Mackie McNears Closed

[usmbubba]

I was driving in that area today and noticed the street sign was gone and a banner across the front. 1st Furrs, now Mackies, the only buffet left is Golden Corral YUCK

[bombermwc]

Agreed...yuk. And they haven't even rebuilt Golden Coral into one of the new ones either.

Remember Picadilly?

[Redskin 70]

Oh Picadilly..............yerp I liked that one really well.
Not much a loss for McNairs. Last time wife and I ate there it was an extreme disappointment.

[Thunder]

Don't really care much for their buffet, but sure did enjoyed the steaks. This is a major loss for Mid-Del. R.I.P.

[usmbubba]

Picadilly was good

[Bigrayok]

The Mackie McNear's at N.W. 23rd and McArthur closed a couple of weeks ago. It had been there as Western Sizzlin or Mackie McNear's since 1975.

Bigray in Ok

[Thunder]

The Mackie McNear's at N.W. 23rd and McArthur closed a couple of weeks ago. It had been there as Western Sizzlin or Mackie McNear's since 1975.

Bigray in Ok

I just don't understand it. They generate good business. I wonder what is the real reason for their closure? The city?

[Bigrayok]

The demographics around the 23rd and McArthur area has changed significantly since 1975. When I went there in recent years, most of the customers were elderly. I do not know about the Mid-Del area.

Bigray in Ok

[Spartan]

I just don't understand it. They generate good business. I wonder what is the real reason for their closure? The city?

Really? Hardy anyone ever goes to the ones at 23rd/MacArthur and the one in Moore. They're always empty parking lots.

[Double Edge]

We have a whole slew of newer restaurants down the road at MacArthur and Reno area and east to Rockwell since MM was successful.

Golden Corral
Texas Roadhouse
Applebees
Ryan's Steakhouse
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Lins Chinese
Jersey Mikes
Arby's
Sonic
Pizza Hut (Relocated from 23rd and a Mexican place took over the old building.)
Stone Creamery
Jack in the Box
Quiznos (Might be closed)
Taco Cabana
McDonalds
KFC
Subway

[Bill Robertson]

I drive by the one on S. Meridian often. Parking lot isn't exactly full there either. And each store is a franchise. Could be that between operating costs and franchise costs they just aren't cutting it.

Also, they used to advertise a lot on WWLS. Haven't heard one in a few weeks now that I think about it..

[Double Edge]

I might be wrong but I think Mackie McNear is local, and built all those himself as Western Sizzlin' franchises. (I worked on a number of them when they were built.) Then at some point he gave up the franchise on several and rebranded them as Mackie McNears, his own company. That was my guess and it's surely possible it's wrong, it didn't happen that way and they were split up and sold off to various people or something.

[Thunder]

I don't see how any of it was a rebuilding when some of the restaurants was renamed, because everything was still the same inside. The only thing different was the name change. It was either a complete rename or an addition to add the name. I remember seeing him doing a commercial on it basically saying the locations with the new name is still the same company.

The first one to close was the Del City location that I know of. Then the recent MWC location and now the location stated on here. Another location that I know of...still open...is the one in Moore.

[metro]

The demographics around the 23rd and McArthur area has changed significantly since 1975. When I went there in recent years, most of the customers were elderly. I do not know about the Mid-Del area.

Bigray in Ok

Or African American or Hispanic

[metro]

I might be wrong but I think Mackie McNear is local, and built all those himself as Western Sizzlin' franchises. (I worked on a number of them when they were built.) Then at some point he gave up the franchise on several and rebranded them as Mackie McNears, his own company. That was my guess and it's surely possible it's wrong, it didn't happen that way and they were split up and sold off to various people or something.

that is correct, I know Mackie. Haven't talked to him in forever, not sure what's up with the closures. He had a great dealnfor decent steaks IMO, bur was cheap to upgrade decor or do decent advertising. Name and memories only support you so long.

[Easy180]

Really? Hardy anyone ever goes to the ones at 23rd/MacArthur and the one in Moore. They're always empty parking lots.

Yep. The one in Moore got hit hard when Furrs opened

[Spartan]

We have a whole slew of newer restaurants down the road at MacArthur and Reno area and east to Rockwell since MM was successful.

Golden Corral
Texas Roadhouse
Applebees
Ryan's Steakhouse
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Lins Chinese
Jersey Mikes
Arby's
Sonic
Pizza Hut (Relocated from 23rd and a Mexican place took over the old building.)
Stone Creamery
Jack in the Box
Quiznos (Might be closed)
Taco Cabana
McDonalds
KFC
Subway

Wow. Sounds like the west side is gettin big-time..

[bombermwc]

Much like any buffet place, unless you are Furrs or Golden Corral, it seems you are closing. Think about how many American buffet places are left anywhere in town. Mackie's mostly was a buffet place and it wasn't very good (like golden corral). Like someone else mentioned, the few times I was there (not by choice), it was mostly elderly. There are a few that pop up for a while, like Firehouse or whatever it is in Westgate, but again, it's old folks. It's really a doomed business model. The next generation of the elderly aren't going to be interested in eating at places like that.

[OKCJapan]

Sorry, I have been out of town for a while. Im I to understand that Golden Corral is closed there on South Air Depot?

I remember Picadilly. We used to go there as a family when I was growing up.

[Thunder]

Sorry, I have been out of town for a while. Im I to understand that Golden Corral is closed there on South Air Depot?

I remember Picadilly. We used to go there as a family when I was growing up.

No, they are not closed. Very rare for one to close. They may if they decide to remodel the place completely since that was the company's trend lately.

[SoonerDave]

All the current Mackie's originally opened as Western Sizzlin's back in the 70's, and most of you younger folks wouldn't recognize them compared to what they are now - no buffet, better steaks/service back then.

Anyway, the story I was told was that McNear got tired of paying the franchise fees for the Western Sizzlin' name, and figured he could run the restaurants just as successfully under his own name. As a result, he rebranded (nearly?) ALL of them as "Mackie McNear's" for a time. Sales plummeted, because he discovered that a significant portion of his traffic was taken from people who recognized the Sizzlin' logo, (especially for near-highway locations like I-240 and Penn) so he was to a degree forced to go back to the franchise name for some, but not all, of the restaurants, which he did.

These more recent closures are not the first. One of the earliest (and largest) Sizzlin's was in Del City on SW 29th, one which drew a large lunchtime crowd, but it was closed and torn down years ago. I think that locaiton on the near NW side (which was a much nicer area back then) was one of if not the first one in town - it was the one we visited when I was a kid, at least.

When I was growing up, we went to Sizzlin' as a "special treat" night, because at that time the entire motif of the restaurant was different. The entire style was table service, no buffets in sight, and the places were cleaner and better-kept in general. Their transition to a buffet was only so-so, but I'm a pretty hard-sell on buffets to begin with. HomeTown did a pretty nice buffet, but their prices just went through the roof.

Just for the sake of giving it a try, our family went to the Sizzlin' on 74th and Penn about, oh, six months ago (maybe more, not sure), and it was really bad. A few of the buffet items I tried were tolerable, but nothing that would ever compel me to return. The place looked a little shabby, too. Sad to say, but I think the newer Golden Corrals are better, and I think the Sizzlin/McNear's chain is going to find it tough to survive in the next few years. FWIW, they are still advertising on the Animal...

I think the big problem is that they still want to be perceived as a steak house, but they're really perceived as a buffet, but they do neither especially well IMHO. I don't think that kind of approach is going to work well going forward (even though I *HATE* the new Furr's concept, but that's another story...)

[Larry OKC]

Really? Hardy anyone ever goes to the ones at 23rd/MacArthur and the one in Moore. They're always empty parking lots.

When I went by (usually the weekends), the parking lot always had a decent amount of cars (23rd) but the few times i stopped in the food quality wasn't as good as the one on SW 74th/Penn

[Larry OKC]

SoonerDave:

Agree and remember that Golden Corral used to be a steak place w/a salad bar that kept expanding (before they morphed into Buffet only). Am surprised WS/MM has kept the dual concept up for this long.

There are specific items that I like at the one at 74th & Penn (usually on a Sat nite) so depends if they have the majority of those items if I stay or head someplace else. They have GREAT fried chicken (not KFC, but exceptional considering it is a buffet). They also have a tasty lasagna, chopped beef steak and I love their Chicken & Dumplings (sometimes they thin it out and it is more broth based rather than my preferred gravy consistency). For just $1 more can get the half-rack of ribs or $2 more, get a steak (always take the entree home for another meal). They recently raised the buffet prices and unless they have specific items that you like, G.C. is a better choice if doing buffet only (with no carry out). Will give G.C. the nod with some of their other selections though.

[valsvic]

Good riddens Mickey McNasty's!!!! ( that was my term of endearment)

[Tundra]

The Mackies in Edmond is closing down on Sunday.