Flashback 20 Years When Spaghetti Warehouse Opened
OK, truth be told these photos were taken last week, not 20 years ago. But the restaurant really is a time capsule. I’ve probably not eaten at Spaghetti Warehouse in Bricktown in 5-7 years. When it first opened, it was the BIG DEAL – the attraction that finally turned Bricktown into a place everyone wanted to visit.
As a senior in college in spring, 1990, I went with friends for dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse and then hung out at O’Brien’s across the street. And for us, that was a big night downtown. We talked excitedly about the preparations underway for the CBA Cavalry, which was to start its first season that fall.
More resturants and clubs opened. A lot of them emphasized the history of Bricktown, following the example set by Spaghetti Warehouse and its placement of an old OKC Railway car in the dining room.
Going back in last week, my acquaintance and I talked about the area’s past and present. We wondered why restaurants in Bricktown by and large seem to ignore the historic character of the district when it comes to interior design. We began to appreciate the dated decor of Spaghetti Warehouse even more. Sure, it’s 1989. But I’m not entirely sure that’s all bad.
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Comments
You make an interesting point about the emphasis of the district in interior design. I think it’s a tough call – do you highlight the district’s amenities overall, or do you highlight the district’s cohesiveness in all of its amenities? A unified celebration of the district in each structure would be an effort for the Bricktown Assoc. to tackle.
I think you might end up attracting more business in general if each facility can design a unique facility. I attended a Route 66 marketing workshop a while ago and listened to a discussion on a similar issue. Is it better to design your new Route 66-located store with a large variety of Route 66 memorabilia, or do you design it completely unique? Going with the unique, option, it’s location on Route 66 makes it a new attraction, hopefully reinvigorating the brand of Route 66, not regurgitating passe Route 66 history. For Bricktown, it would mean designing facilities to match their building, make each space different and wonderful in relation to the space’s own history, but not necessarily showing much of Bricktown as a whole…
I’ve always enjoyed Spaghetti Warehouse’s atmosphere. If only their food weren’t awful. I do like their bread.
You inspired me to take my wife to lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse on Monday. We enjoyed it. We ate there on our first date on Dec. 31, 1990, and had to wait a very long time to get seated. We’ve been back a few times, but not recently … until today.