Downtown pizzeria planned

A man who withdrew his original plan to open a ROK Bar in downtown Shawnee has revised his business concept. The Shawnee planning commission on Wednesday approved a conditional use permit for the sale of beer and alcohol at a new pizzeria and pub.
Kevin Bentley proposes a pizzeria at 118 E. Main that will be open 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The pizzeria will be closed on Sundays.
Bentley, who earlier this summer pitched the idea to open a ROK Bar at 118 E. Main, similar to one in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown, withdrew his permit request for that establishment before commissioners ever voted on the matter. His decision came during a July 7 city commission meeting where residents protested the type of activities they said were portrayed at Oklahoma City’s ROK Bar.
Bentley’s revamped plans are for a restaurant and pub that serves alcohol. The menu will include hamburgers, hot wings, chips and salsa and pizzeria items like fried ravioli and pizza, he said.
Bentley said he envisions a large lunch crowd and estimates he could see about 177 customers each day. Bentley is a partner in other restaurants and pubs that have been successful.
“We’re going to invest a good chunk of change into this property,” Bentley said. In Shawnee, “we’ll have eight flat-screen TVs to watch games, but we’re not going to be a sports bar,” he said.
The restaurant’s capacity will be about 100 people overall, he said.
Planning commissioner John Holt compared the pizzeria to Chili’s and Santa Fe Cattle Co., which both have designated bar areas but serve dinner to families in other areas of the restaurant.
Questions over the size of the bar area were discussed. The restaurant has 3,600 square feet. Of that, the bar area will be 24 feet long and eight feet wide, with 34 barstools, Bentley said.
The general seating area, which can include families, will accommodate 88 people, he said.
The planning commission received three letters about the permit issue, with primary concerns that the restaurant and pub could be approved as such and then turn into a different type of operation later down the road. The board discussed that if the business changes in way other than being a restaurant, it could lose its permit and be shut down.
“I’m investing $60,000 in the kitchen. By no means am I going to stop selling food,” Bentley said.
Holt, who is chairman of the planning commission, said he voted against the ROK Bar idea earlier this summer, and said he appreciates Bentley’s willingness to come back and open a restaurant.
Commissioner Shawna Turner said many Shawnee residents leave this community and drive to Oklahoma City for dinner, but with higher gas prices, more people can’t afford those trips and want places closer to home.
“This is a golden opportunity for our community to capture that money and keep it in Shawnee,” she said.
During a public hearing, a few people spoke, but none in opposition of a pizzeria.
Nick Shepherd, who owns a Main Street business adjacent to the proposed location, also had concerns about the ROK Bar concept, but said he supports the pizzeria.
“I want to thank you, Kevin, for coming back. This is a proposal I think will be good for Shawnee,” he said. “I’m for progress.”
Ronda White with Downtown Shawnee told the board she’s happy Bentley returned and wants to open a restaurant.
“He really does care about the community, downtown and what his neighbors and community want,” she said, adding that Bentley has visited with downtown merchants.
The motion to approve a conditional use permit of the sale of beer and alcohol at the restaurant passed unanimously by the planning commission, but final approval will be up to the Shawnee city commission when that board convenes Sept. 15.
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Kim Morava may be reached at 214-3962.