Shake Shack rattles and rolls into Oklahoma
Oklahoma City native Ryan McNeill left his hometown for California to learn all he could about mixed-use centers. He returned with a plan to erect a center that would wow his fellow citizens with exciting retail firsts.
Just six months after cutting the ribbon on his 20-acre mixed-use center in Oklahoma City, he’s scored his first “first.” Shake Shack will make its Sooner State debut at McNeill’s Oak project off I-44, just north of downtown.
Shake Shack will inhabit an all-glass “jewel box” space on the edge of Heartwood Park, the district’s 7,000-sq.-ft, greenspace.
“From the very beginning, we asked the community for feedback on the types of retailers and restaurants they want to see at Oak,” said McNeill, the founder of locally based Veritas Development. “Whether it was on social media or IRL, we have heard their requests for Shake Shack and are so proud that its first location in Oklahoma will be right here at Oak.”
Veritas also recently announced that Bluemercury will open at Oak this fall, next to Williams Sonoma.
RH will open in June, becoming the first design gallery in the region. Spanning 42,000 sq. ft., RH at OAK will feature a rooftop restaurant, garden, wine bar and in-house interior design firm.
Also soon to be opened at the center--which will encompass 135,000-sq.-ft of retail--is The Oil Tree, a popular Oklahoma City-based shop specializing in ultra-premium olive oils and aged balsamic vinegar.
The 132-key Lively Hotel opened recently, as well as a 320-unit multifamily community that has already welcomed its first residents.
Beginning this month, Heartwood Park will begin hosting free weekly experiences such as an artisan and farmers market, yoga classes, and live music. On May 3, the center will host Julep Jubilee, an inaugural Kentucky Derby event for approximately 100 ticketed guests.
McNeill is likely to be one of them.
“It’s a special convergence moment for someone who grew up here, moved away, studied the best mixed-use projects in the country, and then brought one home,” McNeill told Chain Store Age when Oak was still under construction.
