The Wild Cocount finally opened along the Bricktown canal. It's across the canal from Lotus. It features Thai/Asian Cuisine. That's a new one to the market down there. I tend to wonder if the name fits well though. When I first heard the name I thought it was going to be a seafood place.
I find it insteresting that this will be a restaurant by day and club at night. That's an interesting concept that might fit well in Bricktown.

Anyways, any new venue on the canal is a plus.

I find it interesting that the guy that owns this also owns the Laughing Fish. I've met him and he definitely knows the Bricktown market well.....namely, he understands the traffic patterns in Bricktown, and understands that the winter times can be tough, at least for now. With his experience, I'm sure this business will succeed.

By the way, he's opening another Laughing Fish at Quail Springs. Although the Laughing Fish in Bricktown has women's clothing, souvenirs, T-shirts, and nick nacks, the mall stores sell formal dresses.

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"Wild Coconut gives Bricktown a Thai flavor
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
9/8/2004


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The Wild Coconut Tiki Bar and Thai Cuisine, featuring indoor dining with an outside-looking-in feel, is the latest addition to Bricktown's restaurants along the canal.
Located at 103 E. Main St., Wild Coconut offers both lunch and dinner menus seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., a full bar specializing in tropical drinks tiki style, a large dance floor topped with a disco ball, nightly disc jockeys, flashing neon palm trees and surfboards floating as tables in the bar area. Additionally, murals on the wall depict large windows as if patrons are peering at diners through a restaurant window from the beach.

Large outdoor umbrellas top tables, and thatch roofs are showcased throughout the 6,000-square-foot space where servers don beachwear.

While owner Steve Wistrand was tight-lipped about renovation costs and leasing information, as well as projected sales, he said he was confident that the shift from restaurant-by-day to club-by-night would fare well for Bricktown's more mature patrons.

"We wanted to have something more casual and give the adults someplace to go, instead of just a kid theme," Wistrand said, "with more classic rock and lighter music."

After dinner hours, at around 9 p.m. each night, Wistrand plans to provide the 30- and 40-somethings a classic rock-meets-island feel. As for a dress code, best to leave coats and ties at home. This is a strictly casual, islander-esque establishment. And everything on the menu is priced at or less than $10.

"We're probably more Asian or tropical than Thai," Wistrand said. "We want to have spiciness levels that everyone can enjoy."

Wistrand anticipates the Wild Coconut's grand opening will be held in about a week.

Currently there are 20 employees on staff, and Wistrand plans to hire more as business demands. Seating capacity is just more than 200.

The building initially housed one of Bricktown's first night spots, O'Brien's dueling piano bar, then Boomerang and most recently Mango's.

Wistrand also owns two Laughing Fish gift and souvenir shops, located in Bricktown and Crossroads Mall. "