metro
03-18-2008, 07:34 AM
Downtown’s newest restaurateur hopes patrons ‘Crave’ smoothies
Journal Record
March 18, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY – Those passing through Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City have likely heard blenders whirring, as a smoothie and sandwich shop opened in the building’s atrium last month.
After a decade as a certified public accountant, Lee Ann Reid was looking for a new venture and decided to inquire about a tiny retail space to set up shop. With little restaurant experience but with the encouragement of her family, Reid worked to create a name – Crave – and a red-and-green color scheme for the 600-square-foot space.
The space was previously a travel agency. But before securing the space in Leadership Square, Reid had to convince Mark Beffort to take a chance on her restaurant in a space that had been vacant for about five years.
Beffort, with Grubb & Ellis Levy Beffort, is the manager of the investment group that owns the building.“We weren’t in a hurry to fill the space because we wanted to get the right fit,” Beffort said. After being approached by Reid, Beffort said he saw Crave as a complement to City Bites and the Ground Floor Café & Bakery, both tenants in the atrium for nearly a decade. Reid said while her shop has soups, sandwiches and healthy snacks, the bulk of her business has come from smoothies, which are made with items like fresh fruit, nuts, honey and pure vanilla.“I definitely sell more smoothies than anything,” she said.
Smoothies have also been spotted downtown at places like the Park Harvey Athletic Club on the lower level of the Park Harvey building, and at the Buzz Coffee and Café at the First National Center.
The concept for the shop came from Reid and her husband’s observations of people wanting healthier fare.“My husband saw that healthy eating was a trend around the country and thought it would be a good thing to try here,” she said.
Reid said most of the store’s business is at lunchtime and in the afternoon when people stop by for a smoothie to get them through the day. And while the primary business at the Buzz is coffee, owner Tim Sisson said he also sells a number of smoothies each day, especially as the weather gets warmer. “Between now and September, we’ll do a good 25 or so smoothies a day,” he said.
Beffort said the restaurant also fits in well with the fabric of daytime offerings downtown. Over the past few years, the central core of downtown has added a handful of both lunchtime and other dining options.
One reason Beffort said more restaurants are popping up is in response to existing downtown companies, plus the addition of new residents such as SandRidge Energy moving into the core, and with those companies come employees who need to eat but want options.“We are seeing the commercial daytime population is increasing at a very rapid pace,” Beffort said.
Brett Hamm, president of Downtown OKC Inc., said that when companies look to move downtown, one of the factors is to have an environment that benefits its employees, including diverse places to eat.“Companies recognize downtown is the place to be,” Hamm said. “This is the first step but it bodes well for these companies and their willingness to move downtown and recognize that growing work force.”
Hamm said downtown workers also enjoy the convenience of being able to walk, rather than drive, for several services including a variety of food options.
Beffort said there are currently three other retail spaces available in the atrium of Leadership Square that will be filled, possibly with restaurants, when the right tenants come along that will not compete with the current restaurants.
He said aside from adding to the existing food options in the building, he also likes the store’s concept and really likes the smoothies from Crave.“She had this concept she wanted to do and it sounded really neat,” he said. “It was a good complement to the other services in the building.”
http://journalrecord.com/_images/articles/labsCrave.jpg
Crave employees Tori Martin and Kurt Ostrowski and owner Lee Ann Reid stand outside the smoothie shop Monday afternoon in downtown Oklahoma City’s Leadership Square. (Photo by Kendall Brown)
Journal Record
March 18, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY – Those passing through Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City have likely heard blenders whirring, as a smoothie and sandwich shop opened in the building’s atrium last month.
After a decade as a certified public accountant, Lee Ann Reid was looking for a new venture and decided to inquire about a tiny retail space to set up shop. With little restaurant experience but with the encouragement of her family, Reid worked to create a name – Crave – and a red-and-green color scheme for the 600-square-foot space.
The space was previously a travel agency. But before securing the space in Leadership Square, Reid had to convince Mark Beffort to take a chance on her restaurant in a space that had been vacant for about five years.
Beffort, with Grubb & Ellis Levy Beffort, is the manager of the investment group that owns the building.“We weren’t in a hurry to fill the space because we wanted to get the right fit,” Beffort said. After being approached by Reid, Beffort said he saw Crave as a complement to City Bites and the Ground Floor Café & Bakery, both tenants in the atrium for nearly a decade. Reid said while her shop has soups, sandwiches and healthy snacks, the bulk of her business has come from smoothies, which are made with items like fresh fruit, nuts, honey and pure vanilla.“I definitely sell more smoothies than anything,” she said.
Smoothies have also been spotted downtown at places like the Park Harvey Athletic Club on the lower level of the Park Harvey building, and at the Buzz Coffee and Café at the First National Center.
The concept for the shop came from Reid and her husband’s observations of people wanting healthier fare.“My husband saw that healthy eating was a trend around the country and thought it would be a good thing to try here,” she said.
Reid said most of the store’s business is at lunchtime and in the afternoon when people stop by for a smoothie to get them through the day. And while the primary business at the Buzz is coffee, owner Tim Sisson said he also sells a number of smoothies each day, especially as the weather gets warmer. “Between now and September, we’ll do a good 25 or so smoothies a day,” he said.
Beffort said the restaurant also fits in well with the fabric of daytime offerings downtown. Over the past few years, the central core of downtown has added a handful of both lunchtime and other dining options.
One reason Beffort said more restaurants are popping up is in response to existing downtown companies, plus the addition of new residents such as SandRidge Energy moving into the core, and with those companies come employees who need to eat but want options.“We are seeing the commercial daytime population is increasing at a very rapid pace,” Beffort said.
Brett Hamm, president of Downtown OKC Inc., said that when companies look to move downtown, one of the factors is to have an environment that benefits its employees, including diverse places to eat.“Companies recognize downtown is the place to be,” Hamm said. “This is the first step but it bodes well for these companies and their willingness to move downtown and recognize that growing work force.”
Hamm said downtown workers also enjoy the convenience of being able to walk, rather than drive, for several services including a variety of food options.
Beffort said there are currently three other retail spaces available in the atrium of Leadership Square that will be filled, possibly with restaurants, when the right tenants come along that will not compete with the current restaurants.
He said aside from adding to the existing food options in the building, he also likes the store’s concept and really likes the smoothies from Crave.“She had this concept she wanted to do and it sounded really neat,” he said. “It was a good complement to the other services in the building.”
http://journalrecord.com/_images/articles/labsCrave.jpg
Crave employees Tori Martin and Kurt Ostrowski and owner Lee Ann Reid stand outside the smoothie shop Monday afternoon in downtown Oklahoma City’s Leadership Square. (Photo by Kendall Brown)