Crave smoothies opens downtown

[metro]

Downtown’s newest restaurateur hopes patrons ‘Crave’ smoothies
Journal Record
March 18, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY – Those passing through Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City have likely heard blenders whirring, as a smoothie and sandwich shop opened in the building’s atrium last month.

After a decade as a certified public accountant, Lee Ann Reid was looking for a new venture and decided to inquire about a tiny retail space to set up shop. With little restaurant experience but with the encouragement of her family, Reid worked to create a name – Crave – and a red-and-green color scheme for the 600-square-foot space.

The space was previously a travel agency. But before securing the space in Leadership Square, Reid had to convince Mark Beffort to take a chance on her restaurant in a space that had been vacant for about five years.

Beffort, with Grubb & Ellis Levy Beffort, is the manager of the investment group that owns the building.“We weren’t in a hurry to fill the space because we wanted to get the right fit,” Beffort said. After being approached by Reid, Beffort said he saw Crave as a complement to City Bites and the Ground Floor Café & Bakery, both tenants in the atrium for nearly a decade. Reid said while her shop has soups, sandwiches and healthy snacks, the bulk of her business has come from smoothies, which are made with items like fresh fruit, nuts, honey and pure vanilla.“I definitely sell more smoothies than anything,” she said.

Smoothies have also been spotted downtown at places like the Park Harvey Athletic Club on the lower level of the Park Harvey building, and at the Buzz Coffee and Café at the First National Center.

The concept for the shop came from Reid and her husband’s observations of people wanting healthier fare.“My husband saw that healthy eating was a trend around the country and thought it would be a good thing to try here,” she said.

Reid said most of the store’s business is at lunchtime and in the afternoon when people stop by for a smoothie to get them through the day. And while the primary business at the Buzz is coffee, owner Tim Sisson said he also sells a number of smoothies each day, especially as the weather gets warmer. “Between now and September, we’ll do a good 25 or so smoothies a day,” he said.

Beffort said the restaurant also fits in well with the fabric of daytime offerings downtown. Over the past few years, the central core of downtown has added a handful of both lunchtime and other dining options.

One reason Beffort said more restaurants are popping up is in response to existing downtown companies, plus the addition of new residents such as SandRidge Energy moving into the core, and with those companies come employees who need to eat but want options.“We are seeing the commercial daytime population is increasing at a very rapid pace,” Beffort said.

Brett Hamm, president of Downtown OKC Inc., said that when companies look to move downtown, one of the factors is to have an environment that benefits its employees, including diverse places to eat.“Companies recognize downtown is the place to be,” Hamm said. “This is the first step but it bodes well for these companies and their willingness to move downtown and recognize that growing work force.”

Hamm said downtown workers also enjoy the convenience of being able to walk, rather than drive, for several services including a variety of food options.

Beffort said there are currently three other retail spaces available in the atrium of Leadership Square that will be filled, possibly with restaurants, when the right tenants come along that will not compete with the current restaurants.

He said aside from adding to the existing food options in the building, he also likes the store’s concept and really likes the smoothies from Crave.“She had this concept she wanted to do and it sounded really neat,” he said. “It was a good complement to the other services in the building.”



Crave employees Tori Martin and Kurt Ostrowski and owner Lee Ann Reid stand outside the smoothie shop Monday afternoon in downtown Oklahoma City’s Leadership Square. (Photo by Kendall Brown)

[bkm645]

I try to go there at least every other week. They seem to have a steady crowd at lunch an around break time. Their prices seem a little high, like $5 for a large seems a bit much. The smoothies do not always turn out the same, like I have had the Power Peach a couple of times, and one time it was perfect, then the next the peach was to overpowering.

Overall it is a good idea and I hope that it succeeds. Maybe some competition will come in to lower the prices.

[metro]

Keep in mind downtown rent is higher and traffic patterns are different (less hours in a day, but possibly more patrons earlier) so they have to cover their costs. Jamba Juice really isn't much different, about 4 something for a medium.

[FritterGirl]

I try to go there at least every other week. They seem to have a steady crowd at lunch an around break time. Their prices seem a little high, like $5 for a large seems a bit much. The smoothies do not always turn out the same, like I have had the Power Peach a couple of times, and one time it was perfect, then the next the peach was to overpowering.

Overall it is a good idea and I hope that it succeeds. Maybe some competition will come in to lower the prices.

Guess you've not been to a Jamba Juice. It's just under $4 for most of their "original size" (medium) smoothies.

Smoothies are not cheap really anywhere, especially if they use wholesome, fresh ingredients.

[tuck]

A smoothie is suppossed to be an actual meal; so I don't see a problem with spending $5 on a complete healthy meal. I hope they do well. Once again, a shop like this is like a single unit coffee house...low ticket avg that requires a ton of traffic and an owner-operator.

[warreng88]

I went there about a month ago when I had a day off and my wife (who works in Leadership Square) didn't. So I met her for lunch, had some soup, sandwich and a smoothie and was impressed. The only problem is when it gets busy, the line goes out the door and you can't see the menu. Other than that, I would recommened it.

[HOT ROD]

I wish them well but I hope Leadership Square can give these businesses a streetfront entrance. I think a storefront would significantly ADD to downtown and make for more pedestrian traffic on the streets.

Leadership Square is one of the most popular downtown buildings, and since it does have retail we need doors outside for those street level businesses - so that people wont HAVE to compete with the lobby traffic in order to patronize the restaurant. Plus, it allows Crave to possibly stay open later, even though the lobby of the building might close.

And like I said, imagine those lines of patrons to Crave stretching OUTSIDE down the block from the building!!! I call that - awesome, and this level of thinking should be encouraged and DEMANDED from the best buildings in the city!

[jbrown84]

Exactly. This is right around the corner from my apartment at the Park Harvey and I would love to patronize them if they were open past 6.

Is this the space across from Bank of America in the South tower?

[metro]

HOT ROD, if you understood the layout of the inside of Leadership Square, you would know that this wouldn't really be possible or at least very easily. The retail shops face open to the inner foyer of the building. There are no outside facing windows at any of the L.S. establishments. Offices occupy all the exterior facing windows. Most tenants have been there for years. I suppose they could kick out the office tenants, and reconfigure those spaces to be for restaurants (probably be a pain in the butt to relocate plumbing), then set up new kitchens, etc.). I'm sure the restaurants might support it if it was no additional cost to them, however I doubt that is the case. I actually ate their today at lunch just to check out the layout, etc. to see if this was feasible. Oh, and I happen to LOVEEEEE the chicken salad at Ground Floor Cafe.

[jbrown84]

Well, I know there was (as of 6 weeks ago or so) an empty retail space on the SW corner of the complex that DID have exterior windows.

[jbrown84]

I've been going here frequently lately. Their smoothies are made with higher quality and unique ingredients compared to other places.

Unfortunately, they close at 4:00.

[HOT ROD]

uggh,

but hopefully downtown CBD businesses will not only start appearing in more numbers but also will start staying open later; with downtown getting more populated (residents and workforce) and with the NBA definitely coming.

We need to do what we can to pick downtown up a level by the time the NBA season starts (3.5 months). We dont want people to come to town and think LOW of us. Remember, first impressions are lasting - and I know in due time OKC would get there and OKC certainly is better than it was, but we dont want people leaving thinking we're the smallest market (when we're not) or that OKc is really just the largest tier iii city (which also is not true, OKC isn't even the smallest tier ii city).

The BIGGEST way for this quick renaissance to happen, is for OKC residents to support downtown. GO DOWNTOWN. Even if you dont spend money or want to, just your pedestrian presence will help! Go to the Gardens with your spouse, go walk the canal, go hang out in the CBD, bring your family to the memorial and to the civic center events, and stage center plays, and the various little restaurants and shops that are currently downtown. Believe me, we get people downtown, we'll see a BUNCH of announcements very quickly about retail coming, new local restaurants and shops!

OKC has a bigger and more dense downtown than Salt Lake City, so we want to make damn sure that downtown OKC is more lively feeling as well. Remember, Oklahoma City is NOT the smallest NBA city or market (SLC and New Orleans are smaller, Memphis will soon be surpassed by OKC too).

So let's give a great first impression as people come to town - let's start now though, so we get businesses coming downtown in droves, setting up shop in record time - so that when people travel to games (and conventions) that they continue to disspell the myths and old wives tales about OKC and instead report a progressive urban attraction does exist in the state of Oklahoma.

OK, that's my pep talk for today. Continue the Renaissance!

[mecarr]

The unfortunate reality is that downtown OKC is still mostly deserted after 5pm, and on weekends. I am, of course, not including bricktown in this opinion. However, things should be getting better rather than worse. With more residents moving in, I have to think that there will be businesses catering to their needs. You've seen it a bit with the opening of that little market\grocery store in Deep Deuce, and the opening of Gajin Sushi.