New Arena District Bar

[groundhog]

It's not in the Mid-Co Building and this is not a Kanbar property.  It's in the same location as the former Pomodori's. The Wright Building Annex is owned by John Snyder, the same owner of the Mayo Hotel. In the article Mr. Tack states that he "was going to open in the Mid-Co building" (across the street from the Wright Annex) "when I saw this space become available."

Hope he can hold the storm until the Arena opens.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

It's not in the Mid-Co Building and this is not a Kanbar property.  It's in the same location as the former Pomodori's. The Wright Building Annex is owned by John Snyder, the same owner of the Mayo Hotel. In the article Mr. Tack states that he "was going to open in the Mid-Co building" (across the street from the Wright Annex) "when I saw this space become available."

Hope he can hold the storm until the Arena opens.

Re-read the article and get back to us.


...pub I'm going to open in the Mid-Co building

He is not building a bar in the pomodori's location, he put SoChey in the Pomodori's space. The Bar is still at Midco. People are allowed to operate two businesses at two locations.

[groundhog]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
"People are allowed to operate two businesses at two locations."

It's funny how people talk on anonymous forums that they would never say to people face to face. Weird.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
"People are allowed to operate two businesses at two locations."

It's funny how people talk on anonymous forums that they would never say to people face to face. Weird.

Oh right, because that statement was rude. /end sarcasm

[FOTD]

Lot of churnning continues downtown.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by groundhog

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
"People are allowed to operate two businesses at two locations."

It's funny how people talk on anonymous forums that they would never say to people face to face. Weird.

I'm about as un-anonymous as they come. My point is that you, speaking of things you wouldn't say face to face, came on here and basically told everyone they were wrong based on what you misread. Trying to say I'm a "mean old poopyhead" doesn't change that.

I will use the same sarcasm and tone whether in a forum post, email, private message, phone call, in person conversation, smoke signal or tattoo.

[dsjeffries]

I've been poking about on the BOk Center's website and came across this statement:

quote:What's already been happening, even as the construction packages are bid and work is going on, is a flurry of private economic development all around the arena.

Was there a flurry that I missed?  Or do they count SoChey and Brickhugger as a flurry of development?  There is a lot going on downtown but it's mostly in the eastern and northern sections of downtown, not around the arena.

So, where is this flurry???

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

I've been poking about on the BOk Center's website and came across this statement:

quote:What's already been happening, even as the construction packages are bid and work is going on, is a flurry of private economic development all around the arena.

Was there a flurry that I missed?  Or do they count SoChey and Brickhugger as a flurry of development?  There is a lot going on downtown but it's mostly in the eastern and northern sections of downtown, not around the arena.

So, where is this flurry???

Maybe by "around the arena" they mean "Tulsa."

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
Maybe by "around the arena" they mean "Tulsa."

That's sounds about right. [B)]

That website is absolutely rife with spelling errors, and the Tulsa Convention Center website looks like it's about 08% completed.  It's pretty sad, actually.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle
Maybe by "around the arena" they mean "Tulsa."

That's sounds about right. [B)]

That website is absolutely rife with spelling errors, and the Tulsa Convention Center website looks like it's about 08% completed.  It's pretty sad, actually.

Linky?

[wordherder]

quote:Originally posted by dsjeffries

I've been poking about on the BOk Center's website and came across this statement:

quote:What's already been happening, even as the construction packages are bid and work is going on, is a flurry of private economic development all around the arena.

Was there a flurry that I missed?  Or do they count SoChey and Brickhugger as a flurry of development?  There is a lot going on downtown but it's mostly in the eastern and northern sections of downtown, not around the arena.

So, where is this flurry???

Downtown.  We've gotten SoChey , we're getting Brickhugger, Boston Avenue Grille and Catering and Joe Momma's, I hear there's actual progress on finding a grocery/deli to go with his First Street Lofts, the Atlas building is being turned into a hotel, there's some sort of new restaurant going into the old Nelson's Buffeteria space and the long-vacant hotel that houses Coney Island is about to find a buyer.

Downtown sure is dead.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by wordherder
Downtown.  We've gotten SoChey , we're getting Brickhugger, Boston Avenue Grille and Catering and Joe Momma's, I hear there's actual progress on finding a grocery/deli to go with his First Street Lofts, the Atlas building is being turned into a hotel, there's some sort of new restaurant going into the old Nelson's Buffeteria space and the long-vacant hotel that houses Coney Island is about to find a buyer.

Downtown sure is dead.

Nobody said downtown is dead... Period.  However, to say that the area around the arena has seen a flurry of economic development is a falsehood and misleading.  There's a lot of stuff going in and on downtown as you have pointed out, but, like I said earlier, everything but SoChey and Brickhugger are in other parts of downtown, away from the arena... parts that are NOT "the area around the arena".

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd
Linky?

http://www.bokcenter.com

Poke around... You'll find the errors.


http://www.tulsaconvention.com

That's the one that looks like someone had an idea for a website and never went beyond the idea stage.

[we vs us]

The Journal Record on restaurant development downtown:

quote: Restaurateurs eye downtown Tulsa expansion

TULSA – When the 18,000-seat BOK Center opens this fall, Jared Jordan and Trevor Tack intend to have two new restaurants ready for concert goers within a block of the swirling glass arena.

The duo hope to open three more nearby eateries over the next five years – the start of what they see as a new entertainment district for downtown Tulsa.

It made sense to jump on it early, trying to connect the dots," said Tack, executive chef for Sochey Jazz Café, which the duo opened in February at 219 S. Cheyenne.

With its live music, open ceilings, burgundy walls, cloudy windows and plentiful jazz history décor, that cozy 2,000-square-foot upscale restaurant offers its lunch and dinner audience a roaring '20s speakeasy atmosphere – a nice complement to the more price-conscious, 2,500-square-foot Brickhuggers Pub under construction to open in August across Third Street at the Midco Building.

"We're trying to capture all the demographics we can for the arena crowd," said Jordan, Sochey's general manager.

Their efforts parallel other signs of improvement in downtown's restaurant activity. Black Ewing, owner of Joe Momma's Pizza in south Tulsa, intends to add a second location this July at 112 S. Elgin Ave. in the Brady District. Shelly Harris and Licia Zampino expect to open the Boston Avenue Grille and Catering around the second week of May, serving breakfast and lunch weekdays in the First Place Tower.

"All of us fell in love with the downtown location," said Harris, who expects the market to grow. "I grew up with downtown Tulsa and I always wanted to be in it."

Even the coffee business has turned up the heat. Topeca Coffee in the remodeling Mayo Hotel building expanded its hours on Thursday and Friday nights to 10 p.m., even as a full Starbucks Coffee shop has opened in the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

"We kind of see downtown Tulsa as something that's about to take off," said Jordan, who is looking at another corner of the Mayo for their third restaurant.

While the region encircled by highways already features two budding entertainment sectors in the Blue Dome and Brady districts, both Tack and Jordan feel the arena calls for a third set of venues directly around the Vision 2025 structure.

"We're trying to capture something down here to give it its own identity," said Jordan, 29, who met Tack when the chef joined the Chalkboard Restaurant staff.

Tack sees their restaurants providing a connection between those districts, the arena and potential downtown ballpark, and the neighboring skyscrapers. As activity snowballs, they hope to foster shopping growth as well, although offering a possible clothing line at Brickhuggers represents the extent of their own retail plans.

"We want our business to grow into a gateway to downtown," said Tack, 27. "I live downtown. I work downtown. I play downtown. I'm committed to downtown."

With an initial investment of $150,000-plus, the duo opened Sochey in the former Pomodori's restaurant site, retaining the bar made of dark wood Catholic church fixtures, but remodeling the rest. Sochey operates from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 5 p.m. to close Wednesday through Saturday.

"It kind of depends when the music stops," Tack said of locking the doors.

The restaurant's sounds come from a mixture of known and unknown locals, with its more regular acts including Olivia Duhon, Jason Ofori and the Birdcatchers quartet from Oral Roberts University. Accenting the music, the jazz club features a menu that changes with the seasons. Tack said the new spring/summer lineup will focus on fresh fish and seasonal vegetables.
With seating of up to 80, and average tickets at $35, Jordan projects first-year revenue of $750,000 to $1 million.

They are in negotiation to lease the 2,000-square-foot upper floor for private parties, rehearsal dinners, meetings and other events.
Opening Brickhuggers Pub will allow the duo to enter the catering business. That more downscale menu will feature an eclectic array of pizzas, burgers and other family-friendly items.

"I could see people visiting the bar two to three times a week, as opposed to once or twice a month here," said Tack, snug in a black leather recliner at Sochey.

With a complete buildout necessary, Jordan projected Brickhuggers' initial investment at $400,000 or more. The proprietors actually started that project last fall, only to switch gears when the Pomodori's site became available.
"I was doing the demolition myself, you know, to save money," said Tack of the Brickhuggers site. "I've never done that before; I wanted to try it."

The duo hope to continue their live music tradition at the bar, setting up bands on a neighboring parking lot.

Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, their second eatery will require a staff of about 20, almost twice what Sochey demands. Jordon projects an average ticket of $10 to $20 for the 120-capacity bar.

"I'd like to see that making one and a half million (dollars) across the street," Jordan said of Brickhuggers first-year revenue.

Sorry to get all FOTD on y'all with the linkage, but I thought the article was quick and to the point. It also highlights really well the transition from isolated risk taking businesses to groundswell of activity.  

Not to put the cart before the horse, but it's nice to see that lots of business owners see obvious opportunity downtown.

PS:  props to JoeMommaBlake for gettin' in on the interview action!

[sgrizzle]

here's an FOTD style scoop for you:

Nelson's. 5th and Cheyenne.