Museum Cafe

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Truly sad. This has been a favorite of ours, great atmosphere, vibe, but I have to agree - this doesn’t look good.

[Mott]

Is it the management?, or is it the public’s support? ( or lack of) . Whatever, it’s a really nice place for an evening meal, if the food and service are good. Hope something good will happen.

[SoonerDave]

Is it the management?, or is it the public’s support? ( or lack of) . Whatever, it’s a really nice place for an evening meal, if the food and service are good. Hope something good will happen.

Me, too. It was such a nice place for a special meal before a concert or other event at the Civic Center. My fear the last few times I had gone was that it was starting to look a little tired and just needed a bit of sprucing, but the sprucing became an overhaul, and the overhaul became a mess. Multiple operators, limited hours, just not a good trend.

[Pete]

Here's the backstory...

The cafe has struggled from its opening 7 years ago. Virtually no dinner business unless there is a show at the Civic Center, which isn't that often.

So, Good Egg took it on under a year's contract, which ends at the end of the month. They have decided not to renew because there just isn't enough business.

The museum conducted a survey of approximately 40 museum cafes in similar-sized markets. Virtually all of them are only open during the day.

So, the museum will carry on with the cafe but now realizes it is really just an amenity, not a stand-alone business.

The most important thing is that it will stay open and they will continue to use it for various events.

[CloudDeckMedia]

I'd always enjoyed the Museum Cafe until the change a year ago. Before it offered a casual upscale atmosphere, good food and attentive, unintrusive servers, but all of that changed.

We travel quite a bit, and I always investigate museum cafes hoping to find the previous experience we had here. Many are not much more than snack bars, but there are some true treasures with great chefs, servers, menus and atmosphere.

I miss what we had until a year ago, but won't miss what replaced it, nor the elimination of dinner and a place for a quiet drink in the evening. Sorry Good Egg Group couldn't make a go of it, especially with their track record.

[TheTravellers]

Here's the backstory...

The cafe has struggled from its opening 7 years ago. ...

Has it really only been open 7 years? Museum's been open a lot longer than that (2002) and we've been back here 11 years now and I could've sworn we had eaten there earlier than 2013...

[Pete]

I'd always enjoyed the Museum Cafe until the change a year ago. Before it offered a casual upscale atmosphere, good food and attentive, unintrusive servers, but all of that changed.

We travel quite a bit, and I always investigate museum cafes hoping to find the previous experience we had here. Many are not much more than snack bars, but there are some true treasures with great chefs, servers, menus and atmosphere.

I miss what we had until a year ago, but won't miss what replaced it, nor the elimination of dinner and a place for a quiet drink in the evening. Sorry Good Egg Group couldn't make a go of it, especially with their track record.

The museum itself had a lot to say about all the changes.

They were trying to change things up to attract more evening business but finally realized they are never going to get the necessary traffic.

Everyone was well-intentioned, and it seems the museum had finally come to understand the realities of the cafe.

[PaddyShack]

The museum itself had a lot to say about all the changes.

They were trying to change things up to attract more evening business but finally realized they are never going to get the necessary traffic.

Everyone was well-intentioned, and it seems the museum had finally come to understand the realities of the cafe.

My issue with the museum was the lack of changing exhibits. They only really have the one exhibit that changes every few months. The rest has been in place for over a year or two with the glass stuff being the main attraction. If they would get 2-3, maybe 4 exhibits changing over throughout a 12 month period then I could see more traffic coming through. Also, the movie theater is a bonus for this place. We have been to a number of screenings, but most of them are just too out there for us to enjoy all the time. We always felt the cafe looked closed when we visited, which are mostly Sundays after church.

[Pete]

FYI, I believe the museum is considering a major expansion.

[Rover]

FYI, I believe the museum is considering a major expansion.

Tell us more please. This is great news.

[Bullbear]

would it not be possible to be open for dinner service when there are shows at civic center or special events? I am sure that would be difficult but seems it could work but i clearly don't run food service. Even if they did special menus for shows.

[TheTravellers]

would it not be possible to be open for dinner service when there are shows at civic center or special events? I am sure that would be difficult but seems it could work but i clearly don't run food service. Even if they did special menus for shows.

Guessing the staffing problems would kill that, since if they're only open until 5, a lot of their staff goes on to other jobs after they leave the Cafe. I don't run food service either, so I don't really know that it may actually be a problem, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people in the restaurant sector tend to have multiple jobs.

[SoonerDave]

Guessing the staffing problems would kill that, since if they're only open until 5, a lot of their staff goes on to other jobs after they leave the Cafe. I don't run food service either, so I don't really know that it may actually be a problem, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people in the restaurant sector tend to have multiple jobs.

They're only open until *3pm*. I don't know if you could even try to set up for "special" nights with Civic Center events when you normally cut off so early. You'd need a really good plan for what to purchase and the size of crowd to expect. For what would, in that model, be a decidedly one-off situation, wherein dinner was no longer a regular service, that'd be a really tough thing to get a handle on, I'd think. No foodservice person here, just an arm's-length guesstimate

Even before the remodel and prior to Good Egg's management takeover last year, I remember going there for supper before a Civic Center event and the place was barely a third occupied. I remember making that observation only because I'd made a reservation, but realized upon arrival it was not even remotely necessary. Walkups were readily seated.

Whatever the situation, it's unfortunate. And I agree with an earlier poster that it surely seemed that place existed prior to 2013. My mom used to talk about it all the time after she retired, and she's been retired a *lot* longer than 7 years.

[citizenkane]

Yes, the Museum Cafe has been open since 2002, I believe.

[SoonerDave]

Yes, the Museum Cafe has been open since 2002, I believe.

Hah! That sounds more like it. My wife reminded me she and our daughter would eat there before going to the Nutcracker back when she was in elementary school, and that was well over a decade ago.

[SoonerDave]

You know, in rereading this thread, the cafe management arrangement ending as discussion of a museum expansion emerges makes me question whether the cafe will even exist in a few years. I'm no expert on the MOA property, but it seems any expansion would have to go into that restaurant space.

[Pete]

You know, in rereading this thread, the cafe management arrangement ending as discussion of a museum expansion emerges makes me question whether the cafe will even exist in a few years. I'm no expert on the MOA property, but it seems any expansion would have to go into that restaurant space.

No, that is not the plan as I understand it.

[BoulderSooner]

just saw that OKCMOA is moving the gift shop "the Museum store" into the Cafe space ...... so this is no longer a restaurant spot ..

[Pete]

just saw that OKCMOA is moving the gift shop "the Museum store" into the Cafe space ...... so this is no longer a restaurant spot ..

I believe they will serve coffee and pastries and a few other food items.