Blue Rose wins Rivers Edge Location...

[patric]

What would be a better solution Patric?

There are so many ways they could improve that lighting; even a string of commercial-grade christmas-style lights along the eave would be better than that brutal, bare-bulb approach.   












Even the outdoor seating at Panda Express is better lit...
Dim those industrial things and use them for the clean-up lights.

[Townsend]

We're here.  I think it's great. 

[Conan71]

Hankering for a Blue Rose Special. Anyone else want to meet for lunch today?

[Townsend]

We were there again yesterday.

I know it was largely due to nice weather following the nasty weather we've been having but it was packed.

Travis and Jay were slammed behind the bar and they were only serving food inside.  Both decks were full and it was a great preview for upcoming nice days.

They ran out of many brands of beer by 5.

If the people with the means don't see a reason to develop the river now, I'll be at a loss.

[Conan71]

We were there again yesterday.

I know it was largely due to nice weather following the nasty weather we've been having but it was packed.

Travis and Jay were slammed behind the bar and they were only serving food inside.  Both decks were full and it was a great preview for upcoming nice days.

They ran out of many brands of beer by 5.

If the people with the means don't see a reason to develop the river now, I'll be at a loss.

Daughter #1 turned 21 on the 2nd but due to weather ever since with her in Norman and me here, we had not gotten together for her birthday yet.  Finally she came home this weekend and wanted to meet at the BR at 7pm on Saturday.  I tried to discourage her as there would be six of us going and I figured we were looking at a one hour wait for a table at a minimum then no telling on getting served.  Turns out, we got six seats on the corner of the long common concrete table just behind the bar which was actually perfect for our group.  Food and service were timely, and quality was good.  My mom went on and on about the blackened chicken on spinach salad.  FMC and daughter #2 both had black bean burgers which were great.  I had the marinated chicken which was just as I remembered from the old days.

I have a client coming in from out of town tomorrow and can't wait to take him there for lunch.

Tom has something with great potential on his hands, adequate and attentive wait staff is going to be a large part of the ultimate success.  I'm confident they will have as many people as they can possibly serve.  If service gets lousy it won't take long for everyone to hear about it.

[SXSW]

We were there again yesterday.

I know it was largely due to nice weather following the nasty weather we've been having but it was packed.

Travis and Jay were slammed behind the bar and they were only serving food inside.  Both decks were full and it was a great preview for upcoming nice days.

They ran out of many brands of beer by 5.

If the people with the means don't see a reason to develop the river now, I'll be at a loss.

I think it would be cool to see a couple other restaurants there next to the Blue Rose, north of Elwood's.  A string of 3-4 uniquely different buildings with different types of food overlooking the river and an enlarged Festival Park and amphitheatre on the other side.   

[Townsend]

I think it would be cool to see a couple other restaurants there next to the Blue Rose, north of Elwood's.  A string of 3-4 uniquely different buildings with different types of food overlooking the river and an enlarged Festival Park and amphitheatre on the other side.   

I think there's a non-compete near BR.

[SXSW]

I think there's a non-compete near BR.

Ah yes, I remember now.  Cannon_fodder posted a picture showing the approximate limits:

[Conan71]

I think there's a non-compete near BR.

The city blew a potential sales tax bonanza by allowing competing interests to be written out of their contract.  Personally, if I were the owner of a restaurant and bar where there is basically zero density of other entertainment/eating venues, I'd want to build in some competition as it brings more people to the area.  Much as like has evolved slowly in the Brady and Blue Dome districts.  I think those are great example that critical mass helps ensure staying power.

I've got mixed emotions on over-commercialization and the clash of restaurant/bar patrons with people utilizing the trails.  Even though they built the pedestrian over-pass to get to the front door it's a total CF parking and getting in without the potential for conflict at the moment.  I like the idea that we finally have a real example of cool river development within the city of Tulsa, yet there is one part of me that fears eventually losing an unobstructed view of the river from the River Parks due to too much commercial development.  Basically I'd like to see more development in this area, but I'm afraid of what price recreational users of the area might pay for that.

[waterboy]

The city blew a potential sales tax bonanza by allowing competing interests to be written out of their contract.  Personally, if I were the owner of a restaurant and bar where there is basically zero density of other entertainment/eating venues, I'd want to build in some competition as it brings more people to the area.  Much as like has evolved slowly in the Brady and Blue Dome districts.  I think those are great example that critical mass helps ensure staying power.

I've got mixed emotions on over-commercialization and the clash of restaurant/bar patrons with people utilizing the trails.  Even though they built the pedestrian over-pass to get to the front door it's a total CF parking and getting in without the potential for conflict at the moment.  I like the idea that we finally have a real example of cool river development within the city of Tulsa, yet there is one part of me that fears eventually losing an unobstructed view of the river from the River Parks due to too much commercial development.  Basically I'd like to see more development in this area, but I'm afraid of what price recreational users of the area might pay for that.

I don't think the city had that much to do with it. RPA as an authority only receives part of their funding from the COT. The rest is from the County, donations and renting out the grounds for festivals etc. They operate pretty independent of either entity. I agree with you that it was a typical short sighted decision to blunt any other competition. Putting a time period on the non compete would have been a better idea. The success of BR would have created demand for more well planned restaurants, but not now.

The solution is to designate certain areas for certain functions along the river so that clusters of similar activities can feed off each other. Some areas would simply be off limits for any development other than a path. That makes too much sense.

[SXSW]

There could be another restaurant built at the north end of the "300 yard bubble" by the parking lot at 17th & Riverside.  A couple restaurants could go in on the river in that area from 15th to 17th and still be close to Blue Rose.

[waterboy]

Three football fields away? Yeah, i guess I could stumble along that far.

Another hindrance has been the refusal to allow alcoholic drinks on park property. The 19th location has an exception. To continue that across from Sophian, residential and senior communities, might not be viewed favorably.

[SXSW]

Something like this project One Architecture designed for the Blue Rose site would be cool further north:


http://www.1architecture.com/projects/watershed.htm

[Red Arrow]

Something like this project One Architecture designed for the Blue Rose site would be cool further north:


http://www.1architecture.com/projects/watershed.htm

It doesn't do anything for me but if someone wanted it I wouldn't care too much.

[SXSW]

Blue Rose is reopening as the Sandbar Cafe at the end of May.  I wonder if the non-compete clause is still in place in the 300 yd radius?  I'd still like to see this area built up more with an additional restaurant and/or coffee shop around the cove.  This area makes sense to offer kayak rentals once the dam project is completed and Zink Lake is always full. 

https://tulsaworld.com/entertainment/dining/sandbar-cafe-rises-from-blue-rose-cafes-roots-along-the-arkansas-river/article_9f2f72e4-b2bc-11eb-beb8-433351be9ad9.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1