Century Center

[Plutonic Panda]

This.

I can only speak from my experience, but I go to Houston at least 3 times a year for business. We almost never eat at the Flemings/Ruth Chris national chain type places. Seems very 90's to me. I mean, whats the fun in going to a new place if you are just going to go to the same crap in your own town? At most, we will go to a local based chain, like Pappadeaux. Everyone has a Yelp or Urban Spoon app on their phone and we always try to find a local place. At the very least, we will ask some of the hotel staff or a local client we are meeting with, and they almost always pick some obscure, local place. Likewise, if we have a client come to our office, we will generally take them to lunch to a local place, usually downtown or midtown.

The Whole Foods/grocery store thing is probably not the fairest comparison because grocery stores in this area were so awful for so long. On the other hand, OKC has always been an eating out town, and has been a pretty decent one for the last few years. (although we need better seafood places, Pearls isn't cutting it LOL). And its always been locally skewed, even among suburbanites. Nobody is going to get excited over some chain on Memorial Road, but mention a place in the suburbs like Red Rock Canyon or Mama Rojas and everyone goes gaga. For this reason, it will be very hard for an upscale national steakhouse in this market. Plus, we practically slaughter the stuff in our backyard! I think it would be fair to say we know how to do steak here.

They have a Pappadeaux in Dallas and I LOVE IT!!!!!!

[Bellaboo]

You are correct. Unfortunately, with the upscale chains its pretty much the same game we see with retail. They simply look at numbers, and they don't take into account disposable income, spread out wealth geographically, and the fact people in OKC are willing to drive farther than most cities. That's why you see upscale chains open in Tulsa, Wichita, and even Little Rock but pass OKC. Fortunately, with restaurants its not as big of a deal as local restauranteurs can many times do a superior job to chains.

However, OKC doesn't have any quality seafood though or so I hear. Correct me if I'm wrong.

It would be worth your time to go to VAST and try their scallops....Best i've ever had, and the waiter said he's had several customers from the East coast that said the same.

[BoulderSooner]

You are correct. Unfortunately, with the upscale chains its pretty much the same game we see with retail. They simply look at numbers, and they don't take into account disposable income, spread out wealth geographically, and the fact people in OKC are willing to drive farther than most cities. That's why you see upscale chains open in Tulsa, Wichita, and even Little Rock but pass OKC. Fortunately, with restaurants its not as big of a deal as local restauranteurs can many times do a superior job to chains.

However, OKC doesn't have any quality seafood though or so I hear. Correct me if I'm wrong.

several places have very good seafood ... ludivine rococcos coach house to name a few

[betts]

I forgot about Rococco. Love, love, love their crab cakes. I haven't been back to the Coach House since they changed the sauce on the Dover sole from lemon cream to orange. But neither is specifically seafood. I would love to have a primarily seafood restaurant here. The one at Lake Hefner didn't last long, however, which might give restauranteurs pause.

[Rover]

There is such a lack of a real "seafood" restaurant here barely anyone in OKC knows what one is. Yes, certain places have a seafood entree or two. Oklahomans think that selling fried shrimp means you are a seafood restaruant. Or that cajun with crawdads in their gumbo is seafood. Fried catfish isn't seafood..just sayin. It is a major hole in this market and I don't see any local suddenly inventing a great upscale or moderately upscale seafood restaurant. When Red Lobster is the best you have it is like saying Western Sizzlin is a great steakhouse.

[Teo9969]

We should all barrage the Pappas group with e-mails telling them to bring Pappadeaux to MidTown.

[Rover]

We should all barrage the Pappas group with e-mails telling them to bring Pappadeaux to MidTown.

Can't do that. That is a dreaded CHAIN. And, what is worse, that might open the door to Pappasitas or Pappas Steak House, or Pappas Grille.

[bchris02]

Seafood is a situation where a chain would probably be best.

How is Pearl's? I've looked at the menu and it looks like there is quite a bit that's not fried.

[PhiAlpha]

Pearl's is good. I would say it definitely qualifies as a seafood restaurant since most if what they serve is fish. I suppose maybe Cajun is a better description, but a lot of Cajun is seafood.

[bchris02]

I would rather see Pappadeaux in the Nichols Hills area personally, or maybe as an outparcel of Penn Square Mall. That said, I don't think they would open in OKC. They appear to be pretty exclusive.

I still don't know why Bonefish Grill has chosen to pass OKC despite having locations in Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock, and Dallas.

[Rover]

Bonefish or Legal Seafood for casual, or McComick and Schmick's for upscale would be nice at this location.

[progressiveboy]

Can't do that. That is a dreaded CHAIN. And, what is worse, that might open the door to Pappasitas or Pappas Steak House, or Pappas Grille.

Yes, it is a regional chain but a hell of a good one! I love Pappadeaux's. I always wondered why OKC does not have a good or great seafood place?

[soonerguru]

Bonefish or Legal Seafood for casual, or McComick and Schmick's for upscale would be nice at this location.

Bonefish is very good. I've eaten at McCormick and Schmick's in three cities over the last two years and it's quite mediocre. I would rather have a Bonefish.

[Rover]

Yes, it is a regional chain but a hell of a good one! I love Pappadeaux's. I always wondered why OKC does not have a good or great seafood place?

I was being sarcastic. I love the Pappas family restaurants. Would love to have some here.

[Rover]

Bonefish is very good. I've eaten at McCormick and Schmick's in three cities over the last two years and it's quite mediocre. I would rather have a Bonefish.

The original Bonefish is great. Some of their new stores I've been at have been good, but not as good as the original. McCormick and Schmicks gets very good to excellent ratings almost everywhere. Zagats rates most of their restaurants as very good.

[soonerguru]

The original Bonefish is great. Some of their new stores I've been at have been good, but not as good as the original. McCormick and Schmicks gets very good to excellent ratings almost everywhere. Zagats rates most of their restaurants as very good.

Zagat's has led me astray a few times.

I will admit that M&S is a step above Red Lobster. It's not, however, an outstanding seafood restaurant. It is a decent expense account joint, though.

[BDP]

People having no choices, or protectionism, isn't good for consumers.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma City has a history opposite that of protecting its local businesses. We have been much more likely to subsidize chains to come in and compete against long standing local business through tax breaks, direct investment, or favorable land deals, than we are to use the same resources to cultivate or "protect" decades old Oklahoma City businesses. Maybe if some local places got government incentives that mitigated the risk of new concepts, we would see more innovation from them as well.

[Teo9969]

Can't do that. That is a dreaded CHAIN. And, what is worse, that might open the door to Pappasitas or Pappas Steak House, or Pappas Grille.

I mean, I know this is hyperbole, but I would genuinely rather not have chains all over OKC either. That's what makes Pappadeaux a good choice. With the exception of one Pappasito's in Marietta, GA; Pappadeaux is the only concept they have taken outside of Texas.

They're certainly not going to bring a Pappas Steak House into OKC....that's about 5x less likely than OKC getting an NFL team.

[Dubya61]

I know this is WAY off topic, but is there any kind of mechanism that fosters new restaurant business as an incubator does for other types of business (or are restaurant businesses suitable for a standard incubator concept anyway)? Do we still have any incubators in process downtown?

[Pete]

I know this is WAY off topic, but is there any kind of mechanism that fosters new restaurant business as an incubator does for other types of business (or are restaurant businesses suitable for a standard incubator concept anyway)? Do we still have any incubators in process downtown?

The OKC Chamber has a person who develops relationships and recruits national retailers. I'm not sure if they include restaurants or not.

But as far as home-grown, seems like A Good Egg Group, Hal Smith and others seem to be the best place to learn the trade and develop a concept.

And food trucks seem to be another way of getting started and testing out ideas.


I don't think any of the local business incubators deal with restaurants.

[GaryOKC6]

Unfortunately, Oklahoma City has a history opposite that of protecting its local businesses. We have been much more likely to subsidize chains to come in and compete against long standing local business through tax breaks, direct investment, or favorable land deals, than we are to use the same resources to cultivate or "protect" decades old Oklahoma City businesses. Maybe if some local places got government incentives that mitigated the risk of new concepts, we would see more innovation from them as well.

One reason that happens is that some the chains are very desirable not only for residents but for attracting tourism. Quite often it pays off big for a city to have them both from a sales tax standpoint and a tourism viewpoint. I often see people on this site that talk about going to Dallas to shop at one chain store or another. There is nothing wrong with that. In most cases we wish that we had those stores in OKC.

[bchris02]

Yes, it is a regional chain but a hell of a good one! I love Pappadeaux's. I always wondered why OKC does not have a good or great seafood place?

In this part of the country, far from the coast, chains are going to be the most likely way to bring quality seafood in. It goes back I think to the same reason most quality chains skip over OKC and open in Tulsa instead. These franchisers don't look at the big picture concerning OKC.

[BDP]

One reason that happens is that some the chains are very desirable not only for residents but for attracting tourism. Quite often it pays off big for a city to have them both from a sales tax standpoint and a tourism viewpoint. I often see people on this site that talk about going to Dallas to shop at one chain store or another. There is nothing wrong with that. In most cases we wish that we had those stores in OKC.

You get the sales tax and some low paying jobs, but you lose the profit and kill off long time Oklahoma City businesses. And, local shops, especially when concentrated in an area can generate tons of tourism as well. Maybe we could create an incentivized shopping district for local businesses equal to that we have given to outsiders. We gave almost 8 million dollars in incentives to an outlet mall. I bet that money would go a long way towards creating a local shopping district than is much more interesting that an outlet mall, still generate tourism and tax dollars, AND the profits stay in Oklahoma.

[OklahomaNick]

Any new updates on construction or renderings?
Were building permits issued or just demolition permits?

[Kokopelli]

One of the common video displays found in Times Square is the stock ticker. Relevancy wise that make sense as NYC is also the home of Wall Street.

I've often wondered what could the video display, at the Oklahoman's new Century Center office, show that would be unique and relevant to Oklahoma?

My thoughts keep coming back to energy, Oklahoma is a leader in energy production oil, natural gas and wind. The easy display would be an Oklahoma company or energy company stock price ticker and while that would be relevant to Oklahoma that would not necessarily be unique.

But what if there was a portion of the display had an energy counter or counters that showed the number of vehicles that ran on natural gas? Perhaps the total number in the US, the number in state, it could be a total number or it could also show the number of cars / light trucks and the number of semi truck / industrial engines. Maybe even include the a display for electric vehicles. Or the amount of electricity generated by the wind, US and sate. They could also display the number of old well sites that have been rehabilitated by OERB.