Well, once again, it's great to see another big box filled! This time, the old vacant Wal-Mart off NW Expressway in Warr-Acres will be filled by a pretty nice venue.
Boy, if only we could have something this fun move into Bricktown. You know, I always thought a miniature golf course would've been nice on part of the canal....part of the canal could've been a water hazard!!! How about the area in between the I-40 Bridge and the Landrun monument on the east side of the canal?

Anyways, here's the article on the new venue to open on NW Expressway. Great news to get another new company to enter the market.

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"Incredible Pizza plans Warr Acres restaurant
By Tricia Pemberton
The Oklahoman

An Incredible Pizza franchise is coming to Warr Acres, with a $4 million, 65,000-square-foot facility and the promise of 250 to 300 jobs.
The restaurant and entertainment center will be subleased at 5833 Northwest Expressway in a building vacant since April 2000 when Wal-Mart left, moving to an Oklahoma City location.

Construction will start Monday with an anticipated opening by February 2005, said Danny Mullen, a principalpartner with franchise owner FEC Holdings LLP, based in Houston.

Local major stockholders of the company include Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward of Oklahoma City, and Boone Pickens, a native of Holdenville.

"We're elated that Incredible Pizza is coming in. We think it is going to be a boon to Warr Acres and the families here," Warr Acres Mayor Marrietta Tardibono said.

The Warr Acres location can expect a multimillion-dollar annual payroll, with managers making between $60,000 and $80,000 a year, Mullen said. And with the exception of some managers, most employees will be hired locally through a job fair.

"Oklahoma has an educated and highly motivated work force, which is one of the reasons we chose the state," said Mullen, who attended law school at the University of Oklahoma.

The building is being completely redesigned and renovated, with an additional 53,000 square feet available for lease, Mullen said.

The facility will include four '50s themed dining areas, with a drive-in showing old movies on an actual theater screen; a diner; a gymnasium decorated for a sock-hop; and a living room akin to a "Leave it to Beaver" set.

In addition, the site will have a game room with more than 120 nonviolent video and price redemption games, indoor go-karts, bumper cars, a miniature golf course with a Route 66 theme and a bowling alley.

Incredible Pizza offers a pizza, pasta and salad bar buffet, charging adults $5.99 and children $3.99 or $4.99 depending on age.

"This is a place families can go and not worry," Mullen said.

And while Incredible Pizza will be just down the street from a Chuck E Cheese's Pizza, Mullen said the demographic for his customer is different.

"They draw a younger crowd; we go for the big middle. Our target is kids to senior citizens."

The Rogersville, Mo.-based Incredible Pizza Co. opened a restaurant in late August in Tulsa, the company's second location.

The site is drawing 16,000 visitors a week and holding 150 birthday parties, company founder Rick Barsness said.

Barsness and his partner, wife Cheryl, have already sold 35 franchise locations, with Warr Acres being the first.

FECH was founded by L.R. (Robin) French, III, a former resident of Enid and Oklahoma City. He also serves as president and chief executive officer.

French said the partnership owns franchise rights from Arizona to Florida and plans to open 33 more stores. Currently the team is building an Incredible Pizza in Houston.

Mullen said the two "can't think of a better place to build a store like this. If this isn't middle America, we don't know what is."