Savings & Loan

[Timshel]

Was there for a while last night and really enjoyed the space. The downstairs is narrow and intimate and the upstairs is bigger than I expected and will be a great place for lounging with groups. Hopefully people will quickly realize the space upstairs and won't congregate too heavily by the bar downstairs - it won't take many people to make the downstairs seem very crowded. I was with a decent sized group so I was able to taste a bunch of different drinks - both some classic cocktails (Hemingway Daiquiri and Negroni) and quite a few of their house cocktails. One of the bartenders said they received their liquor at 5:30, received their POS system at 6:00, and hadn't been able to try much of anything. So while there were some minor issues and the bartenders will still learning the drinks, in that context I thought they did a great job. The house cocktails I tried are very creative and very good (ranging from what tasted like a lavender whiskey sour to a drink served in a flower pot with dried mushroom and rye bread "dirt" on top). Prices were reasonable for a nice cocktail bar ($8 - $12ish, with most of the classic cocktails being on the $8 end.)

Savings and Loan is a great addition to the neighborhood and did a great job designing, as Urbanized said, a special space that will hopefully enjoy great success.

[AP]

I went last night and agree with pretty much everything Timshel said. I really enjoyed it and will be back.

[Pete]

Was there last night too and even at 11PM pretty much every seat was taken upstairs and downstairs.

Super cool and unique spot.

[sooner88]

I went on Friday night around 11 and we were able to grab the last table upstairs. I really like the setup... it almost felt like you were walking into one of those hidden bars. You walk up that really narrow staircase in the back and it opens up into a much larger than expected lounge. Looking forward to going back.

[dankrutka]

I dropped in to check out this space... First, I couldn't tell it was there... We walked right past it before realizing we'd gone too far. That's not necessarily bad as being nondescript can kind of work for some places. Or maybe they'll add more signage. I like the downstairs space and bar. It's pretty intimate and they did a good job with the theme. They may still be working on this, but the upstairs felt very empty. Maybe they just need some more furniture and things on the walls... Or maybe when it's fuller it won't feel that way, Anyway, I hope they succeed. That whole area really has a lot of options now...

[Pete]

^

They left a lot of space upstairs for people.

When busy, that space does not feel empty at all.

[sixkiller]

I also found it way too empty, and I was there when it was busy. A few bar height tables without chairs would help create a place in the middle of the room.

[Pete]

If you look at the renderings in the first post of this thread, there is a fair bit of furniture in the middle of the upstairs space.

Not sure if they changed their plans or are just waiting to install it.

[bradh]

So are the old teller registers real? We had this debate tonight.

[d-usa]

I came across this today:

[Pete]

Closed.

Told they plan to reopen but perhaps under different management and perhaps a different name.

[bradh]

Went once, cocktails were good, but no wine was strange. Not sure OKC is a high end cocktail kinda market maybe? I really loved the upstairs space, but downstairs was sterile. Loved the old bank nostalgia such as the registers.

[Teo9969]

Anyone know the reason they closed down?

[FighttheGoodFight]

Dang only 10 months open. Not great.

[Anonymous.]

Since they're encouraging people to follow the social media accounts, I doubt it is going to be closed for long.

[onthestrip]

Went once, cocktails were good, but no wine was strange. Not sure OKC is a high end cocktail kinda market maybe? I really loved the upstairs space, but downstairs was sterile. Loved the old bank nostalgia such as the registers.

Ya I agree with the big difference between the ground floor and upstairs, its like two different places. Two floor establishments can have some troubles if its not done right. Many operators will refuse to have multi-level spaces.

I wonder if there is some pushback on the high end cocktail menus in OKC. $12 cocktails that really arent that good seem to be quite prevalent these days. And no wine options is weird.

[king183]

I've been told they will only be closed one week and are just making some changes under new owners.

[JRod1980]

Dang only 10 months open. Not great.

90% of new bars opened, don't survive past 12 months.

[Zuplar]

Interesting to name the place after a failed industry. I tend to think such an act is kind of a bad omen.

I just want everyone to remember I said this back in December of 2015, lol.

[PhiAlpha]

90% of new bars opened, don't survive past 12 months.

Which is what has been pretty amazing over the last few years with new bars and restaurants in the core. While some of the many that have opened have failed, most are still open and have been at least somewhat successful.

[Pete]

From their Twitter account:

"Savings & Loan Bar is here to stay. We’re under new ownership and we’ll reopen in a few weeks with the same great staff & drinks."

[Teo9969]

I saw a NewsOK article that mentioned that the change in management had to do with a change in the management group for the whole theater.

[iMAX386]

I always found it weird that they don't have a 3-D or lit-up sign on the outside of the building. The sign on the window is so easy to miss if you don't know about the place already. It's never been empty when I went, but they really need some kind of marquee sign on the outside.

All the original plans showed a marquee sign but they never got around to ordering one.

Most businesses order their sign before opening, ala Bunker Club and Ur/bun is this same building.

S&L was open the better part of a year without real signage.

[soonerguru]

The

I always found it weird that they don't have a 3-D or lit-up sign on the outside of the building. The sign on the window is so easy to miss if you don't know about the place already. It's never been empty when I went, but they really need some kind of marquee sign on the outside.

All the original plans showed a marquee sign but they never got around to ordering one.

Most businesses order their sign before opening, ala Bunker Club and Ur/bun is this same building.

S&L was open the better part of a year without real signage.

This. I passed it several times TRYING to find it. They could do with a less snotty attitude also. And the multiple times I was in there they weren't serving upstairs and had it closed. Why bother to create a great space and just have it closed all the time?

[Andon]

The

This. I passed it several times TRYING to find it. They could do with a less snotty attitude also. And the multiple times I was in there they weren't serving upstairs and had it closed. Why bother to create a great space and just have it closed all the time?

See the recent concerns about lack of service staff, and factor in labor. When they first opened they had both bars open all night, but then changed it to reflect the weekly/daily dynamics of demand.