Andolini's and others

[TulsaB]

Also, might be time to change the title of this thread or start a new one....

Agreed. Maybe to "3330 S. Peoria Ave. Space - Torchy's Tacos - Formerly HopBunz and Wolfgang Puck?"

[BKDotCom]

Los Cabos ... Jenks and BA ... seemingly decent success. Waterfront Grill is also his.

I don't know about BA, but the Jenks location sells texmex like it's going out of style.   Several years ago I heard it contributed a significant amount towards Jenk's sales tax.

Also, I thought Waterfront Grill was common (at least on Tulsa Now) knowledge.

[Breadburner]

I went a few times. It was okay.

Just saw it was another James Blacketer joint. He basically bought out a failing Atomic Burrito in Tulsa, did passable for a couple years, then sold them to a Qdoba franchisee. Used the money to start a horrible Los Cabos at 71st & Garnett which lasted a couple of months, then rebooted the name in Jenks and BA to seemingly decent success. Waterfront Grill is also his.

His dad is the master mind....

[heironymouspasparagus]

I don't know about BA, but the Jenks location sells texmex like it's going out of style.   Several years ago I heard it contributed a significant amount towards Jenk's sales tax.

Also, I thought Waterfront Grill was common (at least on Tulsa Now) knowledge.

Los Cabos BA is always busy.   Have been there a few times and enjoyed it.

[AngieB]

What's the over/under on how long until the cereal bar takes the eternal dirt nap?

Stick a fork in that Spoon. It's done.

[erfalf]

Stick a fork in that Spoon. It's done.

Outside of convenience (speed) I go to restaurants to get something that I can't do as well at home. This place (having not been there personally) I doubt could really deliver on either.

[Conan71]

Outside of convenience (speed) I go to restaurants to get something that I can't do as well at home. This place (having not been there personally) I doubt could really deliver on either.

I could see it working somewhere like NYC where people might use it as a place to read the paper or use the internet on their way to work, and they are also used to paying more for certain conveniences.  Now that I think of it, that could have been a great Seinfeld episode for another of Kramer's get rich quick schemes.

But in a car-centric place like Tulsa, it seemed incomprehensible someone would get in their car and make it a destination to pay someone to pour milk over their cereal and maybe add some fruit to it and pay a tip on top of it. 

[DowntownDan]

I think they served real food too, but somebody had to tell me that.  To advertise yourself is strictly a cereal bar was doomed to fail.

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

But in a car-centric place like Tulsa, it seemed incomprehensible someone would get in their car and make it a destination to pay someone to pour milk over their cereal and maybe add some fruit to it and pay a tip on top of it. 

Bingo. Who wants to inconvenience themselves to eat one of the ultimate ready-in-seconds convenience foods?

I went once to see the interior and to try their hot foods (candied bacon was pretty good). It was about $6 for a large bowl of cereal (which was about what I'd normally eat) and total was ~$20 for 2 bowls and the candied bacon. I would much rather just buy a few boxes of cereal and mix them myself for a lot less. I thought I hope this is just a hobby and this person doesn't expect to make money on this as it currently was because there's virtually no way it was going to be profitable. Seemed like a place where most patrons would go once and not return.

I heard some (perhaps owners or family) arguing on social media that Tulsa is just full of naysayers who are against anything different. Not at all. I am all for unique concepts. The Boxyard was very different yet an amazing niche. The Science Shop and Belgian Honky-Tonk bar are also unique but interesting and offering things you can't get/experience elsewhere in a very reasonable space and seem to have been embraced fairly well. The Dust Bowl and Max Retropub were both unique ideas that Tulsans embraced also. Dilly Deli (then Diner) was similarly interesting yet fully embraced.

The Cereal Bar was just a poorly-conceived concept. Maybe it would've helped if they made it 1 low price for all you can eat cereal (with kids discount) and focused more on offering unique hot foods, drinks and desserts. Seemed like it took quite a few employees so Self-serve cereal might've worked better.

[Conan71]

Bingo. Who wants to inconvenience themselves to eat one of the ultimate ready-in-seconds convenience foods?

I went once to see the interior and to try their hot foods (candied bacon was pretty good). It was about $6 for a large bowl of cereal (which was about what I'd normally eat) and total was ~$20 for 2 bowls and the candied bacon. I would much rather just buy a few boxes of cereal and mix them myself for a lot less. I thought I hope this is just a hobby and this person doesn't expect to make money on this as it currently was because there's virtually no way it was going to be profitable. Seemed like a place where most patrons would go once and not return.

I heard some (perhaps owners or family) arguing on social media that Tulsa is just full of naysayers who are against anything different. Not at all. I am all for unique concepts. The Boxyard was very different yet an amazing niche. The Science Shop and Belgian Honky-Tonk bar are also unique but interesting and offering things you can't get/experience elsewhere in a very reasonable space and seem to have been embraced fairly well. The Dust Bowl and Max Retropub were both unique ideas that Tulsans embraced also. Dilly Deli (then Diner) was similarly interesting yet fully embraced.

The Cereal Bar was just a poorly-conceived concept. Maybe it would've helped if they made it 1 low price for all you can eat cereal (with kids discount) and focused more on offering unique hot foods, drinks and desserts. Seemed like it took quite a few employees so Self-serve cereal might've worked better.

Perhaps Beautiful Brands will try and resurrect this through one of their Ponzi schemes er franchise opportunities.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Outside of convenience (speed) I go to restaurants to get something that I can't do as well at home. This place (having not been there personally) I doubt could really deliver on either.

Convenience is all there is for me...I eat out literally 97% of the time - MAYBE 3 meals a month at home.  It sucks - everywhere!   There is nothing cooked in Tulsa that I want to eat that I can't do better at home.  And Pappadeaux's is the only place I know of that I can't do as well - crawfish ettouffee.  Or alligator ettouffee.

[erfalf]

Convenience is all there is for me...I eat out literally 97% of the time - MAYBE 3 meals a month at home.  It sucks - everywhere!   There is nothing cooked in Tulsa that I want to eat that I can't do better at home.  And Pappadeaux's is the only place I know of that I can't do as well - crawfish ettouffee.  Or alligator ettouffee.

They don't have a Pappadeaux's in town yet do they. Don't tease...

[sgrizzle]

The Cereal Bar was just a poorly-conceived concept. Maybe it would've helped if they made it 1 low price for all you can eat cereal (with kids discount) and focused more on offering unique hot foods, drinks and desserts. Seemed like it took quite a few employees so Self-serve cereal might've worked better.

Cereal Bar and Dilly Deli both suffered from one problem, trying to get high profit margin on the foods that are generally considered "cheap" and "simple." Most of us, if not all off us, have eaten cereal and sandwiches at home primarily because they were cheap and simple. Heck, you don't even need milk, spoon or a bowl to eat cereal. Whereas you will never be able to grab a $3 box of Crawfish Etoufee off a shelf and pour it straight into your mouth. No-one should open an artisanal pop tart bar, or a restaurant that serves entirely leftovers either.

[BKDotCom]

No-one should open an artisanal pop tart bar, or a restaurant that serves entirely leftovers either.

Relevant Jim Gaffigan joke

[TulsaGoldenHurriCAN]

Cereal Bar and Dilly Deli both suffered from one problem, trying to get high profit margin on the foods that are generally considered "cheap" and "simple." Most of us, if not all off us, have eaten cereal and sandwiches at home primarily because they were cheap and simple. Heck, you don't even need milk, spoon or a bowl to eat cereal. Whereas you will never be able to grab a $3 box of Crawfish Etoufee off a shelf and pour it straight into your mouth. No-one should open an artisanal pop tart bar, or a restaurant that serves entirely leftovers either.

How does Dilly Deli apply to that? They made a bunch of unique hot-sandwiches with some unusual ingredients and they did really well, just switched to a new "Dilly Diner" concept which worked out really well in bringing in crowds. The new menu has a lot more unique/tougher-to-make food but still has some of the original sandwiches that were so good.