Dubya61
05-08-2014, 11:45 AM
Rather than (continue to) thread-jack the Flint thread, I wanted to start this question here.
What chain restaurants do we have that started locally?
We've talked about this several times now but it's quite apparent the talent pool in local restaurants is stretched very thin.
Not surprising given the huge amount of new restaurants and bars and food trucks that have opened in just the last couple of years, with plenty more on the way.
Plus, the booming economy means it's much easier to find jobs outside the food service industry.
It's got to be a big challenge to find quality chefs, prep cooks, managers, wait staff, bar tenders and and even dishwashers and bus boys.
Right, the labor crunch isn't a universal excuse, just saying it's not surprising that there seems to be an increase in service problems at area restaurants in general. It's not like Devon could chuck Williams and easily plug in a new group to manage their wide-ranging operations.
And we've got a bunch more places that will open this year: The George, Broadway 10 Chophouse, Fassler Hall / Dust Bowl, Daebak K, Guyutes, The Drake, Pump Bar, Flashback, Pizzeria Gusto, Power House, Slaughter's Hall, TopGolf, Main Event, Tommy's Italian-American Grill, and tons more.
Pete, how does OKC compare to our peer cities (define that as you wish)? Are we over-populated with restaurants that actually cook (I'm asking you to ignore Olive Gardens, etc.)? Under-served? Just right but only recently? How about if you limit our peer cities to those in fly-over country? Obviously, I'm not asking you (anybody) to do a science/stats doctoral thesis project. Just asking for impressions. I've never lived in any peer cities. My only experience is with OKC. I'm basically OK with our restaurant population and mostly almost OK with the service provided, but then again, I consider myself a philistine, mostly incapable of appreciating finer nuances and upper crust. Even bad food can be reminiscent of good food and succeed on a comfort-food basis.
I don't know the numbers but until recently OKC had a very high percentage of chain restaurants and now we're seeing a big shift to locally owned places.
That's great, IMO. Do you think we'll start to see a reduction in national chains? is there a natural ebb and flow that will cause national chains to reduce or at least not increase?
I don't think there will be a reduction in chains as many are still coming to OKC, I just think their market share will decrease over time by the local operations.
First, I don't consider a chain to be a bad thing, necessarily
I know that Sonic started in Shawnee in ... the 50s?
I think you can consider Vans Pig Stand a chain, Swadley's, too.
What about the Hal Smith group. Would you consider their restaurants to be chains?
What about Good Egg's many restaurants?
What about the guys behind Big Truck, Mutts, Back Door? Is that a chain?
Can you say that Garage and S&B are chains, now?
Do you think that these (questionable) chains should go beyond OKC?
Are there other chains that started in OKC?
What chain restaurants do we have that started locally?
We've talked about this several times now but it's quite apparent the talent pool in local restaurants is stretched very thin.
Not surprising given the huge amount of new restaurants and bars and food trucks that have opened in just the last couple of years, with plenty more on the way.
Plus, the booming economy means it's much easier to find jobs outside the food service industry.
It's got to be a big challenge to find quality chefs, prep cooks, managers, wait staff, bar tenders and and even dishwashers and bus boys.
Right, the labor crunch isn't a universal excuse, just saying it's not surprising that there seems to be an increase in service problems at area restaurants in general. It's not like Devon could chuck Williams and easily plug in a new group to manage their wide-ranging operations.
And we've got a bunch more places that will open this year: The George, Broadway 10 Chophouse, Fassler Hall / Dust Bowl, Daebak K, Guyutes, The Drake, Pump Bar, Flashback, Pizzeria Gusto, Power House, Slaughter's Hall, TopGolf, Main Event, Tommy's Italian-American Grill, and tons more.
Pete, how does OKC compare to our peer cities (define that as you wish)? Are we over-populated with restaurants that actually cook (I'm asking you to ignore Olive Gardens, etc.)? Under-served? Just right but only recently? How about if you limit our peer cities to those in fly-over country? Obviously, I'm not asking you (anybody) to do a science/stats doctoral thesis project. Just asking for impressions. I've never lived in any peer cities. My only experience is with OKC. I'm basically OK with our restaurant population and mostly almost OK with the service provided, but then again, I consider myself a philistine, mostly incapable of appreciating finer nuances and upper crust. Even bad food can be reminiscent of good food and succeed on a comfort-food basis.
I don't know the numbers but until recently OKC had a very high percentage of chain restaurants and now we're seeing a big shift to locally owned places.
That's great, IMO. Do you think we'll start to see a reduction in national chains? is there a natural ebb and flow that will cause national chains to reduce or at least not increase?
I don't think there will be a reduction in chains as many are still coming to OKC, I just think their market share will decrease over time by the local operations.
First, I don't consider a chain to be a bad thing, necessarily
I know that Sonic started in Shawnee in ... the 50s?
I think you can consider Vans Pig Stand a chain, Swadley's, too.
What about the Hal Smith group. Would you consider their restaurants to be chains?
What about Good Egg's many restaurants?
What about the guys behind Big Truck, Mutts, Back Door? Is that a chain?
Can you say that Garage and S&B are chains, now?
Do you think that these (questionable) chains should go beyond OKC?
Are there other chains that started in OKC?