Bartlesville's iconic Price Tower shifts focus to community events over restaurants

After 10 months of ownership, Bartleville's iconic Price Tower is pivoting away from operating restaurants to becoming a hub for community-based events.

Located in the heart of the downtown arts district and designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Price Tower has had its share of ups and downs over the last few years. But the new owners believe they are starting to hit their stride.

"I know this building can support itself, it just needs to learn how and we need to teach it how," Cynthia Blanchard, CEO of Copper Tree Inc., said. "It's never taken care of itself. It was either part of a big corporation or a nonprofit."

More: Price Tower: Sold for the debt, $10 and a promise

After opening Love 66 Bistro last August, Copper Tree management decided to close the downstairs restaurant in November because it was losing money, said Executive Director/General Manager Donna Keffer.

Price Tower will use that space to host various events throughout the year.

"I think the Tower is going to tell us what its business plan is and it seems to be," Blanchard said. "We have real numbers and we actually have real data and we actually have proforma that is reflecting a real future and a business plan that is doable."

Art shows, game nights, pop-up restaurants and listening room music venues are just some of the fun events the team at the Tower is looking at.

Blanchard said the team is excited about this new chapter and ready to explore ideas to grow the Tower's offerings. They hope to feature local, regional and nationally known artists, musicians and chefs in the one-of-a-kind space.

In December, Price Tower hosted a listening room experience with Grammy-nominated artist and Oklahoma native John Fullbright. The event gave the team immediate feedback that the new plan could work.

"I think downstairs right now, we have found that we can keep the building alive with the community coming in," Keffer said.

In line with those new goals, local artist Jon Lindblom hosted a large gallery exhibit opening Jan. 19 in the main gallery and the former downstairs restaurant. More than 100 hundred patrons came to peruse more than 50 paintings in Lindblom's "Angels of Pandora: An AI/Human Collaboration" opening, which runs through March 24.

Keffer said she and others were excited to host the exhibit opening, which is free and open to the public. Additionally, a portion of the sales from the paintings goes to support the Price Tower, the Bartlesville Art Association and various local nonprofits.

"I'm just blown away with the community support, and my dream from the very beginning was let's as a community. come and bring this Tower back to his glory." Blanchard said. "It's happening organically, which is so exciting."

Blanchard and Keffer said the Tower still operates as a hotel and office rental space but plans for the 15th- and 16th-floor restaurant, formerly the Copper Restaurant + Bar, is a secret.

"That space may be open, but I don't want to say anything yet," Blanchard said.

Public incentives

With the Bartlesville Development Authority's (BDA) recommendation in July, the Bartlesville City Council approved more than $80,000 in incentives for the Price Tower to open two new restaurants.

The Tower received the funds from the BDA on July 31 with the assumption both restaurants would open soon. However, only Love 66 Bistro officially opened to the public.

Initially, the Price Tower planned to operate two restaurants, Love 66 Bistro on the first floor and Wright Steak on the upper floors, with the help of Santa Monica restauranteur Anthony Fischler. Now, Blanchard says Fischler is no longer involved with the project.

Blanchard said the partnership "wasn't working," and they were moving in different directions.

"At the end of the day, if we're losing money, and it's draining the Tower — it can't support itself," Blanchard said.

Keffer said she and Blanchard have been in constant communication with the BDA regarding the public funding and the Tower has their full support. The original contract stipulated the Tower had 24 months to open the businesses and they are sticking to those terms.

"We're being good stewards of that money, and if we're unable to fulfill what we told them, then that money will go back to the city," Keffer said.

Blanchard shared the new business model and updated tax revenue projections with the BDA. She said the latest estimates align with the restaurants' original forecasts, which she said BDA President and CEO David Wood called "music to my ears."

"The BDA supports their efforts to make the Tower financially viable," Chris Batchelder, BDA vice president of business development, wrote in a statement. "Operations of the Price Tower are well outside BDA's expertise, so we have no opinion as to the specific steps they should be or are taking to make that happen. We know they are working very hard to make it a success, and we support them in that endeavor."

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Price Tower takes organic pivot as community event venue