Blue Rose

PROBLEM: This local hotspot wanted a new restaurant that included both an enclosed section and an extensive outdoor deck that extended over the Arkansas River. Any solution would need to include approval from the Corps of Engineers and the City of Tulsa with a long term lease from Tulsa River Parks Authority. An additional challenge was the trail that runs along side the river for runners and bikers. Usage of the trail could not be interrupted during operation of the restaurant.  The restaurant closed during Covid and reopened in 2022 as The Sand Bar and the outdoor area is Yard Bar.

SOLUTION: The “swamphouse” buildings so prevalent on the gulf coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi inspired the Blue Rose design.  It’s open and unpretentious, giving patrons a place to kick back and listen to good live music, while drinking a cold beverage on the banks of the Arkansas River.  With 2,900 square-foot enclosed, this is the very first habitable structure ever built on the Arkansas in Oklahoma.

Using piers, a 3,600 square foot deck extends over the river and was designed for a future eight-slip dock off of the lower patio deck. This will be a hub for water taxis and dinner boats travelling up and down the Arkansas as development continues. To accommodate the pedestrian trail, we created a bridge linking the parking lot with the restaurant that runs over the trail.