Company with Falcone's ties will follow Swadley's as state parks vendor
Just under a year after terminating its contract with Swadley’s Bar-B-Q for operation of restaurants at six of its state parks, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation announced it was awarding a new contract to La Ratatouille.
La Ratatouille is an Oklahoma-based company that owns and operates Falcone’s Pizzeria, Jonny Cakes Bakery, multiple food trucks and a catering business.
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The planned opening date for the restaurants is Memorial Day weekend.
Per the bid and the contract, the tourism department will receive 13% of gross receipts monthly for each park from La Ratatouille.
"Reopening these restaurants has been a top priority of mine since joining the agency,” said tourism department Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. “Our goal from Day One was to conduct the process with integrity and transparency, while also giving the citizens of Oklahoma a dining experience they would enjoy and be proud of. We can’t wait to work with La Ratatouille to offer excellent food and service inside our state parks.”
The announcement came after request for information and request for proposal processes held earlier this year.
The RFP process, which was facilitated by the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services, began after the tourism department hosted open houses at each of the six parks and solicited input from potential vendors and area residents during a three-week RFI period.
Seven prospective vendor submissions were received and evaluated by a team to determine their ability to meet the operational needs for the park restaurants.
Zumwalt, who said she was not one of the people on the committee responsible for evaluating the bids, said a weighted system was used, and the final selection came down to which vendor was the best selection for both the state and visitors to state parks.
"They really had all of the factors that said they knew what they were walking into, they could make it successful and they have the capability and really the reach throughout the state to be able to do it," Zumwalt said Wednesday.
The six other vendors varied in scope, with several only placing bids on one state park location. Bidders Sauer Enterprises, Lucky Star Casino, Big Country's Q each submitted contracts for a sole park.
Two more vendors, PARKSERVE and RIVERSERVE bid on all six properties. Both are owned by the same Tulsa-based company SERVEGROUP and submitted nearly identical bids for the contract. A final company, Souvenir Hospitality Group, also bid to operate all six park restaurants. Both the SERVEGROUP companies and Souvenir Hospitality Group's bids included management or consultant fee structures in their proposed contracts with the Tourism department.
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The restaurants will operate in existing facilities at Lake Murray State Park in Ardmore, Quartz Mountain State Park in Lone Wolf, Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton, Roman Nose State Park in Watonga, Sequoyah State Park in Hulbert, and Beavers Bend State Park in Broken Bow.
“We are excited to partner with OTRD to provide restaurant services inside of six parks across the state,” said La Ratatouille Owner & Operator J.P. Wilson. “The current facilities at these parks are top notch, and we are honored to be trusted with the responsibility of bringing a first-class dining experience to Oklahomans and park visitors from across the country.”
The department and vendor are still working to fully craft the brand, concept and name for the state park restaurants. As for what will likely be on the menu, a first glance at a prospective menu shows possibilities including burger and sandwich options along with homestyle classics like meatloaf, chicken and waffles and more.
"I have it on authority that there will be chicken fried steak, there's no need to email me anymore about chicken fried steak," Zumwalt said. "We will have that on the menu, and I will taste test it myself."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: La Ratatouille follows Swadley's as Oklahoma park restaurant vendor
