Restaurant closings

[Dr Beard Face]

What was wrong with it? I went there once or twice and it was okay.Wasn't great

I think Chicken Foot has one of the best Chicken sandwiches, but they were too expensive for what you get; charged like $6 for bad sides, sandwiches were like $15. I just pulled up the current menu and it looks like they have updated so the sandwiches actually come with fries now, so that's better than when I last went. Still definitely not a big loss for the area. I would not be surprised to see Bibi's follow suite.

[Plutonic Panda]

After OKCTalk posted about them and we drove hundreds of people there, did you ever hear about them again?

So many of these restaurants don't even try to promote themselves.

Yeah, it’s a very interesting point. I had completely forgotten they even existed. But I specifically want to try them because I read about them on this site and decided to try them. I went back, probably 6 or so times and there’s so much new stuff opening up in OKC, admittedly, I just kind of forgot they were there. Their food was pretty good. I would’ve gone back.

[Plutonic Panda]

I think Chicken Foot has one of the best Chicken sandwiches, but they were too expensive for what you get; charged like $6 for bad sides, sandwiches were like $15. I just pulled up the current menu and it looks like they have updated so the sandwiches actually come with fries now, so that's better than when I last went. Still definitely not a big loss for the area. I would not be surprised to see Bibi's follow suite.

I mean their food was pretty good. But again for me, it wasn’t memorable or great. I had their chicken and waffles which I enjoyed. The staff were usually pretty friendly. It will be interesting to see how the one in Edmund does.

[April in the Plaza]

I think Chicken Foot has one of the best Chicken sandwiches, but they were too expensive for what you get; charged like $6 for bad sides, sandwiches were like $15. I just pulled up the current menu and it looks like they have updated so the sandwiches actually come with fries now, so that's better than when I last went. Still definitely not a big loss for the area. I would not be surprised to see Bibi's follow suite.

unfortunately, a lot of these restaurant groups are trying to sell food (and, especially, drinks) at prices well above the market clearing price. and it's just not a sustainable business practice from what i can tell.

[GoOKC1991]

The Abuelo’s near West Memorial Road and North May Avenue has also closed. So, they are done in OKC completely.

https://www.news9.com/story/67116345...t-okc-location

[Bill Robertson]

The Abuelo’s near West Memorial Road and North May Avenue has also closed. So, they are done in OKC completely.

https://www.news9.com/story/67116345...t-okc-location

This is surprising. We went there fairly often and they were always busy.

[Bowser214]

From Whipped Bakery and Cafe in Warr Acres

8am Tomorrow, Saturday,
the 19th is our final day as a cafe. Coffee drinks and merchandise is 1/2 all day. We will be fully stocked with all your favorite sweets and sandwiches but when we’re sold out that’s it! ��
Such a neat place. Hate this.

[Boop]

From Whipped Bakery and Cafe in Warr Acres

8am Tomorrow, Saturday,
the 19th is our final day as a cafe. Coffee drinks and merchandise is 1/2 all day. We will be fully stocked with all your favorite sweets and sandwiches but when we’re sold out that’s it! ��
Such a neat place. Hate this.

It is just really heartbreaking to see all the long running restaurants and cafes close these days

[Nhampson]

Pei Wei at Belle Isle has closed.

[Dustin]

Pei Wei at Belle Isle has closed.

Places like this, where you order at the front and then seat yourself, have to have an overall small rate of success in the restaurant world I'd imagine. The workers are not table side servers so they aren't getting tipped. Turnover has to be high, and when turnover is high, quality decreases and your business makes less money. When I ate here earlier this year, there were only two people working. One person taking orders at the front kiosk and one cooking. Not a good business model IMO.

[barrettd]

Places like this, where you order at the front and then seat yourself, have to have an overall small rate of success in the restaurant world I'd imagine. The workers are not table side servers so they aren't getting tipped. Turnover has to be high, and when turnover is high, quality decreases and your business makes less money. When I ate here earlier this year, there were only two people working. One person taking orders at the front kiosk and one cooking. Not a good business model IMO.

They've been there quite a while, and Pei Wei is pretty successful, aren't they? I, personally, hate most places with that service model you describe. I would imagine it's got to be working for them on the larger scale, but I admit I have no idea how things are going for them on a national level.

[onthestrip]

Places like this, where you order at the front and then seat yourself, have to have an overall small rate of success in the restaurant world I'd imagine. The workers are not table side servers so they aren't getting tipped. Turnover has to be high, and when turnover is high, quality decreases and your business makes less money. When I ate here earlier this year, there were only two people working. One person taking orders at the front kiosk and one cooking. Not a good business model IMO.

Maybe but Pei Wei had been there close to 20 years, at least 15 years. Thats a good run. More and more eateries over the years have gone to this counter order model to be able to cut costs and stay competitive.

I dont mind it for lunch. But I almost never go to fast casual for dinner. I was disappointed trying the new Mexican Radio for dinner and found out it was counter order. Regardless, it always comes down to the quality of the operator.

[Nhampson]

The email from pei Wei teased new Oklahoma locations coming soon, so it may just be more of a problem with the location itself rather than the business.

[cinnamonjock]

I prefer counter service. I can pick where I sit, I don't have to wait to get a refill, I don't have to tip, and I don't have to wait around to pay when I'm done eating.

[foldequity]

The lease expires at the end of the month and they decided not to renew. They are looking at other locations. Sales and the overall vibe at that area has decreased. There has been a big uptick with issues caused by the homeless and safety has become a concern.

[MartzMimic]

We first tried Chicken Foot soon after it opened and I thought they did a pretty good Okarche imitation. The two or three times afterward, the chicken was pretty mid. And I know they added it later on, but what friend chicken place doesn't offer potatoes and gravy from Day One?

[PhiAlpha]

The lease expires at the end of the month and they decided not to renew. They are looking at other locations. Sales and the overall vibe at that area has decreased. There has been a big uptick with issues caused by the homeless and safety has become a concern.

Yeah as it turns out, over the last 20 years some restaurant spaces and districts have appeared that are a little better than the parking lot of a walmart.

(And now I do my yearly disappointing look back at what could have been for this area if they'd decided to build around the lake and belle isle power plant instead of bulldozing it all for a run of the mill strip mall).

[Rover]

The email from pei Wei teased new Oklahoma locations coming soon, so it may just be more of a problem with the location itself rather than the business.

The food at the Belle Isle location had become consistently bad. It was time for a change. The area didnt change, they just got worse during covid and never recovered.

[Urbanized]

Pei Wei in general has taken a dip in service and quality since being spun off from PF Chang’s.

[BoulderSooner]

Places like this, where you order at the front and then seat yourself, have to have an overall small rate of success in the restaurant world I'd imagine. The workers are not table side servers so they aren't getting tipped. Turnover has to be high, and when turnover is high, quality decreases and your business makes less money. When I ate here earlier this year, there were only two people working. One person taking orders at the front kiosk and one cooking. Not a good business model IMO.

i think this is by far the fastest growing segment of the restaurant world ..



the garage keeps expanding ...

[Bill Robertson]

i think this is by far the fastest growing segment of the restaurant world ..



the garage keeps expanding ...

True. And Fuzzy's Tacos is very busy. The Norman Rudy's is pretty busy also.
The employees don't get tips but they don't make $2.13 an hour either.

[BoulderSooner]

Pei Wei in general has taken a dip in service and quality since being spun off from PF Chang’s.

they completely changed this menu at that time .. and it started going down hill from there

[jedicurt]

they completely changed this menu at that time .. and it started going down hill from there

exactly. i went in awhile back after not going since before covid, and i was shocked that literally nothing that i had ordered before was still on the menu

[OKCTalker]

Pei Wei this morning (10/24/2024)
Append: The thumbnail appears upside-down, but if you embiggen the image it is correct.
Sign on front door: "Closed for maintenance"