Food briefs: Freebirds celebrates 4/20, Norman's syrup. to open OKC venue, more

Food briefs: Freebirds celebrates 4/20, Norman's syrup. to open OKC venue, more
William Pruyn

Sugar high

Regional burrito restaurant Freebirds World Burrito will reintroduce its pot brownies just in time for April 20 at its two Oklahoma City locations: 1841 Belle Isle Blvd., Suite J and 14220 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 1. Marketing vice president Eric Coolbaugh said the popular dessert gets its name from the little pots used to bake the brownies.

“We’re a funky concept,” he said. “We keep our tongue firmly planted in our cheek.”

After leaving the menu a few years ago, pot brownies are returning as part of the restaurant’s 30th anniversary. Guests were vehement about bringing it back, so the restaurant chose 4/20 as the perfect day to give hungry diners what they want.

Freebirds customers who buy a monster or super monster burrito Thursday-Sunday will receive a free pot brownie with their order. The restaurant is also curating playlists for all of its locations with plenty of 4/20-friendly bands. Visit freebirds.com.

Pouring in

Norman breakfast boutique syrup. will open a second Oklahoma City location this summer. General manager Matt Kossler said they’ve long wanted to expand the restaurant, but the search for a location ramped up in the last five months.

“We just landed the property in the last month and a half,” he said of the former home of La Catrina, 1501 NW 23rd St. “It’s a great location, and we’ll be marketing it and becoming part of the community.”

Uptown 23rd is a popular food destination, but turning a good restaurant concept into a successful business can be challenging. Kossler said he thinks it’s a matter of having the right product, which syrup. has.

“The whole experience at syrup. is totally different,” he said. “I think every great restaurant needs three great things: service, product and atmosphere. We do it all very well.”

The welcoming culture includes a lot of repeat business, which is important in making a restaurant profitable.

“I would say about 40 to 50 percent of our customers are regulars,” he said.

Breakfast competition in Oklahoma City is fierce, but Kossler said more people are taking time to enjoy a great breakfast because it really is the most important meal of the day. Kossler said the Oklahoma City location of syrup. is scheduled to open in June or July. Visit syrup-breakfast.com.

Smooth moves

Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens its eighth metro location Friday with specials and prizes.

The new store, 7800 N. May Ave., Suite A, will give away free smoothies for a year to the first 30 guests when it opens 7 a.m. Friday. There are also prize wheel giveaways and product tastings. The cafe will sell $1.99 smoothies 2-9 p.m.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe expanded rapidly in the metro in the last two years. Its May Avenue location is the third to open in 2017.

Glen Johnson worked his way up from franchise owner to president and owner of Tropical Tango, LLC. He’s on track to have 30 operating cafes in west Texas and Oklahoma by 2018. Visit tropicalsmoothiecafe.com.

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