In the months since The Boxyard closed its doors, the last businesses to occupy the space say they’re still carving their own paths around town.
Tenants were abruptly told in May they needed to vacate after a decade of ups and downs at the business plaza located in the Blue Dome district.
Post COVID-19 pandemic, several businesses shuffled in and out with the hopes of revitalizing the space. Rene’ Bramlett, owner of Da Shade Room eyewear, was one of its biggest supporters and oldest tenants.
“I wish that The Boxyard would have given us more time for more development,” Bramlett said. “Right when the growth was happening, the doors (were) closed, but it didn’t stop (us). Some of our businesses have gone on to pivot and do greater things.”
Bramlett has since returned to her roots, operating as a hybrid business with a satellite office at the Ashley Great American Flea Market where she sees people Friday through Sunday. Bramlett calls herself an innovative optician, though she isn’t licensed. Customers bring her their prescription and she provides them with stylized frames of their choosing.
She also does mobile appointments and partners with nursing homes and daycares to serve people who can’t easily travel to an eye doctor.
During her tenure at The Boxyard, Bramlett maintained a strong relationship with Roosevelt “Rozay” Walker, former owner of Rozay’s Wings, now Unkle Rozay’s Wingz & Thingz.
Walker died in June shortly after moving from The Boxyard, but his legacy lives on through his family and his business.
His daughter, Whitney Scott, has since taken up the mantle as the owner and says she plans on making sure her father’s legacy lives on. Since opening restaurants in north and south Tulsa, she says customers have been coming in droves to share their love for the food but also her late father.
“Tulsa has been so good to us, I can’t even put into words how good they’ve been to us. My daddy was loved. He was very, very loved,” Scott said. “So many (have come) to support the business… They’ve been stopping by sending prayer, love, everything you can think of.”
Unkle Rozay’s is technically a new business but has the same menu. It now has two locations — one at 6551 E. 71st St. and the other at 5114 N. Peoria Ave.
Rozay’s sat below My Momma’s House, a soul food restaurant run by a mother and son duo. The restaurant told its customers on Facebook it is currently in the process of securing a new location, but that hasn’t stopped them from offering catering services and online pickups.
“It’s coming I promise,” owner Chris Mitchell wrote in a Facebook post in late May.
He previously told The Eagle The Boxyard had all the potential in the world if it was run differently.
Bramlett herself tried to make the space more welcoming by helping several businesses acquire a space to test their concepts in collaboration with Downtown Tulsa Partnership’s holiday pop-up shop.
LAMIK Beauty, Sugar Chic Glam Couture and NCrowd Clothing Co. were a few of the concepts to move through the pop-up program. Most have moved back to operating online and doing pop-ups around town. LAMIK Beauty products can be found in JCPenny at Woodland Hills mall.
It’s closed for business, but The Boxyard will serve as the venue for a four-day Parla BIPOC creative festival featuring music, food and entertainment Sept. 24-27.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
