Did Al Eschbach's in Bricktown close?

[Sooner24]

Didn't look like it was open when we were on the canal boats Monday. If it did close they need to take that huge ugly sign down.

[Soonerus]

Did it ever really open ???

[Sooner24]

I don't know.

[Jimminy Crimson]

Way too large of a space. It needs to be broken up unless something like a D!ck's Last Resport went in there. (not sure if the filters would catch it...)

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

That was stupid for him to open it. I never was in Btown when it was crowded.

[Soonermagik]

Hasn't he had several places close down? I'm sorry, but most of these local celeb guys know nothing about business.

[mikeelikee]

That was stupid for him to open it. I never was in Btown when it was crowded.

I understand what you're saying, but the first time I read your post, I was reminded of one of the great Yogi Berra quotes: "Nobody goes there any more--it's too crowded." :D

[Lott's Bandana]

Hasn't he had several places close down? I'm sorry, but most of these local celeb guys know nothing about business.

I think, like LeRoy Selmon's in Tampa, that the celebs "lease" their name and perhaps have a stake in the biz, but people like Hal Smith actually run the establishments. It is my understanding that Outback owns/runs LeRoy's. Good BBQ and great memorabilia.

[JohnnyMack]

I think, like LeRoy Selmon's in Tampa, that the celebs "lease" their name and perhaps have a stake in the biz, but people like Hal Smith actually run the establishments. It is my understanding that Outback owns/runs LeRoy's. Good BBQ and great memorabilia.

Same story with Billy Sim's BBQ.

[Rhino]

I think it was open for only three months or so in Bricktown.

[Taxman71]

With the exception of football gamedays, the one in campus corner was never crowded either.

[Soonermagik]

I think, like LeRoy Selmon's in Tampa, that the celebs "lease" their name and perhaps have a stake in the biz, but people like Hal Smith actually run the establishments. It is my understanding that Outback owns/runs LeRoy's. Good BBQ and great memorabilia.

That is the smart thing to do.

[Taxman71]

You mean Barry Switzer wasn't in the kitchen plucking chickens at Barry's chicken ranch?????

[Soonermagik]

You mean Barry Switzer wasn't in the kitchen plucking chickens at Barry's chicken ranch?????

No, he was too busy digging in the trash to find out what beer everyone likes.;) The consensus was pearls. :D

[bluedogok]

I think, like LeRoy Selmon's in Tampa, that the celebs "lease" their name and perhaps have a stake in the biz, but people like Hal Smith actually run the establishments. It is my understanding that Outback owns/runs LeRoy's. Good BBQ and great memorabilia.
Yep, I don't think the ghost of Mickey Mantle is at the steakhouse.....
It is actually owned by the Kirby's Steakhouse group out of Dallas and they licensed the Mickey Mantle name from the family.

[badger]

It seemed like whenever I saw Al, he was looking down his traveling radio booth trailer to yell at someone with a different opinion... and he would never let up until he got the last word.

If I was a radio broadcaster, I would want a trailing trailer radio booth also... I'm short and it would be fun to look down at all you tall guys :D

[goingoneight]

Al's a pretty funny guy when he's not all amped up on the radio. And last I heard, yes... but it's a ghost town until September-ish.

[Soonerus]

Al did not own it anyway, he just lent his name to it...

[BigRedJed]

Al's was owned/run by the people who own Othello's in Norman. All had a small percentage of ownership as a part of the agreement allowing them to use his name and likeness. The place was just a classic example of missing your market, which is common in the restaurant business, but especially in Bricktown.

First, they opened on Campus Corner with a business concept geared to 40- and 50- something white guys who listen to sports radio. It's a nice demographic (lots of disposable income), but it absolutely does not belong in a place where -- for most of the year anyway -- the primary customer walking by the front door is a college kid who doesn't know or care who Al Eschbach is. They were slammed 6-7 days per year (depending on how many home football games OU had), and the rest of the year they hemmoraged cash.

Their solution was to move to Bricktown, in search of the elusive middle-aged businessman, not considering that he's only down there at lunchtime.

Another unfortunate thing is that they opened at the absolute worst time to open a business in Bricktown (fall), and had to suffer through a horrible winter with no cash flow. On top of that, they didn't promote the location well and were closed before most people even knew they were open (witness this thread).

They also simultaneously opened an Othello's within 100 feet of Al's, and closely tied the fortunes of both restaurants together. Except -- oops -- the new Othello's didn't have a pizza oven...

Both restaurants failed to consider the harsh seasonality of Bricktown. When business is good -- spring and summer -- it's arguably the best anywhere in the state, but when it is bad -- pretty much any other time of the year -- you still have to pay rent. Big rent.

There are lots of reasons that various places have been failures in Bricktown, but the number one reason is that people who have successfully operated elsewhere think that Bricktown will be a laydown for them. They come down on a Friday or Saturday night in June, see swarms of people spending lots of cash, and think "**** me, all I have to do is hang a sign here and I'm going to be RICH, BITCH!" Trust me, it doesn't work like that. Generally they all finally get open around October/November (the kiss of death), and are in a hole they can't dig out of by the next spring.

Another fatal flaw for them was being unprepared for event nights (too little staff) and also unprepared for slow nights (too much staff). Bricktown is EXTREMELY weather- and event-driven, but restaurateurs are often very arrogant regarding their own ability to run a restaurant and are caught off-guard by the complex challenges offered by a store that is in a district that offers so many business peaks and valleys.

Bricktown offers a ton of opportunity, but a business owner frankly has to be more savvy (and better with a budget) to operate there. The owners of Al's/Othellos were NOT especially savvy.

Al's belonged on Memorial Road, or Northwest Expressway, or S. I-240, pure and simple.

[Soonermagik]

Al's was owned/run by the people who own Othello's in Norman. All had a small percentage of ownership as a part of the agreement allowing them to use his name and likeness. The place was just a classic example of missing your market, which is common in the restaurant business, but especially in Bricktown.

First, they opened on Campus Corner with a business concept geared to 40- and 50- something white guys who listen to sports radio. It's a nice demographic (lots of disposable income), but it absolutely does not belong in a place where -- for most of the year anyway -- the primary customer walking by the front door is a college kid who doesn't know or care who Al Eschbach is. They were slammed 6-7 days per year (depending on how many home football games OU had), and the rest of the year they hemmoraged cash.

Their solution was to move to Bricktown, in search of the elusive middle-aged businessman, not considering that he's only down there at lunchtime.

Another unfortunate thing is that they opened at the absolute worst time to open a business in Bricktown (fall), and had to suffer through a horrible winter with no cash flow. On top of that, they didn't promote the location well and were closed before most people even knew they were open (witness this thread).

They also simultaneously opened an Othello's within 100 feet of Al's, and closely tied the fortunes of both restaurants together. Except -- oops -- the new Othello's didn't have a pizza oven...

Both restaurants failed to consider the harsh seasonality of Bricktown. When business is good -- spring and summer -- it's arguably the best anywhere in the state, but when it is bad -- pretty much any other time of the year -- you still have to pay rent. Big rent.

There are lots of reasons that various places have been failures in Bricktown, but the number one reason is that people who have successfully operated elsewhere think that Bricktown will be a laydown for them. They come down on a Friday or Saturday night in June, see swarms of people spending lots of cash, and think "**** me, all I have to do is hang a sign here and I'm going to be RICH, BITCH!" Trust me, it doesn't work like that. Generally they all finally get open around October/November (the kiss of death), and are in a hole they can't dig out of by the next spring.

Another fatal flaw for them was being unprepared for event nights (too little staff) and also unprepared for slow nights (too much staff). Bricktown is EXTREMELY weather- and event-driven, but restaurateurs are often very arrogant regarding their own ability to run a restaurant and are caught off-guard by the complex challenges offered by a store that is in a district that offers so many business peaks and valleys.

Bricktown offers a ton of opportunity, but a business owner frankly has to be more savvy (and better with a budget) to operate there. The owners of Al's/Othellos were NOT especially savvy.

Al's belonged on Memorial Road, or Northwest Expressway, or S. I-240, pure and simple.

Very well said. I agree, if you are going to open a business in Bricktown you will need a lot of liquid capital for the down times. You made an excellent point that Bricktown is packed on Friday and Saturday nights, but the other 5 days it's really slow.

[Taxman71]

Agreed. I don't see Bricktown as a money making site for restaurants...more of an advertising restaurant....try to break-even while gaining name recognition while the locations in the suburbs turn a nice profit.

It is very difficult to make money in the restaurant business when you are leasing your land and building....especially when you are in one of the highest rent areas in town.

[r5TPsooner]

Agreed. I don't see Bricktown as a money making site for restaurants...more of an advertising restaurant....try to break-even while gaining name recognition while the locations in the suburbs turn a nice profit.

It is very difficult to make money in the restaurant business when you are leasing your land and building....especially when you are in one of the highest rent areas in town.


Plus most of the places in Bricktown are overpriced with the exception of just a few.

[Lott's Bandana]

Ok then...since there are some well-written and informative posts on this thread, instead of starting a new one, I'd like to ask here:

How does a 41-game home schedule for teh OKC NBA franchise impact the slow winter biz in Bricktown, and biz in general in downtown?

Discuss please.

[BigRedJed]

Plus most of the places in Bricktown are overpriced with the exception of just a few.
You might be right, but your logic is flawed. The places that have struggled and failed in Bricktown are the places that have had very low price points. The places that have thrived are the ones with the HIGHEST pricepoints. It's a fact.

[Taxman71]

Ok then...since there are some well-written and informative posts on this thread, instead of starting a new one, I'd like to ask here:

How does a 41-game home schedule for teh OKC NBA franchise impact the slow winter biz in Bricktown, and biz in general in downtown?

Discuss please.

Obviously, it will help alot.....IF, they can convince people to come early, then go to the game instead of eating, drinking, etc. at the game. Offering parking privileges (i.e. - free/cheap parking with a shuttle or the like) may help.

I think as important, if not more, is the increase in downtown housing. People who eat out alot prefer to eat near their home for obvious reasons. With all the downtown housing currently under construction, restaurants will reap the benefits. However, the ones who will boom are the ones people want to eat at least weekly, if not multiple times per week.

Once someone builds a grocery store downtown and all the housing units are complete, there will be fewer reasons for those people to leave the downtown area.

[BigRedJed]

Ok then...since there are some well-written and informative posts on this thread, instead of starting a new one, I'd like to ask here:

How does a 41-game home schedule for teh OKC NBA franchise impact the slow winter biz in Bricktown, and biz in general in downtown?

Discuss please.
Not as much as you might think. There are a few places that saw spikes in business when the Hornets were in town, but it wasn't game-changing for them. Makers probably did the best business off of the games.

Due to the typical 7 PM tip-off, most people didn't eat out before the games. People coming from home generally grabbed something there, or on the way. Most of the crowd left immediately following the game. Since a large number of the games are on work/school nights, most people didn't stay out after the games, and instead rushed home.

So, a number of those places had a bit of a pre-game rush (mostly drinks) and then a couple, generally places businessmen might go, like Makers, Mickey Mantles' bar, and the Skirvin's bar (outside of Bricktown, of course)had nice post-game business for an hour or two.

The idea that bringing an NBA team to OKC is a huge boon to Bricktown, or even that it primarily benefits Bricktown and downtown is a fallacy. The primary benefit to bringing a team here is quality-of-life and national perception improvements, which hopefully result in additional economic development. It's a long-term rather than short-term investment.

[BigRedJed]

There was also a school of thought that in some (very small) ways games actually hurt Bricktown, since they kept locals who weren't attending games away on game nights. Most people figured it would be a zoo down there, so they stayed away in droves. The period during the game itself created a morgue-like atmosphere in Bricktown, something the merchants down there will need to address when a new team arrives (the best ideas include marketing to non-game goers that the best/easiest time to come to Bricktown is DURING a game).

Additionally, many people going to games filled up the Bricktown parking lots to capacity, walked to the game, walked back to their cars and left, never spending another dime in the district. This tied up parking that would have been used by other visitors, costing business. Again, the merchants will be working on new plans to encourage those people to "sit a spell" coming to and leaving games.

[sooneron]

We went to Al's on CC after the UW game back in 06. The service was horrible and the crowd had already left for the most part - it was about 3 hours after the game. I vowed never to go there again. I think we waited 15 minutes for the waitress and our first round.

[BigRedJed]

Again, the reason most Bricktown and downtown people so strongly supported bringing a team here is because of the long-term growth it should bring to OKC, including industry, downtown housing and the like. Anyone who saw it is a get-rich-quick ticket is in it for the wrong reason, and will be VERY disappointed.

[BigRedJed]

We went to Al's on CC after the UW game back in 06. The service was horrible and the crowd had already left for the most part - it was about 3 hours after the game. I vowed never to go there again. I think we waited 15 minutes for the waitress and our first round.
Al's was famous for service problems, both on CC and in Bricktown. Mostly, they just did a horrible job planning for event nights. They would have too many people on slow nights, try to fix that by cutting staff for the next week, and then be caught with their pants down on an event night. It was like they never bothered to see what was going on around them. That might work fine when you're running an Outback on Northwest Expressway, but not so good when you're in a totally event- and weather-driven market like Bricktown and to a lesser extent Campus Corner.

[sooneron]

Oh no, there were three girls standing around wrapping utensils or whatever by the bar.

Just horrible overall management.

[JohnnyMack]

Somebody around here sounds like a real prima donna.

[BigRedJed]

I always think of sooneron as more of a diva.

[sooneron]

Or real thirsty and ready to get my drink on.

15 minutes from being seated to getting a round of drinks in a half crowded place is idiocy.

[JohnnyMack]

I always think of sooneron as more of a diva.

Drag. Queen.

[King Crimson]

i've never heard one good thing about any of the Al's locations.

[Taxman71]

Or real thirsty and ready to get my drink on.

15 minutes from being seated to getting a round of drinks in a half crowded place is idiocy.

Making a table wait (a) to be greeted and (b) to get their drink is the kiss of death. It puts them in a bad mood for the rest of the meal regardless of how the rest of the meal goes. As a former waiter, I hated picking up a table that was already pi$$ed b/c of the hostess or some other guy because you knew you weren't getting 15%.

People who work for tips or commission and are still horrible at their job make me wonder how they function in life.

[sooneron]

Johnny Mack misses the sunday "shows" at Angles.

[JohnnyMack]

Sooneron can't wait to get back to Oklahoma to see if Renegades still has him on their wall of fame.

[sooneron]

Sooneron can't wait to get back to Oklahoma to see if Renegades still has him on their wall of fame.

Uh, ok, you know how I know you're ghey?

You know that Renegades has a wall of fame.


:gary:

[swardboy]

:pop:

[BigRedJed]

I didn't even know there was a place called Renegades. What do I win?

[sooneron]

I didn't even know there was a place called Renegades. What do I win?

Same here. What's renegades JM? What's it like? Is there a cover? Do they have specials? How often are you asked "Do you mind if I push up your stool?"?

:D

[sooneron]

Oh, c'mon JM don't puss out that easy!


bumpage