Businesses remain closed while First National Center work persists
Two downtown businesses have spent much of this week closed after falling debris from the First National Center Sunday night forced a street closure blocking entrance to the restaurants.
Sweets and Eats and The Urban Taco Shop are the only two businesses which have customer access only from Robinson Avenue between Park Avenue and Main Street. The street and sidewalks on that block were closed after a portion of masonry fell from the 26th floor of the First National Center, leaving the business owners unable to operate their stores.
“It probably couldn’t have come at a worse time,” Urban Taco Shop Owner Cody Hail said. “Usually I wouldn’t care
as much because I’d run my food truck. But my food truck was in a crash last month, so my hands are kind of tied. It’s going to be a hard burden to overcome.”
Bill Gold’s wife, Sally Gold, owns Sweets and Eats, but Bill helps in the operation and has been in contact with a First National Center representative about the timeline for reopening.
“We’ve been in close contact with management of the First National Center and they’re ensuring us they’ve been working as quickly as they can,” Bill Gold said. “It looks like the soonest we could reopen would be Friday, but that’s not for certain.”
Oklahoma City Public Works Public Information Manager Shannon Cox said the city also is waiting for word from the engineers inspecting First National Center that everything is safe.
‘That’s all we do’
For both Urban Taco Shop and Sweets and Eats, their downtown stores are their only brick-andmortar locations.
“That’s it, that’s all we do,” Bill Gold said. “We are a little concerned this might carry over even after we are given the green light to open up. We don’t know how soon our customer base will know we are open. That’s just something I’ll have to work with.”
“We rely on downtown business,” said Hail of Urban Taco Shop. “When the weather is good the business is better, and so the last couple of days we’ve missed some good business. It’s one of those things where everyone feels the stress and pressure from it. January is a hard month to overcome. Being out three or four or five days is kind of hard.”
Bill Gold said Sweets and Eats had some food spoilage as a result of the delayed closure. He planned to visit the store Wednesday to further assess the situation.
Employees for both restaurants are feeling the hurt of not working, according to Hail and Bill Gold.
“The employees are wondering if they have a job when they come back and when they will get paid,” Bill Gold said. “I’ve asked them to bear with me until we get things worked out with the First National Center.”
Bill Gold doesn’t anticipate anyone will lose a job, but several days without work is difficult for many.
Across the street, businesses are still accessible through other entrances, even if street access is blocked. Quik Print Store Manager Jerry Dutton said there has been minimal effect on the business.
“There has been a slight decrease in walk-in traffic,” Dutton said. “And an increase in our deliveries (to customers).”
As the businesses are forced to wait for reopening, Bill Gold said he feels those working on First National Center are doing their best to solve the issue as soon as possible.
“They’re working with us and I’m sure they are going as quickly as they can,” Bill Gold said.