Tuning in
If you’re digging the tunes inside Hideaway Pizza, you can keep listening to them just about anywhere. The restaurant launched Hideaway Pizza Radio March 3 as part of the run-up to its 60th anniversary. Programmed by The Spy FM’s Ferris O’Brien, it is available 24 hours a day online and in all Hideaway locations.O’Brien said he plans to keep the music fresh with a constantly changing playlist of music from local and national artists across eras. He hopes it can be a pathway for customers in Oklahoma and Arkansas to discover new local music.
“We think it’ll be as much fun for Hideaway employees as it will be for their customers; that’s our goal,” he said in a press release.
Listen at hideawaypizza.com.
Dining out
Oklahoma City’s food truck love affair continues when the second full season of Eats on 8th & Harvey kicks off March 18.New Eats on 8th CEO Willie Graham said they listened to food truck owners and crowds when planning this year’s events.
“Historically, Eat on 8th was held on the last Friday of the month. This year, we decided to move to the third Saturday of the month,” he said. “A lot of times, people who work in corporate America are dressed in business clothes, and by the time they go home and change, they’re not going to make it back out.”
The 2017 season will also start earlier, running noon-8 p.m., to give food trucks and customers more time together.
This year will also see the addition of a beer garden, Graham said.
“It’s been in demand the last few years,” he said. “We’ll also continue with the inflatables, including some more interactive inflatables.”
The event is free and open to the public and features a variety of food trucks including Ada-based Nacho Biznez, Smokey Ray’s barbecue and Cutie Pies Concession.
Eats on 8th will be March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and Oct. 21.
Graham said they’re also planning a monthly food truck festival on Sundays in different Oklahoma City parks.
Visit facebook.com/eatsoneighth.
Restaurant invasion
In 2007, Fortune named Oklahoma City the Fast Food Capital of the U.S. Around that time, the city was ranked eighth most obese by Men’s Health and Mayor Mick Cornett put everyone on a diet.A decade later, OKCdoesn’t even make the top 50 fast food restaurants per capita, according to FindTheHome.com. But that hasn’t stopped chains and franchises from opening new locations in the metro.
Dallas-based Cowboy Chicken recently opened its first franchise location in the state at 13801 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Rather than serving the bird fried or in strips, Cowboy Chicken cooks them on a wood-fired rotisserie grill and makes homestyle sides.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe has seen massive growth in the metro, with franchisees opening stores from Norman to Edmond. A new location opened at 7307 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 100, on Valentine’s Day. Another location is planned for 7800 N. May Ave., Suite A.
Sandwich-focused restaurants are opening at a rapid clip, as well. Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop opened its first Oklahoma location at 14600 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Schlotzsky’s opened a second Edmond location, 628 W. Danforth Road, Feb. 23 and Chicago-based Potbelly Sandwich Shop is opening two restaurants at 8500 N. Rockwell Ave. and in the Chisholm Creek Westgate Retail Center at N. Pennsylvania Ave. and Highland Park Drive.
