http://okcbusiness.com/images/photos/McDonalds-Bricktown-SC.jpg
McDonald's customers and personnel celebrate the opening of the Bricktown location. Photo/Shannon Cornman


Bricktown McDonald’s restaurant opens

OKCBusiness Staff
7/1/2008

Oklahoma City’s newest McDonald’s restaurant opened for business today in Bricktown.
“We are excited to be part of the growth of Bricktown and proud to continually focus on reinvesting in the communities we serve,” Operations Manager David Shults said in a statement.

The restaurant – located at 105 E. Reno – features a brick-and-stone exterior with a contemporary décor including armchair seating along with wireless Internet access and plasma screen televisions.

The Bricktown Urban Design Committee approved final plans in October 2007. In July, McDonald’s representatives presented preliminary plans. After hearing their proposal, committee members stood firm that they would not approve anything that was not pedestrian friendly, to include a $2.5 million drive-thru hamburger joint.

At the time, committee members agreed the building design, with its drive-thru window, was not in keeping with what Bricktown merchants are trying maintain as a community.

At the September meeting, the committee approved an amended site plan and concept for a McDonald’s, however, they requested more landscaping and elevation plans.

I wish they included a photo of the exterior in addition to the one furnished. I guess I'll just have to take a look-see next time I'm in Bricktown.

I wish they included a photo of the exterior in addition to the one furnished. I guess I'll just have to take a look-see next time I'm in Bricktown.

It's all dark brown brick with limited signage. It's not horrible but still, it's a McDonald's...in Bricktown.:(

It's all dark brown brick with limited signage. It's not horrible but still, it's a McDonald's...in Bricktown.:(

Agreed. I'm not thrilled about Mickey D's in Bricktown, but I gave up on the district anyways, so as long as it doesn't look too entirely tacky, I'm content.

You mentioned the limited signage; I'm inferring there are no arches stating 300 billion served, 30 feet above the ground. Please tell me I'm correct.

Until the new hotels(s) east of there come in, it's so far to the east it's barely still in BT. I've not bothered on a McD in BT ... as plain jane as fast food is, it's still a better option than a few places that couldn't entice me in with free food and drink and moderate entertain. Fortunately there are many excellent places in BT as well, so only those who choose to visit the bottomdwellers and the fastfoodies need do so.

so only those who choose to visit the bottomdwellers and the fastfoodies need do so.


That's one of the things that concerns me. Now, the fast food junkies have another cheap dining alternative and reason to go to Bricktown, one of Oklahoma's most visited site for out-of-staters. These visitors are going to leave with a bad impression of OKC when they see fast food chains and fatties on every corner.

I know we already have a Sonic in Bricktown, but out-of-towners would most likely shy away from that place on weekends unless they're armored up and packing heat.

I drive by often and I think they did a nice job. The drive thru is hidden by trees and the parking is behind and East of the road. It looks really good.

I don't think anyone should give up on Bricktown. I was there Monday for a movie and even at 9 at night there were lots of families and visitors strolling around.

I haven't given up on it as in I will no longer visit. I've just lost hope in the district becoming the high class jewel of OKC is was supposed to become. Bricktown proper is nice, but needs a little work with the broken windows and dirt piles on the lower level. Lower Bricktown just sucks and is continuing to suck the more Hogan builds.

I was upset about this when I heard about it, but now that I've driven by, it doesn't really bother me. I wish the signage were even smaller or more tasteful, but it's not bad. I'm glad it's brick, and it's better landscaped than virtually any other McDonalds I've seen. It is probably good for visitors to have a fast, cheap alternative at times, and it is down at the end of bricktown where things aren't terribly attractive anyway. I mean, Manhattan has McDonalds all over the place. Now, if we could just do something about Stewart Metal Fabricators. They're the real eyesore in Bricktown....even worse than Hogan's faux stucco.

Manhattan has McDonald's all over the place, but so do we. I just don't understand why we have to have Mickey D's the one place in OKC that's not supposed to be like everywhere else in OKC. I just wish we had a place to break away from the normal suburbia of Oklahoma City, and we did for a while. Bricktown is fast becoming normal suburban-OKC with a hint of red brick.

Another reason I'm not too fond of having fast food in Bricktown is evident on a weekend near Sonic. Go to Sonic and see how many police officers you can count. Bricktown is supposed to be family-oriented, but all the fast food places offer is a place in which gangbangers and their teeny-bopping baby's mamas can loiter.

Do we know if this is going to be a 24 hours McD? Downtown/Bricktown needs more night life aside from the clubs, and more 24 hour establishments, if we are going to attract people downtown and try and give up automobile usage we need things that people use, not just the nice clubs, if I lived in The Centennial and had a craving for food at 1:00 in the morning what are my options? we don't need ALOT of fast food but if we want to create a true work/play environment we are going to need things that people lookf for when they live some where. I 100% agree with AFCM that it is rapidly turning into Suburbia, and would like to have seen a 3 story building with a McD's in the bottom. But that is just me

Go to Sonic and see how many police officers you can count. Bricktown is supposed to be family-oriented, but all the fast food places offer is a place in which gangbangers and their teeny-bopping baby's mamas can loiter.

Theres usually two. Sometimes one. Same cop. Ummm. Well. Just because they dress a certain way doesn't mean they're necessarily gangbangers. :/ They don't stop me and my friends from going to Sonic. And if this is how you feel, then you should be glad that they built this McDonald's.. because now all of the "gangbangers" and their "baby's mamas" will be on the very edge of Bricktown where no one goes anyways.

You know, this is entirely off-topic, but why does it seem that everytime an adult sees a young man dressed up in baggy pants, jordans, and a tall tee... they automatically pin them as gangsters. Its like good god, are you that sheltered and close-minded? Its like they cover their child's eyes and say, "Watch out Billy, thats a hood-rat." =D

I usually see 1 or 2 cops when I set up at 6-7pm 4-6 cops when I leave around 1o:30-12 pm on the weekends but I see them messing with the bikers that park in the drop off zone more then with the 14-20 somethings .

McD's will be alright I have to drive though on my way out one night.

Yours in wandering
Nabber

I've never seen anything hanging out around Sonic that even began to scare me...I've even made a habit of walking the g/f over there to get her a hot chocolate (winter) or a blended float (summer) for her to sip on while I go get the truck. If I had ANY idea that she might be even remotely in some sort of danger, there's no way I'd do that. Not a chance.

As for McDonald's...There are sure a whole lot of people on this site that like to bellyache about affordable retail in Bricktown...But affordable food isn't okay? If I lived down there (especially with the dollar:sqft ratio), I'd certainly not complain about having a $1 double cheeseburger available to me in the event the mood struck me.

I'm with OGawd. While there are spots in Bricktown that can move the neck hairs into alert mode, the area around the Sonic isn't among them.

If we built Bricktown according to the rules of the snooty class, Bricktown would still be nothing more than few night clubs and a few restaurants. Some of you are probably too young to remember when Spagetti Warehouse was the only happening thing in Bricktown.

In order for a tourist district to survive you need a nice mix of restaurants, clubs and event centers. The opening of a McDonald's is not going to turn Bricktown into Wal-Mart after 10pm.

Get over yourselves. Maybe if you spent a little less time complaining about everything you might find sometime to find a (better) job, a girlfriend, a new hobby, anything.

In other words some of you need to get a life. Stop pissing and moaning about every little thing under the sun.

Went by there last night after seeing Hancock, was really nice on the inside. Managers are expecting big increase in traffic this weekend of course.....

If we built Bricktown according to the rules of the snooty class, Bricktown would still be nothing more than few night clubs and a few restaurants. Some of you are probably too young to remember when Spagetti Warehouse was the only happening thing in Bricktown.

In order for a tourist district to survive you need a nice mix of restaurants, clubs and event centers. The opening of a McDonald's is not going to turn Bricktown into Wal-Mart after 10pm.

Get over yourselves. Maybe if you spent a little less time complaining about everything you might find sometime to find a (better) job, a girlfriend, a new hobby, anything.

In other words some of you need to get a life. Stop pissing and moaning about every little thing under the sun.

Well... For a lot of us this is our life, we live and work in this district/neighborhood. We are planners, architects, and Oklahoma City citizens making sure that the powers that be have the best interest of the district/neighborhood, its history, and future in mind. I think you may be misunderstanding some of the complaints people are having.

McDonald's in itself is fine to have in Bricktown as long as it is built to the standards for which the area demands. While the building itself is brick and fronts two streets it also retains a large parking lot and drive-thru which are counter-productive to the atmosphere Bricktown is trying to maintain (pedestrian friendly, human scale, dense). Had the business been part of a larger multi-story development with ground floor retail, I think a lot of the naysayers would be hard pressed to complain. But, that's not the case.

Now, with that I think as it (McDonald's) stands those two glaring problems could be omitted given time and density (parking lot and drive-thru could be demolished for more store frontage). The store would be accessed only by pedestrian traffic from neighboring bars, hotels, and tourist attractions.

While you may see it as complaining or having no life, we (complainers) want to ensure that Bricktown is developed right the first time and not have to go back and fix things because we were impatient.

In light of the huge expanses of stripes on asphalt, or cones on aggragate, from one end of BT to the other, it's probably a tad too late to view BT as getting pedestrian friendly right the first time around.

I enjoy my visit to BT. Other than having too much parking directly along the canal, where I think it ought not to be, I've got very few grumbles about BT, and a dobber dbl cheeseburger won't ever make the list of the few I do have.

Well... For a lot of us this is our life, we live and work in this district/neighborhood. We are planners, architects, and Oklahoma City citizens making sure that the powers that be have the best interest of the district/neighborhood, its history, and future in mind. I think you may be misunderstanding some of the complaints people are having.

McDonald's in itself is fine to have in Bricktown as long as it is built to the standards for which the area demands. While the building itself is brick and fronts two streets it also retains a large parking lot and drive-thru which are counter-productive to the atmosphere Bricktown is trying to maintain (pedestrian friendly, human scale, dense). Had the business been part of a larger multi-story development with ground floor retail, I think a lot of the naysayers would be hard pressed to complain. But, that's not the case.

Now, with that I think as it (McDonald's) stands those two glaring problems could be omitted given time and density (parking lot and drive-thru could be demolished for more store frontage). The store would be accessed only by pedestrian traffic from neighboring bars, hotels, and tourist attractions.

While you may see it as complaining or having no life, we (complainers) want to ensure that Bricktown is developed right the first time and not have to go back and fix things because we were impatient.

Really?

I think that it's just fine where it is. It's out of the way. You want to bitch, bitch about the NASTY buildings a block north of there on the east end of Sheridan. But I still say that McDonald's is needed down there, and with the location, it's not hurting anything, artistically or otherwise. I bet it's successful (if not, I'll go there and eat a fish sandwich), and that means that it was a good fit. Just because some vocal people don't like it doesn't mean that the vast majority didn't want it.

Really?

I think that it's just fine where it is. It's out of the way. You want to bitch, bitch about the NASTY buildings a block north of there on the east end of Sheridan. But I still say that McDonald's is needed down there, and with the location, it's not hurting anything, artistically or otherwise. I bet it's successful (if not, I'll go there and eat a fish sandwich), and that means that it was a good fit. Just because some vocal people don't like it doesn't mean that the vast majority didn't want it.

Re-read my post. I never said anything about it being a bad location. Actually, I think it's a good one. However, it's not the location that's a problem, it's the use of land or lack there of - just like the rest of LoBrick. Most of the those buildings were just picked up out of the burbs, given a little brick, and plunked down - parking and all.

you think it will be on travel channels top 10 mcdonalds in the world? doubt its that great. if it looked similar to any one of those id go just to see it.

I ate there today. The outside is nothing to right home about, but the inside is pretty cool. Go check it out so that you may post intelligently.

Yeah the inside has "green" theme. It's not like any McD's I've seen. They tried to give it a historic feel by using a second color of brick to "fill in" fake windows. Similar to Spring Creek Plaza in Edmond. Not a bad effort, but it's still just a box.

Speaking of posting intelligently..."right"?

I meant write.

You know, this is entirely off-topic, but why does it seem that everytime an adult sees a young man dressed up in baggy pants, jordans, and a tall tee... they automatically pin them as gangsters. Its like good god, are you that sheltered and close-minded? Its like they cover their child's eyes and say, "Watch out Billy, thats a hood-rat." =D

Perhaps you should ask the cops that. I never said anything about the way these people dress, though in your description you forgot to mention matching color schemes. I know a banger or wanna-be banger when I see one.

Again, if the kids at Sonic really are just making a fashion statement and aren't trouble, having a cop on-hand is really unnecessary. This is why I recommend you speak with LE regarding your inquiry. The cops aren't getting paid to look pretty.

the McDonald's isn't that bad, and for the posters thinking that every restaurant that goes in needs to be unique and high class, you're simply kidding yourselves. People need to eat. That lot looks better with a new birck building on it than witout anything. We can't even keep clubs/bars/restauarnts open in bricktown anyway righ tnow. Let's let some people get in there and pay some property taxes.

I drove by the McDonalds yesterday. Pretty plain and no sign out front other than on the actual building (at least not yet). Hopefully it will stay that way and no sign allowed on a pole. The drive in/large parking lot is not ideal but we've already beat that conversation to death.

SO.... I see the address..... what is close to it? Is it east of the Ballpark?

Haven't been down there in a few weeks.
Julie

Yes east of the ballpark. North side of Reno across from Bass Pro and next to the gas station and Body Werks Collision.

Surprisingly...I think it's fine. I was against this idea, but it really isn't an eye sore. I hope it stays that way. I like there not being a big golden M in the air. I also like that it isn't in the middle of the walking path of bricktown. Now the important question is will it be open at 2am when I am seriously craving something greasy to regret the next morning?

Lobby is open until 11pm. Drive-Thru is 24hrs.

Sitting in the McD's right now. I have been a supporter of the McD's since the idea was proposed and I'm glad to see it open. My only gripes are the parking lot and Internet access.

The parking lot is very odd. You park in the back and when you exit your car people stand there for a second trying to figure out which way to go. If you follow the sidewalks then you have to literally weave through cars in line at the drive through (bad idea for a kid friendly venue). If you avoid the drive through then you have a longer walk without a sidewalk (you gotta walk in the street). Not sure why there is no door facing the parking lot.

I was hoping the Internet access would be free at this location (not sure why, I guess becasue it is in the entertainment and business area of OKC). You gotta pay the standard $2.95 for 2-hours.

The part that really bugs me is that there are no (or virtually no) plug-ins. Your typical laptop runs 45-minutes to an hour on the battery. So, you waste about half the time you paid for. I went ahead and paid becasue I can write it off.

The decor is cool though and the staff friendly.

Personally, if I'm eating on the cheap in Bricktown I'm going for the Sonic.


UPDATE: I was completely shocked when I heard "Funky Cold Madina" playing on the restaurant's speakers in the dinning area. Nothing like hearing "So I took her to my crib, and everything went well as planned. But when she got undressed, it was a big old mess, Sheena was a man. So I threw him out, I don't fool around with no Oscar Meyer wiener. You must be sure that the girl is pure for the Funky Cold Medina" - when you've got the kids with you.

what modern laptop only runs 45mins to 1 hr? My wife's Dell has a 4 hr battery.

I was gonna say I can eke 5 hours out of my MacBook.

Lobby is open until 11pm. Drive-Thru is 24hrs.

Suhweet.

Lobby is open until 11pm. Drive-Thru is 24hrs.

Good news for a city that is the focal point of...

OKC Million > Home (http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com)

Good news for a city that is the focal point of...

OKC Million > Home (http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com)

ugh. I hate that website. Nothing says I love you Oklahoma like your mayor calling you fat.

I don't need a diet, thank you! I'll take 2 whoppers, double greased fries (i wish they were still cooked in animal lard. oh yeah. peta loves me too) and a giant diet coke. haha. kidding on the diet coke part. That drives me nuts! What's the point in the diet coke? It doesn't make up for the rest of your order. It's not like cancelling anything out. Go ahead and top it off with the real stuff.

Two Whoppers from McDonald's? You're not a real fast food junkie, you're a poser. You've just been exposed, phony!

Two Whoppers from McDonald's? You're not a real fast food junkie, you're a poser. You've just been exposed, phony!

HEHE! Whoops.

Ok, how about 2 all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun. ;)

I'm not picky. I eat all the fat foods.

Okay, now you fit in. Welcome to the club. Now register at OKC Million > Home (http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com)

Okay, now you fit in. Welcome to the club. Now register at OKC Million > Home (http://www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com)

lol. I weigh a buck o five when wet.

lol. I weigh a buck o five when wet.

Oh, behave! :)

Seriously, I weigh a lean 195, but collectively, we're a bunch of fata$$es. This is a team effort.

I don't bat for that team. LOL.

I'm just giving you a hard time. I think it's good that he wants to do something, I just wish it would have been a health program or lifestyle change rather than a hey fatty lose weight program.

what modern laptop only runs 45mins to 1 hr? My wife's Dell has a 4 hr battery.

My 17" Toshiba's (owned 2 in the last 3 years) only run for about and hour, maybe 1.5 hrs doing photoshop, intense gaming, etc.

My Dell E1705 only does an hour.

Shoulda got a Mac...

Shoulda got a Mac...

Got two of those - an Imac 24" and a 17" MacBook Pro. I don't do any real work on them though. They are mostly for playing around on. They are fun and all, but I think they are over hyped.

...and a giant diet coke. haha. kidding on the diet coke part. That drives me nuts! What's the point in the diet coke? It doesn't make up for the rest of your order. It's not like cancelling anything out....

It's about 300 calories less, give or take, depending on the size of the drink. :)

This is to say nothing of whether Coke with its high-fructose corn syrup or Diet Coke with its sodium benzoate (which is being withdrawn, BTW) is worse, or those people who prefer the taste of Diet Coke.

Yeah, I don't follow much of a diet...But I MUCH prefer the taste of diet Dr Pepper and Diet Coke over the real thing.