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Restaurateurs eye downtown Tulsa expansion

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 24, 2008 by Kirby Lee Davis

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 Cafe, which the duo opened in February at 219 S. Cheyenne.

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With its live music, open ceilings, burgundy walls, cloudy windows and plentiful jazz history decor, 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.

Business Services Industry

Restaurateurs eye downtown Tulsa expansion

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 24, 2008 by Kirby Lee Davis

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