The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I hear that the Russell Stovers at Utica Square is not getting its lease renewed.  

Supposedly their last day is May 11 and everything is currently discounted.

A store closing sign with 75% off was attached to the store this morning.  (Or so I hear.)

FIFY ;)

So is this Utica Square deciding not to renew the lease or the store not renewing? Apparently they may be re-branding the stores as Lindt after being purchased.

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/morning_call/2014/07/russell-stover-to-be-bought-for-1-5-billion.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/morning_call/2014/07/russell-stover-to-be-bought-for-1-5-billion.html)

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2016/03/08/russell-stover-candies-lindt-profits.html (http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2016/03/08/russell-stover-candies-lindt-profits.html)

With the long-term construction at their doorstep I imagine a number of businesses would be under-performing.

You guys will like what's going in there. It will be a similar thing. I can't find if it's been publicly announced so I won't spill the beans until I can confirm it's public.

Will it be built before or after the things replacing Petty's and Miss Jackson's?

You can tell us.  We won't tell anyone.
 
 ;D

(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m82/Quattrocentric/Waiting_zps9ss2sruk.jpg)

Don't have a timeline but it's someone who doesn't putz around and is a perfect fit for Utica Square.

I have no actual knowledge. But based on those hints, I'm guessing Glacier Confection. Would be a good fit. If so, hope its in addition to the downtown spot.

Facebook comments have said its Glacier.  I actually like the idea of a local shop being there, but I get the nostalgia of Russel Stover having been there for so long.  It was unlikely to last much longer anyway because RS is being acquired by a Swiss company and has been closing shops like this for a while.

Glacier is (also?) opening a new location in the building on Archer between Cincinnati at Detroit being rehabbed by the Kaiser Foundation.

"With nine of the 10 retail tenants confirmed, the building will include Strange Donuts, Goods Bodega, Lone Wolf restaurant and bar, Glacier Confection, Holy Mountain Records, Magic City Books, and Made." http://gtrnews.com/greater-tulsa-reporter/14554/east-village-brady-see-new-projects

Does that cut make it more or less likely they're going to Utica Sq? Maybe once you're in the mood to expand you expand a lot. On the other hand, they could already have their hands full opening one new store and don't have time for two.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/retail/russell-stover-location-to-close-at-utica-square/article_a688f3c6-834b-5679-a299-fc94aaaf6dbd.html

The two location thing concerned me too. Especially in the same timeframe. "Expanded my own business too fast" is one of the "why do you want to work here" checkboxes on the Taco Bell assistant manager application.

Hopefully they are not moving in the Archer building and another cool tenant is. We don't need to have two chocolate shops by the same company one block away from each other.

That bothered me, too.

http://www.okmag.com/blog/2017/01/20/sweet-success/

The feel that I get from this article is that Glacier is moving into the new building, not just opening a second shop there...

Cool, thanks. And of course that means something new can go in their old store front!

They are moving their small store into a brand new larger location, while also opening a second location at Utica square, theoretically.

That article says they are taking 7,000 square feet downtown and that includes space for production. I would guess the Russell Stovers storefront would just remain a storefront. That little building can't be much over 1,000 square feet.

Fingers crossed for Cloud 9 to move there.

I swear to the Almighty I was going to post this exact message here.

You guys don't miss anything!

Answer is, all of the above. New big Archer building location AND new store in former Russell Stover's location.

http://ktul.com/news/local/russell-stovers-utica-square-location-closing

Cheers!

[edited for clarification]

According to the KTUL story, it opened in Utica Square in 1952 but apparently didn't become a "staple" in Utica Square until 1962. (Someone needs to brush up on their math skills.)

It's good to confirm that Utica Square is not just terminating leases helter-skelter with no plans for replacement tenants (as they apparently did a couple years ago...)

It was bad enough when they closed 71st store - this is ridiculous!   (We went to both on a fairly regular basis).

I heard a couple months ago that Lindt had bought them and knew right then it was gonna be the end of Russell Stover.  Get rid of solid, mid-scale chocolate - not like a good chocolatier, but meets a good price point value - and insert just another wax based Hershey's style mess.  It's a shame.


Guess we will have to settle for Godiva' in the mall...if they are still there - haven't been there in a long time!

I did get to spend 3 days at Godiva's factory in Pennsylvania a few years ago, working on the roof, surrounded by the smells of chocolate!  Break time was always in the retail shop downstairs looking for bargains.  Was able to bring back about 20 lbs of chocolate at about $1.50 a pound (factory 'seconds') as carry on luggage!  Filled the plane with aroma of chocolate - people's heads were exploding...!

New Russell Stover's location?

I edited to clarify - new Glacier in the former Russell Stover's location, not another Russell Stover's.

Sounds like it may be a left-coast kind of place...that would be nice!   Maybe get some freshly made nibs!!

Wal-mart, aisle 4.

anyone know the status of Glacier taking the Russell Stover space at Utica Square?

They've been open since at least Black Friday. I stopped in and bought a few things that day. Nice people, same great chocolate.

I spoke with Glacier in the Tulsa Arts District a few days back, they are also frantically working to get the new place open.  New place will be a "coffee bar" type of place, focused on the actual chocolate and drinks.  The current  downtown location will also stay, focusing on truffles and the like.  All around pretty awesome!

Selling Russel Stovers?  Or are they chocolatiers??

Guess I will have to go see them...

Lots of places to get coffee in a couple block radius...Chimera, Gypsy, Antoinette, Magic City, Press, now Glacier, Shuffles (I think) and the Flats on Archer I thought was gonna have coffee on the first floor. I personally only enjoy the coffee from Chimera but still, good to have options. 

WAT?

They make their own chocolates that are very good.  I understand they will be starting to manufacture chocolates from bean to bar. 

Wondering if they did the chocolate in house - next post clarified it for me.

Gonna have to go there soon.  Sounds great.  Have been to a couple places like that in Seattle area and really like nibs.

Brady District location currently has much better selection.
But Utica square has more free samples  :)

If I were Glacier, I'd be complaining to my landlord (Utica Square). Glacier is still not shown on the Utica Square map; Nothing has been posted in their "News" section; and worst of all... a search of the Utica Square site for "chocolate" brings up a lovely promotional piece for Russell Stover, but no mention of Glacier.