Hardwood on 11th

[GoDasher]

Admittedly, Rico, are thought you were being a smart-aleck w/ the McD's pic - until I saw the "how hiring" sign this weekend.  Yes, I was on my way to the 11th street McD's for hotcake.  How bizarre.  

Any word on Hardwoods?

GoDasher

[BKDotCom]

not having seen the bldg in question, I would have assumed Wendy's..  As a replacement for the days-are-numbered 11th st locale

[AVERAGE JOE]

It's a McDonalds.

And what appears to be a plan that many of us should like -- building pushed up to the sidewalk, respects the setback of neighboring buildings, parking in back, used the slope of the lot to create a retaining wall buffer for the neighborhood. If they keep their lighting pointed the right direction and their drive-thru speaker at reasonable volume, should be a good neighbor.

[cannon_fodder]

This is my understanding:

5 years ago hardwoods was owned by a local attorney.  His brother (a TU law dropout) bought in and eventually bought the other brother out sometime in 2003.  In late 2005 Hardwoods was sold to a new owner, who intended to have one half a pizza house/bar and keep the other side a sports bar.

That guy never got his crap together.  He didnt get sat. TV, when he did, he failed to get the sports package.  When he got that figured out, there were proeblsm with the liquer license... etc.  It got to the point that you werent sure you would be able to watch football OR drink on game day, the much talked aobut pizza never came.  So we went elsewhere.

Then a new buyer stepped up.  No idea who these people are but the first thing they did was a massive renovation.  The inside is VERY nice, with tons of TU sports memorobelia (including a picture of the scoreboard when TU football upset OU) and more OSU and OU stuff than most places.  The pizza side actually had pizza and was non-smoking.  They put in that nifty deck and at one point had a big screen TV mounted on the front of the building.  Inside they added 4 or 5 flat panel TVs in the sports bar side to supplement a huge projection screen.  The Pizza side had another 4 or 5 flatscreens on the walls.  They had alcohol, beer, pizza, AND TV. In short, it was nice.

It was open a about a month before TUs opening football game this season.  Then, after the first home game but beofre the second... it was closed.  The sign on the wall says some crap about remodeling, but that's BS.  They still serve alcohol out fron when TU is at home, so maybe I can figure it out this weekend.

I figure it would be hard ot lose money at that location, so close to a college, densely populated, built in crowds on game day, and with no sportsbar within miles.  Who knows...

- Jesse

[RecycleMichael]

I drove by there today and they had a banner that said "open".

[cannon_fodder]

But how many times will customers get burned and come back.  Several of my friends made it their Saturday thing, twice now, only to have them close theirs doors.  They have moved on, to other bars. []  Hope they trickle back, they fixed it up nice.

[AVERAGE JOE]

Talked to some folks over there today at the TU football game, and they say they will open on December 1. I looked inside, and they've done quite a bit to the place. Looks like a much better layout.

[cannon_fodder]

It was back open for the TU game over Thanks Giving day weekend.  Just drove by...

[GoDasher]

So . . .was it open?  I looked out at it last Sunday while at the TU basketball game and noticed a new sign on the side - eliminating the "Hardwood" name.  

Too bad the TU students don't drink more!  How long has JRs been closed (my era!), but the Bucanneer seems to always have some traffic.  My boyfriend noticed the "hot chicks" selling beer outside before the TU Football games.

[cannon_fodder]

As far as I know, Hardwoods is open.  The Buck is always hoppin'.  Jr's has been closed for 3+ years now.

[patric]

...is for lease again.

With Saffron around the corner gone, maybe a TU coffee house would be a good replacement?

[cannon_fodder]

It was just destined to close this time.  I had no way of knowing if it was open or closed ever.  Still don't know what the name of it was supposed to be.

For gods sake, give me a sports bar in midtown.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by patric

...is for lease again.

With Saffron around the corner gone, maybe a TU coffee house would be a good replacement?

Uh huhhh huhhh huhh, someone said "hardwood" uhh huhhh huhh huhhh



Pretty much what Saffron's was supposed to be.  That was a short walk from my house.  We'd go there from time-to-time and I thought it had a cool beatnik vibe, but there was seldom anyone there.  Two things I can't believe:  I didn't see more student support for it and can't believe they made it as long as they did with the lack of support they got.

If there are any TU students on here, is there a coffee house on campus?  Would it have been better on 11th St?  I figured that place would have been packed.

[cannon_fodder]

There is a Starbucks in the student gym and another coffee house thing in the ACAC (supposed student union).

So yes, there are a couple on campus.  Neither is quite a full blown coffee house, but probably enough to keep people from walking across campus to get a cup.

[Conan71]

I'm figuring with all the new student housing going up, all they need to do is sign a few contracts with some fast food joints, put in a mini-mall and convenience store and TU will have effectively cut off the majority of the financial contribution students used to make to the community.

Prior to all these new apartments, where were all the students living, and what is the incentive for them to move on campus?  I mean that looks like a ton more capacity than the rent houses in the surrounding area.