HopBunz - Brookside

[Conan71]

It is tough to thrive with such high rent (translates to high prices). The food wasn't bad there. It was tasty, but it just wasn't good value and in my opinion, and apparently many others', it wasn't worth the price. Especially for a place that felt like a Dave'n'Busters or some other chain.

We went there and for 2 burgers, 1 cheese fry and 2 beers, it was around $50. We can get the same at just about any joint in Tulsa for $25-$35 (plus usually fries are included with a $10+ burger, example of bad value there). There weren't that many beers for having a name based on beer and the burgers weren't that creative or distinguished. I expected them to close up eventually.

Fat Guyz is an example of great-priced distinguished burgers with tons of options you can't really get elsewhere. It is downtown so maybe they have a much better deal on rent to help with that plus a much smaller space to make those tough early years more affordable (and they recently expanded). They've had Burn Co burgers and always have interesting specials. I think they have more beer options than Hop Bunz (maybe not on as many on tap, but more in cans/bottles).

You distilled that perfectly.

Burgers and craft beer are ubiquitous in Tulsa these days.  You really have to set yourself apart like Fat Guys with unique burger or sauce offerings, or truly offer a great list of craft beer like McNellie's or Roosevelt's.  A $10 burger better be made with a really great cut of beef or something different like a beef and sausage patty.  Your "craft" beer list better have more than Land Shart, Shock Top or Sam Adams to woo me.

[heironymouspasparagus]

You distilled that perfectly.

Burgers and craft beer are ubiquitous in Tulsa these days.  You really have to set yourself apart like Fat Guys with unique burger or sauce offerings, or truly offer a great list of craft beer like McNellie's or Roosevelt's.  A $10 burger better be made with a really great cut of beef or something different like a beef and sausage patty.  Your "craft" beer list better have more than Land Shart, Shock Top or Sam Adams to woo me.

Ain't no such thing as a $10 burger.  They are all $5 burgers with stupid price tag...

[Conan71]

Ain't no such thing as a $10 burger.  They are all $5 burgers with stupid price tag...

20 years ago the grill in the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver served a $10 burger made from ground prime rib.  I guarantee it was worth every last penny.

[Red Arrow]

We went there and for 2 burgers, 1 cheese fry and 2 beers, it was around $50.

OUCH!  What beers did you have?

I thought a few times about trying the Hop Bunz down here near 111th & Memorial.  I'm glad I didn't get around to it.

[SXSW]

Ming's has also closed.  

[davideinstein]

Anybody know how Bricktown Brewery is doing?

[Ibanez]

Maybe it was just the night she and some friends were down there, but my wife was saying the last time they went to Brookside she didn't feel safe. It was a Saturday night and there were three other girl's she went with. They started at R Bar for dinner and drinks and then intended to walk around hitting some of the other bars. Said they went into the Brook and it was "full of shady characters." They stayed for one drink and then while walking elsewhere were accosted buy someone wanting them to give him $20 and who was quite aggressive about it.

The ended up leaving Brookside and going downtown.

I haven't been on Brookside in ages. Is it really falling on that hard of times?

[heironymouspasparagus]

20 years ago the grill in the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver served a $10 burger made from ground prime rib.  I guarantee it was worth every last penny.

That's Denver.  Not Oklahoma....


I do that - grind prime rib - fairly often - using rib-eye and chuck.  The rib-eye doesn't have enough fat, so get a whole bone-in chuck to mix (contaminate??) a little and gets a very nice product!!  If I wasn't so lazy, I would try to get some beef fat or leaf lard from a meat shop to use but the chuck works well.  Double grind most of the time, but a single grind brings good things to the table, too!! 

I would be more willing to pay $10 if it tasted like what I make...  Otherwise, $5.



There was an OLD (1880's) hotel in Longmont, CO, I used to visit from time to time decades ago.  They had a restaurant with menu or buffet.  The buffet was the most amazing think I had ever seen since the Grand Canyon!!   And not like any buffet, let alone hotel food!   They had real cooks as opposed to can opener's and microwave jockeys!  I think it was in the Imperial Hotel, but cannot remember for sure.... If time travel were possible, you can keep your dinosaurs or meeting famous people - I'm going to that buffet first!!

[saintnicster]

Ain't no such thing as a $10 burger.  They are all $5 burgers with stupid price tag...

Break down the raw material costs of the burger, add in labor + overhead, then the barest of profits for the owner.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Break down the raw material costs of the burger, add in labor + overhead, then the barest of profits for the owner.

Will have to do that.  Have analyzed some other food items that I sell from time to time and the margins are adequate for me.  Smoked turkey legs are a "favorite" that I would like to get into - each leg, already smoked is about $1 ready to go.  Selling at the Fair for $6 or 7...?  Nice!  My overhead cost structure would make it a "happy dance" event.  Just too many of them around, so can't do that.


Ron's.  Bill's.  Lot-A-Burger.  They at least appear to be doing ok with a $5 burger (or less).  And better than the "boutique" burger places....

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

OUCH!  What beers did you have?

I thought a few times about trying the Hop Bunz down here near 111th & Memorial.  I'm glad I didn't get around to it.

We had 2 burgers, 1 specialty (about $13) and 1 cheeseburger (~$9) I believe. Cheese fries were $7. Beers were local craft beers (Marshall and Dead Armadillo) and were $6 and $7 each which is just way too much for local craft beer when most everyone else is selling those for $4-5. That comes out to ~$46 with tax and after tip was over $50. I was shocked... Well I guess that is what a $25 a person meal is!

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Anybody know how Bricktown Brewery is doing?

We tried Bricktown Brewery and loved it! We were "regulars" at the original for years when we would be in OKC. It used to be decent but not great but we just liked going to a brewpub for the novelty. The food is drastically better than it used to be! They have some interesting combinations. We got Chicken and Waffles, wings and meat loaf. All were good. Wings are big with lots of sauce. The chicken and waffles were tasty with well make chicken.

The beer is still mostly not great, but the stout is really good and they are all drinkable and reasonably priced.

[Conan71]

Will have to do that.  Have analyzed some other food items that I sell from time to time and the margins are adequate for me.  Smoked turkey legs are a "favorite" that I would like to get into - each leg, already smoked is about $1 ready to go.  Selling at the Fair for $6 or 7...?  Nice!  My overhead cost structure would make it a "happy dance" event.  Just too many of them around, so can't do that.


Ron's.  Bill's.  Lot-A-Burger.  They at least appear to be doing ok with a $5 burger (or less).  And better than the "boutique" burger places....

Basically, food cost needs to be about 33% of your retail price to make a decent profit.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Basically, food cost needs to be about 33% of your retail price to make a decent profit.

Whew!  Or less.... I watch that Bar Rescue show and the bar guy keeps harping about 20%...I don't run a restaurant, so don't know, but I would be upset if my little "goat-rope" adventure had food costs anywhere near 33% !!  But I don't have much volume either, so that could make the difference.

[Conan71]

Whew!  Or less.... I watch that Bar Rescue show and the bar guy keeps harping about 20%...I don't run a restaurant, so don't know, but I would be upset if my little "goat-rope" adventure had food costs anywhere near 33% !!  But I don't have much volume either, so that could make the difference.

That would mean you either have to use pure crap for ingredients or over-charge your customer.  Either one is a bad recipe for success.