Oklahoma Restaurateurs
Learn from the oral histories of Oklahoma's restaurateurs and food service leaders and how their indelible legacies shaped the gastronomy of Oklahoma.
Learn From These Influential Oklahomans
Jim Economou
The Coney Island StoryAsk anyone in the Coney business what’s the most important part of making a great coney, and the answer is always the same—it’s the chili. In the 1920’s, when the …
Maxine Kelamis
Savoy RestaurantNick Kelamis is where the story of the Savoy Restaurant begins. In 1910, he left Greece with a dream to build a better life for his family in America. A …
Mike Samara
Celebrity Club Fine DiningThe son of Lebanese immigrants, Michael Samara was born in 1924 in Oklahoma City. He started working in restaurants for his brother, Jake, at the age of twelve. He managed …
Stan Clark
Eskimo Joe’s OwnerThe fortieth anniversary of Eskimo Joe’s in 2015 recalls the story of two graduates of Oklahoma State University, Stan Clark and Steve File, and their dream of opening a bar …
William S. Atherton
Businessman, Pizza HutListen to the oral history of William S. Atherton, a legendary Oklahoma businessman, prolific Pizza Hut franchisee and Chairman of Atherton Restuarant Systems.
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