaking of bagel shoppes). Also, why isn't Blimpie in the CBD?

Because we have a dozen or two more other sandwich shops, including chains like Quiznos, City Bites and Subway.

[jbrown84]

Blimpie. Ewwww

[OKCMallen]

I am starting to think Bricktown has become about all Bricktown is going to become unless they start to add housing.

I agree.

Starbucks in downtown would do well, I would think.



Again, I'm totally with you Kerry: what we need is what we've been screaming for: AFFORDABLE downtown living. Or heavy, somewhat organized gentrification to the W and NW of downtown. I thought about buy a house on NW 8th by Walker...

[JTL]

Once again the McDs across from Bass Pro is a corporate-owned shop. They've been trying to sell that to a couple of the successful franchise owners - no taker because it's not a very profitable shop. The big picture is - no one wants to invest in downtown city restaurant locations because 70% (or more) of their supporting clientele resides in the subburbs. Anybody frequest Hobbies Hogagies in DT OKC? I live in Edmond, eat at his Edmond location from time to time and the owner turns out very good food (my experience anyway). I'd like to know how he's doing in his OKC location. Anybody know who I'm talking about?

[Downtowner405]

I'd like to see an Einstein's Bagels. A real good New York style deli would also work. But here's the thing about Bricktown. You don't need a quick service national chain that you can find every 10 feet on Meridian or NW Expressway. To me, the fine middle of the road to upscale restaurants do well because when people come to Bricktown, they expect to spend some time down here. I think very few people come to Bricktown with a single-use evening in mind. They come to Bricktown to catch a game or movie, take a boat ride, eat dinner, walk the canal, listen to music, dance, drink, do business, etc. Oh yeah, and now they can do a little more shopping than before.