Looks like we are finally getting a Fondue Restaurant in OKC... sounds very nice from the Oklahoman's story. I think it will fit in great in Bricktown.

New eatery expected to feed auction bids


By Steve Lackmeyer, Business Writer

Scott McLain is sweetening the pot for potential bidders of his family’s “super-block” in Bricktown, announcing Thursday he has a signed a lease with upscale eatery “Simply Fondue” for a building that has been empty for the past year.
The Texas-based chain’s lease is for 6,500 square feet at 9 E Sheridan, next to Abuelo’s and comes just as the building and several adjoining properties are being prepared for a Nov. 15 auction.
“We’re delighted to have them — we couldn’t ask for a better tenant, and it will increase income from the property,” McLain said. “It’s an upscale destination: Not a place you eat at every week; something you go to for special occasions.”
Simply Fondue offers cheeses, seafood, meats and vegetables, all complemented by sauces and batters. The restaurant also is known for its chocolate fondues. Guests cook their own meals in a bubbling pot of oil on their table or can dip bread or vegetables in hot cheese.
The restaurant is expected to open in early 2006. The building was briefly leased to a club last year and before that was home to Taste of China restaurant.
Oklahoma City is the fourth location for Simply Fondue. Their other restaurants are in Dallas, Lewisville and Arlington.
McLain said interest already is high in the upcoming auction, which will include seven buildings totaling 197,923 square feet and 153 parking spaces. Bricktown Brewery, The Daiquiri Zone and Abuelo’s are the current tenants, and two buildings are empty and have yet to be renovated.
The minimum bid is $8 million. The property stretches from Sheridan to Oklahoma Avenue to Main Street to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks.

Excellent news, I knew this was coming for several months as I announced it in a thread a few months ago along with 2 other fondue restaurants coming, one other is the melting pot. They were all in the site selection process, glad to see one that is not so much of a chain coming to downtown OKC!

Where will the Melting Pot be located?

Doesn't everyone just hope that Jim Brewer buys that block?

im not that excited with this. im tired of seeing restaurants in bricktown. time for something new.

I have never been to a fondue restaurant. I hope this is a pretty good deal. Very neat to see another business in bricktown.

I also agree restaurants are coming to the point down there where we need to branch out to more businesses, hopefully some more gift shops and retail stores will start popping out. How about a big Bedlam shop, OU and OSU shop out on the riverwalk. If there was another restaurant coming around, is Eskimo Joes strictly staying in Stillwater? This is a huge restaurant chain in OK and a very popular place, how about a chain on the riverwalk? Any other takers?

I think it would be a great idea. Even though Joes isn't the greatest food " i live in Stw" it could still be pulled off as an Okie version of a Hard Rock Cafe. Something unique to the state. Joes' owner could pull off something pretty darn nice in Bricktown too considering he's building a 12,000 sq. foot home in Stillwater right now.

I love Fondue! In California we had a restaurant called the Bold Knight ( it may be national - but I've never seen one except these two in the Bay Area) Anyway, while waiting for the best steaks ever, a huge pot of melted cheese fondue would be brought out and served with endless crusty chunks of bread.. it was so good. By the time the steak arrived, I was full!

im not that excited with this. im tired of seeing restaurants in bricktown. time for something new.

In a since this is something new although it is a restaurant, its a type of restaurant new to OKC and what better place to put it than downtown. I think it would be unique and original to put both a Eskimo Joe's downtown as well as an Eichens Chicken!

In a since this is something new although it is a restaurant, its a type of restaurant new to OKC and what better place to put it than downtown. I think it would be unique and original to put both a Eskimo Joe's downtown as well as an Eichens Chicken!


not that i dont think its neat that we are getting that restaurant, its just that there are TOO many in bt.

I've not heard of Eichens Chicken

The thing is, Bricktown is getting to the level of saturation (for restaurants at least) where if a restaurant isn't unique enough or doesn't have good enough food to draw people in then it won't survive, and the space will be filled by something else. And maybe next time it will be a CVS or a Barnes and Noble or a Restoration Hardware or an indoor mini-golf course.

I can't complain about a new unique restaurant.

To answer the question about the Melting Pot, per my statement above, last I heard is that they are in the site selection process as well as one other fondue company

I've not heard of Eichens Chicken


its a restaurant in okarche.

Put it this way, its probably the best fried chicken you've ever had in your life, people come from all over the US to eat there. Especially bikers who make a run to go there. This is all coming from a guy who does not like fried chicken too, i love that place!

hmmmm ... thanks for the info guys

The thing is, Bricktown is getting to the level of saturation (for restaurants at least) where if a restaurant isn't unique enough or doesn't have good enough food to draw people in then it won't survive

Which is great!

Bricktown should be the place for things new to Oklahoma City to go in. I don't think that there are too many restaurants in Brickown, just that there are too many restaurants serving the same thing and too many that already have a presence elsewhere in the city.

I'm not a huge fondue fan, but it goes very well with Bricktown in that it will enhance what is supposed to be unique to the city.

totally agree BDP

Well said BDP.

I went to the Melting Pot in Addison (Dallas), TX this past summer. It was just the two of us, and we had a great time. It was a completely new concept to me, since I am only 23, and was not around when they were popular during the 60-70's. It was really a unique idea to get to cook your food in a pot at the table, but it took us almost 3 hours to eat. It was relatively expensive, but worth it. I think a Fondue Restaurant will fit in great in Bricktown, especially as a new upscale restaurant that is different then any other in the area, and also as unique way to dine. It will be very upscale and a great date place. And by the way, last time I was in Stillwater several months ago, I talked with a manager at Eskimo Joe's, and although he may not know exactly everything and is not the owner, he explained to me that Eskimo Joe's does not plan on expanding outside of Stillwater. They like the idea of having only one very popular restaurant and adding more locations would take away from the uniqueness. I hope they just stay in Stillwater because that is one place I always look forward to eating when I go there....Plus (although I know it would only be in one other location if they expanded to Bricktown) that is how, in my opinion, Planet Hollywood killed itself, and Hard Rock Cafe became just another restaurant with awful food....because there were too many locations. Eskimo Joe's is unique and should stay that way in my opinion....One more thing, Bass Pro Shops is becoming more a chain store now then a "unique, sparsely located, exciting retail location"....They are overbuilding, and will soon be everywhere which will hurt our location (EX: Tulsa, Kansas City, Springfield, MO, Grapevine, TX, St. Louis, and from what I understand Whicita). There are too many of these too close by now. Sorry for the long comment. Just thought I would put that out there for some comments on fondue, Eskimo Joes and Bass Pro Shops, (good and bad!). See Ya.

I totally agree on Bass Pro. I was very much in favor of it when it came here because at the time it was truly a tourist draw with only 14 or 15 stores in major markets. Now they have so many it is still nice to have but at this point I would not favor putting it in Bricktown or paying for it with city money. But how could we have foreseen they would go on such a building spree?

I wrote them an email since they seem to keep pushing back their opening date. The following is the response I got back from them today.


Thank you for the inquiry. We are in the initial construction phase at this time and will look to be completed and open sometime around May. Our website is being updated with that info as we speak. We will shoot you an e-mail as we get closer to the hard opening date. Thank you and we look forward to meeting you.

Regards,
Lance Wilson
Simply Fondue Restaurants
cell 214.878.3837
fax 214.827.5938
www.simplyfondue.com

Construction? I haven't seen any construction.

It's going into an existing building, so the construction is inside so to speak. I've seen them in there doing electrical and putting up metal stud's etc for new walls, etc.

I walked by about a week ago and still can't see anything changed on the outside. It still has the sign from the previous tenant. Is this still supposed to open next month?

Yes. If you look on the inside you can see extensive renovations. New lighting, sheetrock, etc. The outside is the easy part. Probably won't paint the building, all they need to do is hang a sign.

Anybody notice anything up and running yet? Looks like I might have to email them again.

I emailed them earlier today, so far no response. Their website still says opening soon. I'll let you all know if I hear anything.

Any updates on this? I drove by yesterday and there is no outward appearance that this is happening at all. I figured if the opening was close at all (within 3 months) they'd want to start getting some attention.

They went from January, to February to April to ????? They still haven't returned my calls or emails. I think it probably fell through when that guy ended up buying that block at auction. I bet he had different plans and killed their lease.

I bet he had different plans and killed their lease.

Coul be, but it sounded like he had no plans at all.

No PUBLIC plans that is. What he has planned privately can be another thing. I can think of no other explanation when they had the place almost completely remodeled on the inside. They didn't do any exterior work but the inside was almost done. I'm thinking he dropped their lease. It's alot easier to kick a tenant out before they ever open up shop versus kicking existing tenants out who have been vital to the area for years.

If that's the case, I wonder why?

Here's the response I just got:


Thanks for the e-mail. We are definitely coming and will be opening in the next ninety days. We were delayed with opening other franchise stores, but are now focusing on the opening of OKC. We look forward to getting open and we'll keep you posted on the opening. If I can do anything for you in the meantime, please don't hesitate to ask.

Good to hear it's still happening.

Hopefully......

We apologize for the wait in OKC. Yes, we are still opening. It will be October 1st at the latest. We had a clause in our lease that allowed us to open franchised locations and we have been extremely busy in getting four franchised locations open. We are now focusing on the OKC opening and are excited to get open. I'll keep you posted on the official opening. Take care.

Regards,
Lance Wilson
Simply Fondue Restaurants
www.simplyfondue.com
214.878.3837

just got back from the melting pot in Jenks, which was excellent again!...spoke w/ the mgr and he said they will be opening a restaurant in bricktown in December....they are going in the old police station across from Abuelo's...said they will be putting in a huge u-shaped bar in there as well

Great and unique dining experience if you have never done fondue

just got back from the melting pot in Jenks, which was excellent again!...spoke w/ the mgr and he said they will be opening a restaurant in bricktown in December....they are going in the old police station across from Abuelo's...said they will be putting in a huge u-shaped bar in there as well

Great and unique dining experience if you have never done fondue

Um that should be interesting. If thats true, it will be right across the street from Simply Fondue

fsu...I forgot to ask him about that...don't see that both will survive down there...wonder if that is the reason simply fondue is dragging their feet...one of them likely needs to go to Memorial or Norman..the mgr of Melting Pot said it's a done deal

Yeah that's weird that Simply Fondue AND Melting Pot will be in Bricktown, directly across the street from each other. I just hope the quickest one wins. Simply Fondue has been dragging their feet for over a year.

I walked by the building Simply Fondue is supposed to be moving in to the othere day and looked through the window. It does appear there is quite a bit of renovation going on inside.

That will be crazy if they end up dueling across the street from each other. I say one should go in at Penn Square or Western Ave. Memorial is beyond saturated.

That will be crazy if they end up dueling across the street from each other

Kind of like Chelino's and Abuelo's.

My prediction is that one will have better food and one will have a better bar.