RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
One family builds a restaurant legacy over three decades
Surviving in the restaurant industry has never been an easy task, but one family in Edmond has kept two restaurants going strong for nearly three decades, while adding another five years ago.
And while working with family is not for everyone, for the Holloways, owners of Cafe 501, Boulevard Steakhouse and Sparrow Modern Italian, it’s always been the only way they imagined doing things.
“Growing up with my father — who was just a true hospitalitarian — hospitality was his true nature,” said Jeff Holloway, middle son of the Holloway family and executive chef for the restaurant group.
“He had been in the business for 30 years, before he opened up Boulevard, but before that, he and Sheree, my mom, opening up 501, and seeing, you know, not only the work that goes into it, but really the growth of the community, and just, how they excelled at it, and it was kind of in the blood to continue on with it.”
Three of Sheree and Pete Holloway’s four children are now involved in food and dining in some aspect: Jeff and his sister, Alex, directly with the restaurant group and older brother, Andrew, through the wine industry, which allows him to stay loosely connected to the family businesses.
The family laughs when they talk about youngest brother, Hirst — named for Wayne Hirst, Pete’s best friend and another legend in Oklahoma Hospitality — becoming the sole sibling to forge a path outside of food and dining.
“I think when he was growing up and it’s snowing outside and nobody can get to work, they all had to do work, they had to come in and fill in, and I think he had his fill of that, so he decided he didn’t want any part of it,” Sheree Holloway said.
Since Pete’s passing in 2021, Sheree Holloway said her children’s presence at the restaurants has been an integral part of the winning formula.
“Pete and I put in a lot of years, a lot of long days, especially when all the kids were little, and it was tough,” Sheree Holloway said.
“Pete was always the front of the house. He was always hospitable, and my function was in the back of the house, and that’s where I’ve always been most comfortable. So since Pete’s passed away, I’m so grateful to have Alex and Jeff — and the other boys — but, on day-to-day service standards and hospitality, they’re awesome with it, and I think it’s been a great legacy.”
Building a legacy to pass on, foundations of Holloway Restaurant Group
In August 1995, Sheree and Pete Holloway opened the doors of Cafe 501, 501 S Boulevard in Edmond. Initially intended as a simple way for Sheree’s baking passion to take root, instead a family empire was launched. Cafe 501 quickly became beloved by local residents, and the menu expanded to include dinner service and weekend brunch.
Three years after the opening of the original Cafe 501, the couple followed with a second concept, Pete Holloway’s love letter to the city, Boulevard Steakhouse, 505 S Boulevard. Once again, they found favor with the locals.
Along the way, the Holloway restaurant group also has been home to The Martini Bar, Ice House and Park House in the Myriad Botanical Gardens. A second Cafe 501 location also was opened in Classen Curve in 2010, remaining until 2021.
By 2019, the Holloways were ready to add another restaurant to their portfolio. Sparrow Modern Italian, 507 S Boulevard, came to roost, a chance for Pete, who developed the Pepperoni Grill concept for Val Gene Associates, to reimagine his love for Italian restaurants.
“We opened in May of ‘19, and it was blown away with that and then COVID hit and everything, but I think that was special to him to do an Italian restaurant again,” Jeff Holloway said.
The family doesn’t plan to stop growing their legacy, but they plan to be deliberate, always taking care of the existing restaurants first so as to not overextend. Having gleaned wisdom from their past endeavors and pandemic experiences that led to difficult decisions, they look at future growth as something that will only come with careful planning.
“We learned some very important lessons from 501 Classen Curve, especially when the economy, when COVID hit,” Sheree Holloway said. “At some point, you have to reevaluate, and it’s just not worth it. So I think we will just be very cautious in terms of growing, but I do think that that’s in the near future, as long as we take care of everything here first.”
A family beyond bloodlines
Pete and Sheree Holloway always have had the idea that family didn’t just mean themselves and their children, it extended to everyone who made their restaurants possible.
“We’ve really gotten to know the community, and really care about them, as people and their families,” Sheree Holloway said.
“I think it’s great to come in in the mornings and see the same people that we’ve seen for 20 and 25 years, and we know their families and their kids, and their kids work for us. We’re just very fortunate. Edmond is a wonderful community. They’ve supported us, and we’ve tried to support them.”
From helping with local fundraisers to donations to schools and city departments, to the simple act of providing for someone experiencing a loss, the Holloway Restaurant Group’s connection to Edmond and surrounding areas always has been about more than just meals.
“At the end of the day, we’re serving food, but it’s so much more than that. We’re creating relationships, and people grow up with us,” Jeff Holloway said.
“It’s the family of everyone that’s been here for years and the people that have just joined us recently that we’ve welcomed on, and I think that sense of family really is why we excel.”