Pearl’s Oyster Bar to serve customers with planned $2 million city location

By Chris Brawley Morgan

Chris Brawley Morgan: 475-3232, cbmorgan@oklahoman.com

http://olive.newsok.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=DOK/2006/10/07/22/Img/Pc0221400.jpg

Pearl’s Oyster Bar is building a stone-and-stucco restaurant for about $2 million to replace the original version sold to Chesapeake Energy Corp., the restaurant’s owner said.

Paul Seikel, president and chief executive officer of Pearl’s Restaurant Groups, said he sold the restaurant, 928 NW 63, to Chesapeake Energy Corp., which has acquired property near its corporate campus in north Oklahoma City.

“We are in negotiations with them. We have every intention of closing, but there are always issues,” said Tom Price Jr., Chesapeake’s senior vice president of corporate development.

Seikel said the restaurant had outgrown its kitchen and parking lot. In some ways, they were ready for a move, he said.

“It was a fair price. They made an initial offer and I accepted. No haggling,” Seikel said.

The restaurant will serve customers at the original location until late March, when the updated Pearl’s opens at 5641 N Classen in the Belle Isle area. Construction started in September.

The current restaurant seats 160 people, while the new restaurant should accommodate 300 people. At 6,000 square feet, it is almost twice as large as the current facility. It will include a private banquet room, two circular decks and a Bloody Mary display area for Saturday and Sunday brunches.

Pearl’s menu has evolved through its 23-year history, so that it now offers fewer Cajun choices and more contemporary American versions, Seikel said.

The menu may change further when the new restaurant opens. “We will have a few little fancy things we can’t do in our kitchen now because of our space limitations. Some roasted stuff,” Seikel said.

Some dishes may provide more Asian or Mediterranean flavor.

“We are going to surprise our regulars,” Seikel said.

Doesn't matter how nice they try to make it, a pad location in a strip mall simply won't be the same as the old location on NW 63rd St.

I can't picture the new spot... I suppose it will be somewhere in the sea of parking in the Wal-Mart shopping center?

Actually, it's a block or two north of the strip, near a new office complex, up toward where Classen turns temporarily eastbound.

Actually, it's a block or two north of the strip, near a new office complex, up toward where Classen turns temporarily eastbound.

Thanks windowphobe. I was for some reason thinking it would be near IHOP. Maybe this will be a pretty nice location afterall. Still, the old location is just unique. Most of what makes the original Pearls location special is the small, quaint atmosphere.

Enough about Pearl's, let's talk about what Chesapeake will do with the land... much more exciting!

They'll continue to use the land to help fight off the shortage of office space in Oklahoma City by building more. As everyone can see, we don't need neighborhoods, we need more office space.

I miss Pearl's in Norman. I always thought a Pearl's in Campus Corner, with big New Orleans-style outdoor patios and balconies and a huge bar, would be awesome.

I'm thinking it is in the NorthFork development just north of the Belle Isle shopping center. I'm guessing it will probably be on a corner lot. The article said it is already under construction on the 5600 block of Classen so I'll try and drive by soon unless someone beats me to it.

i was that way late last week and it looked as if there were foundations poured on several commercial structures... if memory serves, one near the road and one further away. at the time, i thought they were new offices or something. they were just south of the cemetery. *gulp* not sure what kind of views one would get from a restaurant around there... -M

Enough about Pearl's, let's talk about what Chesapeake will do with the land... much more exciting!

I don't believe the title of the thread mentions anything about Chesapeake.

i was that way late last week and it looked as if there were foundations poured on several commercial structures... if memory serves, one near the road and one further away. at the time, i thought they were new offices or something. they were just south of the cemetery. *gulp* not sure what kind of views one would get from a restaurant around there... -M

mmm, you're talking about the NorthFork development. There is another thread on this site that talks about that development. For the most part, it is a Class A office park that offers tenants ownership rather than leasing. I did mention NorthFork above but I'm wondering if Pearls will be in this development, just a corner lot that would be facing Classen since the Oklahoman's article mentioned it would be in the 5600 block of Classen. That is the only logical scenario I can come up with for the location.

it'd almost have to be part of northfork. like i posted, there was a foundation that wasn't so far from classen. i'd imagine '5641' would be pretty darn close to where i was looking. -M

I drove by there this afternoon, and 5641 is indeed part of the Northfork Office Development, across the creek from Belle Isle Station Shopping Center.

It certainly is more ostentatious that the old neighborhood spot.

I don't remember seeing that rendering before. Did you add it, Malibu?

Definitely looks very nice.

I agree with patrick. I loved the cozier location much better.

FYI the new Pearl's on Classen Blvd. opened today!

FYI the new Pearl's on Classen Blvd. opened today!


Wow metro, that was quick. I'll definitely have to go by and see it.

I drove by a couple days before opening and it looks great!

had lunch there today... it was really nice inside. the menu is pretty much the same and the food tasted no better or worse. the dining room is not much bigger than the old location on western... it does have a larger bar area now. the building for sure appears larger so i think there must be some private dining facilities there now, too.

on the whole, while i feel the decor is nice... it just feels more stuffy and corporate than the quaint location on western. also, you have a great view of the cemetary from the parking lot... kind of a mood killer.

-M

Yeah, the old location had a lot of charm that is lost now.

also, you have a great view of the cemetary from the parking lot... kind of a mood killer.

They don't call it Pearl's Graveside for nothing! :D

They don't call it Pearl's Graveside for nothing! :D

:LolLolLol

You get a gold star for that one!

ha! that's a good one, john! -M

It's a shame that one of the few areas in OKC with a lot of charm and character is slowly being gobbled up and bulldozed.

Really the Chesapeake campus is better than what used to be there.

Chesapeake is the best thing that has ever happened to that part of Okc.

It could be worse. It could be the site of a new Sprawlmart Stupid Center or a Sprawlmart Neighborhood Dumpster.

It could be worse. It could be the site of a new Sprawlmart Stupid Center or a Sprawlmart Neighborhood Dumpster.
:LolLolLol

I just think that they should be buying up the empty warehouses and ugly single story office buildings on Western north of Deep Fork and ripping them down, not bulldozing one of kind businesses.