Local Hero's ?

[DolfanBob]

These three young gentlemen always seem to come up in the public eye one way or another, more than just any old private business owners.

So I ask. What is it about Blake Ewing, Elliot Nelson and Eric Marshall that sets them apart from all the other local entrepreneurs ?

Is it there age ? Our new found fascination with all that is Downtown ? Timing ? Connections ? etc, etc.

[Teatownclown]

All good people....but come now. Hero status? Alcohol and unhealthy eats?

Here: George Kaiser (he'd be pi$$ed being labeled a local hero....likes being under the radar)

[ZYX]

All good people....but come now. Hero status? Alcohol and unhealthy eats?

Here: George Kaiser (he'd be pi$$ed being labeled a local hero....likes being under the radar)

Have you ever considered the concept of happiness? Encouragement?

You are down on everything. Downtown's nothing special. BOK Center is a waste of money. I mean seriously, for the sake of humanity, cheer up. 

[Cats Cats Cats]

Hero?  Try the bankers that gave Elliot the loan to open up the McNellies.  According to the Urban Tulsa he was right out of College and I assume not another job to be able to repay said loan.  Sink or Swim

[Teatownclown]

Hero?  Try the bankers that gave Elliot the loan to open up the McNellies.  According to the Urban Tulsa he was right out of College and I assume not another job to be able to repay said loan.  Sink or Swim

I gave him his first buck despite the fact he did not have Heinie on tap.

His banker was his dad....then the other one's came in to put the banks at ease after the Guapo fiasco.

Keep up the good work CS.....winning ain't everything and especially not here at TNF.

ZYX (very clever moniker) : I'm nowhere near down on everything. Just straightening out twisted thinkers and men without brains.

[Townsend]

Hero?  Try the bankers that gave Elliot the loan to open up the McNellies.  According to the Urban Tulsa he was right out of College and I assume not another job to be able to repay said loan.  Sink or Swim

I was under the impression it was a family loan.  In any case, good for all three of them.  I admire their chutzpah

[Cats Cats Cats]

http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A20891

He was only 25 years old when he dove into plans for McNellie's. This made some people wonder how he could afford such an ambitious project. It also gave many long-time club owners and patrons a chance to speculate that Nelson was able to start his business from a lofty handout from his father, of the Nelson Mazda car dealership.

"Yeah, you know people are going to talk. They see my last name and they think of my father and his business. They probably think it was easy for me to come up with the money to back McNellie's, but to be honest I paid for it myself. I was the one that took out the loan just out of college. I wanted it to be my project," said Nelson.

Nelson's big loan is still being paid off, but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing more projects. He is set to open a second McNellie's in Oklahoma City, just north of downtown at 10th and Walker, this spring.

[Teatownclown]

Nelson Ford...not Unkle Mazda. And NEVER quote Urbandistain! They are idjits!

It ain't chutzpah. It's a group thingy for money. 

[ZYX]

I gave him his first buck despite the fact he did not have Heinie on tap.

His banker was his dad....then the other one's came in to put the banks at ease after the Guapo fiasco.

Keep up the good work CS.....winning ain't everything and especially not here at TNF.

ZYX (very clever moniker) : I'm nowhere near down on everything. Just straightening out twisted thinkers and men without brains.

Thanks, glad you like it. So since you're only down on "twisted thinkers and men without brains," can you name me a person that you don't feel that way about? If you don't think that these three men have done anything extraordinary, then that's your opinion, but you don't need to resort to putting down them and everyone else in order to further elevate yourself in your imaginary little society.

I think that in a way, these men are heroes. Not in the way such as our troops or first responders are, but in that they have pretty much raised Downtown from the dead. Downtown is an area I would never have tried to open up a business several years ago, so I respect these men for taking a risk that I wouldn't have.

[Breadburner]

Hero .....No.....

[sgrizzle]

http://www.urbantulsa.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A20891

He was only 25 years old when he dove into plans for McNellie's. This made some people wonder how he could afford such an ambitious project. It also gave many long-time club owners and patrons a chance to speculate that Nelson was able to start his business from a lofty handout from his father, of the Nelson Mazda car dealership.

"Yeah, you know people are going to talk. They see my last name and they think of my father and his business. They probably think it was easy for me to come up with the money to back McNellie's, but to be honest I paid for it myself. I was the one that took out the loan just out of college. I wanted it to be my project," said Nelson.

Nelson's big loan is still being paid off, but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing more projects. He is set to open a second McNellie's in Oklahoma City, just north of downtown at 10th and Walker, this spring.

A sizable loan plus cash he had already received from his family, and I'm guessing he had a co-signer.

As far as I know, Blake is the only one who really qualifies as really having to struggle for cash, at least when he opened Joe Momma's in south Tulsa.

[Conan71]

And technically, Marshall Brewing Company isn't in downtown, it's at 6th & Wheeling.  That said, he's supplying some world class brews to downtown Tulsa.  I'd never really thought of it before but now that I think of it, if I want a Marshall's out somehwere, I usually think of it being a slam-dunk to find it at a downtown eatery or bar.  

Regardless of how any of these people got their financing together, they were the current crop willing to take the risk.

Guys like David Sharp, Peter Mayo, and as much as it pains me to say it Michael Sager are just as much "heros" if not more so.  They managed to preserve a lot of buildings for future use which otherwise might have been torn down.  How many people remember Karmichael's Restaurant at 3rd & Detroit?  That was a true pioneer restaurant, though Sager couldn't pay his bills back then either.  And his skills as a chef were somewhat questionable.  Regardless of his lack of business accumen, I can't take away his dedication to wanting to see downtown succeed.

I don't really tend to lump Bill White in with that group since his downtown holdings were little more than a CD to him, IMO.

[DTowner]

I think "hero" is not the right word.  More like Pioneer because each of these folks in their own way, whatever the source of their finanical resources, saw opportunity where most saw none.  More importantly, they took the chances in a place nearly all "smarter" and "wiser" businessmen said it could not be done.  That deserves recognition and our thanks.

[dbacks fan]

I think "hero" is not the right word.  More like Pioneer because each of these folks in their own way, whatever the source of their finanical resources, saw opportunity where most saw none.  More importantly, they took the chances in a place nearly all "smarter" and "wiser" businessmen said it could not be done.  That deserves recognition and our thanks.

I'm with you. As long as the funds were not obtained illegaly, it shouldn't matter. They took a risk and it worked.

[guido911]

Have you ever considered the concept of happiness? Encouragement?

You are down on everything. Downtown's nothing special. BOK Center is a waste of money. I mean seriously, for the sake of humanity, cheer up. 

That is his M.O. He will eventually have a mega-meltdown and get banned. Then, after a few months, he will come back under a new name, attempt to sound somewhat reasonable, then have another meltdown. Rinse and repeat.