Archer Market

[AquaMan]

When I think back to the Tulsa of my youth, which was infinitely more walkable both downtown and in the nearby suburbs, I think of all the little neighborhood grocers that existed. From memory, 18th & Boston, Cincinnati at 19th, 5th and Columbia, 15th and Quaker, 3rd and Delaware, 7th and Birmingham come to mind. They all had much in common: affordable housing or apartments nearby, grade schools, relaxed zoning that allowed previous homes to be used as stores (what now appears to be formed based zoning), good bus routes nearby and a slower pace of life. People in apartments didn't always have refrigerators, they often had ice boxes that were only large enough for a couple meals and you only replenished them a few times a week. People ate at nearby cafes and lunch counters.

The cycle seems to be returning, but I have to say that the pace of life and the expectations of consumers have both accelerated upwards. Also, today's large trucks would have difficulty replenishing their stocks. That was a real problem for Yeakeys on Cherry Street.

I yearn for those little stores that carried everything you needed on a daily basis but you still had access to the "supermarket" farther out if needed. Braums is close to that model but they mostly stay true to ice cream and burgers. It may be that QT has sucked up whatever infill opportunities these stores might have exploited, yet the concept of these little house stores still could be done downtown. Different clientele.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Google Earth.

Milwaukee.

Northwest corner of N Broadway and E St Paul Ave.  Milwaukee Public Market.

An amazing concentration of a kind of "farmer's market eateries" place with exceptional food!!  In a "fast food" format....   Wisconsin people don't put up with the kind of crappy slop that some restaurants get away with here....

And Squeaky Cheese!!!!!!!!

[Conan71]

When I think back to the Tulsa of my youth, which was infinitely more walkable both downtown and in the nearby suburbs, I think of all the little neighborhood grocers that existed. From memory, 18th & Boston, Cincinnati at 19th, 5th and Columbia, 15th and Quaker, 3rd and Delaware, 7th and Birmingham come to mind. They all had much in common: affordable housing or apartments nearby, grade schools, relaxed zoning that allowed previous homes to be used as stores (what now appears to be formed based zoning), good bus routes nearby and a slower pace of life. People in apartments didn't always have refrigerators, they often had ice boxes that were only large enough for a couple meals and you only replenished them a few times a week. People ate at nearby cafes and lunch counters.

The cycle seems to be returning, but I have to say that the pace of life and the expectations of consumers have both accelerated upwards. Also, today's large trucks would have difficulty replenishing their stocks. That was a real problem for Yeakeys on Cherry Street.

I yearn for those little stores that carried everything you needed on a daily basis but you still had access to the "supermarket" farther out if needed. Braums is close to that model but they mostly stay true to ice cream and burgers. It may be that QT has sucked up whatever infill opportunities these stores might have exploited, yet the concept of these little house stores still could be done downtown. Different clientele.

Maybe we need a slightly different concept like a food co-op with an annual membership fee to help cover the overhead to keep it in operation.  Anner's at 18th & Boston is somewhat of a similar concept though that's not really "practical" walking distance for people living in the Brady or GreenArch.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Maybe we need a slightly different concept like a food co-op with an annual membership fee to help cover the overhead to keep it in operation.  Anner's at 18th & Boston is somewhat of a similar concept though that's not really "practical" walking distance for people living in the Brady or GreenArch.

http://www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org/main.html


And the prices are very reasonable!!

[sgrizzle]

For a silver lining, there is a already built-out grocery store space available for someone who has a sane business concept.

[sgrizzle]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/downtown-food-market-sues-city-councilor-alleging-mismanagement-of-funds/article_8f767d0d-21ce-5f2d-89cc-ee11fdcecdd4.html

The owners of a downtown grocery store that closed its doors this week filed a lawsuit Friday against City Councilor Blake Ewing, alleging breach of contract and fraud.
Ewing, who owns and manages several downtown businesses, was the Archer Market business manager until December 2013, according to the lawsuit.

The grocery store, later named Folks Urban Market and Pantry, opened in February at 307 E. Archer St. with the new name and new management under Shawn Zenthoefer.
Citing "bad circumstances beyond our control," Zenthoefer recently announced the market's closing.
The lawsuit, filed in Tulsa County District Court, alleges Ewing diverted at least $121,805 from a bank's $350,000 line of credit to other businesses.
Ewing refuted the accuracy of the claims in the lawsuit, saying the actual dispute between him and the business wasn't properly portrayed in the lawsuit.
"I think that the claims against me and my businesses are inaccurate and unfounded," Ewing said. "And I'm confident the legal process will prove this."

[heironymouspasparagus]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/downtown-food-market-sues-city-councilor-alleging-mismanagement-of-funds/article_8f767d0d-21ce-5f2d-89cc-ee11fdcecdd4.html

Is Blake being a bad boy??

[sgrizzle]

Sounds like the options:
1. Blake poorly managed funds when he was trying to start Archer Market, and the new owners went ahead and opened a business that was short on cash but didn't really care for almost a year.
2. The business didn't work out as expected and the owners want to blame someone.

[jne]

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/tulsaworld.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/84/a8431f5a-6b7c-53a0-8acf-030941c5e2df/53eeb85b83891.pdf.pdf

[sgrizzle]

Andrew?

[DTowner]

The Petition is pretty vague on some key facts, including whether the alleged agreement between them and Ewing was in writing or verbal, the key terms of any such agreement, the terms of the line of credit and operating agreement, etc.  The Petition is clear that Ewing was the manager of Archer LLC during the time period when he is alleged to have drawn on the line of credit, but they do not really allege that such a draw violated any particular terms of the line of credit.  Given this was a start-up business, I would be surprised if there was not cross-collateralization of Ewing's other businesses for the line of credit.  The rather gratuitous reference to him being a city councilor leaves the impression they are using the lawsuit to embarrass him and leverage a better settlement than they already received.  It is also interesting they are using OKC lawyers.

[BKDotCom]

From reddit:

I heard a few weeks ago that Joe mommas was to be bought by another local pizza place...

¿Is that a rumor?

[sgrizzle]

From reddit:
¿Is that a rumor?

Nonsense

[sgrizzle]

The Petition is pretty vague on some key facts, including whether the alleged agreement between them and Ewing was in writing or verbal, the key terms of any such agreement, the terms of the line of credit and operating agreement, etc.  The Petition is clear that Ewing was the manager of Archer LLC during the time period when he is alleged to have drawn on the line of credit, but they do not really allege that such a draw violated any particular terms of the line of credit.  Given this was a start-up business, I would be surprised if there was not cross-collateralization of Ewing's other businesses for the line of credit.  The rather gratuitous reference to him being a city councilor leaves the impression they are using the lawsuit to embarrass him and leverage a better settlement than they already received.  It is also interesting they are using OKC lawyers.

Nice observations

[davideinstein]

Did the oversaturation of BBQ joints in the Blue Dome kill the only grocery store?!

#tulsafreakanomics