Lambrusco'z to open second location in the Blue Dome District

[AngieB]

Lambrusco'z set to open downtown

BY SCOTT CHERRY World Restaurant Critic & NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Thursday, January 03, 2013
1/3/2013 8:24:44 AM

Nancy Bruce, owner of Lambrusco'z To Go in Brookside, confirmed Wednesday she plans to open a second location in downtown Tulsa.

"I am in negotiations with Jeff Scott of Scott Realty," Bruce said. "He owns the building. Nothing has been signed yet. Jeff is waiting for all of the bids for remodeling the space - redoing the parking lot, ceiling, roof and leveling the floor - before setting exact dollars on the leases."

The building, located at 114 S. Detroit Ave., originally was to have been the site of Cam's Grocery, but that deal fell apart last August.

"I've been brainstorming with Jeff since October, then I didn't have much time to think about it as we got into our busy season," Bruce said. "Optimistically, I think we would like to be ready to open by the end of summer, but I've never been involved in a big buildout before, and I'm afraid to speculate on that."

Bruce had always rejected the notion to open a second location for her popular restaurant-deli, located at 1344 E. 41st St, she said.

"I was dead certain against it until I walked into the building," Bruce said. "It had my name written all over it."

A sign depicting Lambrusco'z intentions to locate in the space now hangs outside the building, Scott said.

"She is gung-ho, and we are too," Scott said.

Plans for the building now call for having at least one and up to three other businesses in the space, in addition to Lambrusco'z, Scott said.

The owners have reoriented the building to hold multiple shops, instead of one large business, and the entry now faces south, Scott said.

At this point, Scott expects Lambrusco'z to occupy about 3,000 feet; however, Bruce has not finalized her floor plan, he said.

That would leave about 4,000 feet of additional floor space to lease. Scott said he is talking to businesses about moving into the building, but nothing has been finalized.

"There is one other restaurant that we are talking to and it would be a small restaurant, but besides that we are really trying to focus on purely retail," Scott said.

"It is my feeling that what our downtown is lacking is places for people to go to and wander around before and after lunch and before and after work and after they have gone to all of our wonderful restaurants, so I'm hoping it really becomes retail in nature."

Bruce said that the downtown business should be similar to the original.

"I plan to have a lot of the same things we do in Brookside," Bruce said, "although I would think lunch might be bigger.

"The beauty of this space for me is that it's on the edge of downtown but still right in the middle of where everything is happening, and it has a parking lot right in front of it."

Scott said that they also own the Otasco building next door to the west.

"We are hoping that we get that building renovated and brought back to retail or restaurant space," Scott said, adding that they are currently in conversations with a restaurant group.

[sgrizzle]

Didnt' sager own this when it was going to be Cam's?

[rdj]

The building was owned by Twenty First Properties for almost twenty years.  Sold to Route 66 Development LLC about 18 months ago.  Same LLC owns the lot to the south and the former OTASCO on the corner of 2nd & Cincinnati.  Sager is reported to be a partner in the LLC.

There are several buildings in the Blue Dome that Sager doesn't own but seems to have a odd "control" of or will at least say he does.