Ice cream parlor at Crossroads Mall when it opened?

[Pete]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies. It was a strange location from the get-go.

Around 1975 a friend's family moved out to Harvest Hills, around NW Ex and Council. I lived near 63rd & Meridian and still thought driving out there was incredibly far, as there wasn't much in between as of yet.

[MikeOKC]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies. It was a strange location from the get-go.

Around 1975 a friend's family moved out to Harvest Hills, around NW Ex and Council. I lived near 63rd & Meridian and still thought driving out there was incredibly far, as there wasn't much in between as of yet.

That's very true. It's hard for some of the younger people to imagine that, but it's absolutely true. I can tell from several postings that we kicked around the same parts at around the same time.

[Lauri101]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies. It was a strange location from the get-go.

Around 1975 a friend's family moved out to Harvest Hills, around NW Ex and Council. I lived near 63rd & Meridian and still thought driving out there was incredibly far, as there wasn't much in between as of yet.

I can remember my mother worrying because there were no pay phones along the route. I had to call when I got there and when I was leaving to come home. She timed it and thought she knew how long it took, but I drove way faster. (Bought me a little time) It felt like I drove out of town to work and then gas rose to 50 cents a gallon!

To this day, I think Ollie's could have made it if the location had been closer in or if they waited 20 years. It was a fun place to work and food was great.

[Prunepicker]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies.

We had an opportunity to buy the NW corner of N.W. Expressway and
N. MacArthur for $10,000 in the late 60's. It was too far out in the
boonies.

[corpsman]

Brings to mind how people laughed at the Mercy nuns when they decided to build a new hospital way out there by Martin Nature Park which was out in the boonies also.

We had an opportunity to buy the NW corner of N.W. Expressway and
N. MacArthur for $10,000 in the late 60's. It was too far out in the
boonies.

[bluedogok]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies. It was a strange location from the get-go.

Around 1975 a friend's family moved out to Harvest Hills, around NW Ex and Council. I lived near 63rd & Meridian and still thought driving out there was incredibly far, as there wasn't much in between as of yet.

Yep, there wasn't anything west of the Medco Catalog Showroom in the Springbrook Center for a long time until Rockwell Plaza was built.

[Pete]

Medco! Wow, that's a blast from the past. The first ad below is from October 27, 1972; the second from 1973. Looks like there last year in OKC may have been 1979.

Also, I saw an article that said Ollies had a fire on July 8, 1975. I bet they never reopened.

[okcisok]

I grew up in the N May & 36th St area and remember going to the Cinema 70 Drive-In in the late 60's. It took f-o-r- e-v- e-r to get out there. Lots of racing going on in those days on the NWX because there was nothing out there.

[Jim Kyle]

Prunepicker, do you remember the woodlot at that exact location (NW corner of NW Expressway and MacArthur)?

[Larry OKC]

Wow. Never would have guessed by the name Medco, that they sold diamonds, tvs and such. Sounds like a medical supply place or one of those ER type of places.

[FritterGirl]

I am so glad I found this thread. I've been wracking my brain in all kinds of directions trying to figure out what J.B. Nimbells was called. I've been insisting it was Butterfields. Mr. Fritter says Butterfields was a TGI Friday's kind of place that came along afterwards, but in the same NW Expwy / 63rd location.

I do remember the "Kitchen Sink," I also remember there being a "Cart Before the Horse" ice cream feast, as well. Seems with both the sirens went off. As I recall, the Kitchen Sink had about 20 individual scoops, perhaps one of every flavor they served?

I'm not sure if we ever went to Ollies. I grew up in the Belle Isle area. I don't know if we ever ventured out as "far" as MacArthur, or not. I DEFINITELY remember the "Kitchen Sink" at J.B. Nimbells, although I don't think we ever ordered one as there was just three of us.

[Jim Kyle]

They also had a birthday special although I don't remember the details other than the sirens would go off and all the servers would gather round the celebrant and sing a birthday song to him/her.

My eldest son was the youth director at Council Road Baptist Church in those years, and he would often take one of his youth groups to J. B. Nimbell's for a treat. The kids' favorite trick was to quietly tell the server that it was John's birthday, and then watch the fireworks.

[capt_john_97]

That was J.B. Nimbells. There was also a place on Northwest Expressway between McArthur and Rockwell where All American Fitness is now located called Ollie's. J.B. Nimbells had a dish called the kitchen sink. They gave you a wooden chip that said something like "I ate the Kitchen Sink at J.B. Nimbells."

Bigray in Ok

That is the one I remember!

[capt_john_97]

I would also add that had Bob Tayar put Tamolly's out on NW Expway when nothing was there. The growth just didnt happen like he thought. It was where Johnnies is now.

[Hunter4014]

My favorite was Capitol Hill Ice Cream on SW 29th about Harvey.

[Willb]

Getting back to the pig trough at Farrell's......

I don't remember a stretcher, but I do remember the time my uncle had it and ate the whole thing BY HIMSELF. The entire staff gathered around him and exclaimed, loud enough to wake the dead, "THE PIGS EATS HERE!!!!!"

[SoonerDave]

Wow. Can't believe I missed this thread for three years. Farrell's was, as I recall, a big chain of stores and opened up the big, splashy one in Crossroads on the 2nd floor just outside of Montgomery Ward's. It was routinely packed, particularly when Crossroads first opened. Sadly, as a kid who fought weight issues, I didn't go there very often, but remember the one time I did someone got the "Gastronomical Delight" (or something similarly named) and it was astonishing. They rolled the thing out on a cart, and I swear the thing was a mountain of ice cream, sauces, whipped cream, and assorted other goo, and it was 12" tall if it was anything. I couldn't believe anyone could eat that much.

Then, one day, went to Crossroads, and Farrell's was dark, closed, untouched, but out of business. It was eerie, because they hadn't taken anything down, just the last person left the night before and no one came back. It was like that for, gosh, two years (?, maybe more), mysteriously reopened, and lasted not even a year IIRC. Then it was closed and gutted.

Farrell's brings back memories of happier times at Crossroads, with the LeMans Speedway (with the bumper cars), Orange Julius, Toys by Roy, the early incarnation of Chick-fil-A, John A. Brown's, B. Dalton, the two-story Emmer Brothers' clothing shop, Napoleon Nash's menswear....okay, okay, I'll stop, no thread hijack here...

Fun times.

[Pete]

Here's an ad from the 70's:

[Pete]

I didn't realize there are still a handful of Farrell's in operation in California:

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants


History of Fun

In 1963, Robert "Bob" Farrell opened the first Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour in Portland, Oregon. It immediately became a huge success and by 1970 the company had grown to 58 restaurants. In 1971, Bob Farrell was approached by the Marriott Corporation who subsequently bought the company. He continued to work with Marriott as the company grew to 130 locations nationwide. Under his watchful eyes, Farrell's never experienced a restaurant failure.

Bob Farrell left the company just prior to its sale from Marriott to a San Francisco investment group in 1985. Bob became an author and motivational speaker. Now under new ownership, the Farrell’s concept was changed from a unique celebration restaurant to a traditional family style restaurant. By 1990 almost all Farrell's locations closed and the trademark reverted to Marriott who stopped development. Due to this quick process, most guests only remember the original concept and their great experiences.

In 1996, a new company whose mission was to bring back the heydays of Farrell's past acquired Farrell's Ice Cream Parlours. From this purchase, a few legal tussles from 2003-2008 again stopped Farrell's development.

In 2009, now under the ownership of Orange County, California based, Parlour Enterprises Inc the company began moving ahead with the return of Farrell's. Their ongoing goal is to stay true to the philosophies upon which the original company was founded. Bob Farrell is providing input every step of the way as Parlour Enterprises brings Farrell's into the Twenty First Century.

[SoonerDave]

What is it with hotel chains that buy restaurant chains and ruin 'em?

Didn't that same thing happen to Marie Callendars? Or am I mixing signals...

[grantgeneral78]

Farrell`s at Crossroads mall was great....fun memories from there.

[kevinpate]

What is it with hotel chains that buy restaurant chains and ruin 'em?

...

The chain seemed to grow when Marriot had it. It was after Marriot sold off to a SF investment group and THEY tried to change the ENTIRE concept that it all melted down to nada.

[SoonerDave]

The chain seemed to grow when Marriot had it. It was after Marriot sold off to a SF investment group and THEY tried to change the ENTIRE concept that it all melted down to nada.

Ah, fair enough, then

[jmpokc1957]

Yes, in 1973 NW Expressway west of McArthur was still the boonies. It was a strange location from the get-go.

Around 1975 a friend's family moved out to Harvest Hills, around NW Ex and Council. I lived near 63rd & Meridian and still thought driving out there was incredibly far, as there wasn't much in between as of yet.

Round about 73 or 74, when Kennards Grocery at 50th and MacArthur would close about 9:30pm or so, I'd take the "long way home". I lived off of NW 63rd between MacArthur and Meridian. I'd go out to Rockwell or Council and head north to NW Expressway and then head back into town.

It was empty out there. Nothing but fence posts and barbed wire! I do remember there was a bit of a rise in the terrain and you had a nice view of the city lights coming in. That NW corner of MacArthur and NW Expressway was an empty lot. I remember a fireworks stand there and also a wood lot, too.

I do miss those summer nights but I don't miss the drought you all are having. Plenty, and I mean plenty, of water out here in western Oregon!

Mike

[MonkeesFan]

I never heard of Ferrell's but whenever I stop by in California, I will have to try it out since you all said it had good ice cream and a fun place, maybe I will take you with me!