Tourists Used To Love This Restaurant Chain, But It's About To Close Its Doors For Good

Visitors to Oklahoma state parks will no longer have access to sit-down dining for the foreseeable future, thanks to the planned shuttering of The Lookout Kitchen's five locations at the end of September. Just like the veggie-focused Salad and Go chain, which is closing down multiple locations due to financial strife (some of which are in Oklahoma), The Lookout Kitchen ran into money problems. Recently, it owed The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) over $250,000 in unpaid debts and contractual fees. Back in July, OTRD was able to negotiate with The Lookout Kitchen to craft a plan that would settle those obligations, but it seems that the restaurant was unable to overcome its obstacles. While chains like Friendly's have so far avoided closing down post-bankruptcy, The Lookout Kitchen's story is coming to an end.

The past couple of years have been challenging for chain restaurants from coast to coast, thanks to higher rents and food costs. Consumer behavior is also changing, with tighter budgets forcing many potential diners to eat at home more often. Sure, individuals and families who visited the Sooner State's parks enjoyed The Lookout Kitchen restaurants as places to sit down and eat a good meal, but that didn't stop the chain from hitting a wall. Until the OTRD can find new vendors to fill the eateries, visitors will be limited to grab-and-go options that the Department is planning to supply at the sites.

The demise of The Lookout Kitchen will mean shuttering all five restaurants it encompassed, including locations at Beavers Bend, Lake Murray, Robbers Cave, Roman Nose, and Quartz Mountain parks. A sixth location at Sequoyah Park has been closed for months already after a fire damaged the restaurant. The chain's locations served fresh fare that would be familiar to visitors, including burgers, fried appetizers, salads, and a long list of specialty pizzas like Buffalo chicken, carbonara, and Mediterranean pies — which is apt for a state park, since America has a big role in pizza's history! The Lookout Kitchen aimed to use as many local Oklahoman ingredients as possible, supplying a large portion of its menus from nearby farms. The chain's ownership was also focused on sustainability that benefitted everyone involved in the restaurants, from suppliers to diners.

The vast beauty of the outdoors is on display at Oklahoma's many state parks, with visitors treated to activities like trout fishing, RV camping sites, horseback riding, mountain climbing, and game hunting. Each location offers different opportunities, as well as varying views of Oklahoma's distinctly gorgeous landscapes. Yet, right now, hungry adventurers will have to pack food from outside the parks to fuel themselves until park management can reopen the restaurants with new owners or get by with whatever convenience options the OTRD sees fit to provide.