It's Monday morning and I am still worn out from Friday night. LIVE on the Plaza was almost double the size of the largest LIVE there has ever been. People were everywhere, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and the Plaza introduced two new businesses to 16th street. The energy and atmosphere was something Oklahoma City has never seen. Food trucks, thriving art shows, bands on a rooftop, bars overflowing with patrons, and street performers are all things we did not have on a monthly basis 6 years ago. We jokingly made a shirt in 2007 that read, "Welcome to Oklahoma City... Progression is Near!" It's apparent now that we're fully dwelling in a progressive city. Our city has a vibrant pulse and the momentum has been set. There are things that need repair and fine tuning, but everything is achievable. The Plaza District is a prime example of how hard work, the "Do It Yourself" spirit, and aggressive maintenance (love) can completely flip an area of town. The folks behind the Plaza have tirelessly worked to build it to the powerhouse it is today. While T&L has just joined the ranks of those on 16th, we've been actively involved in the area for 6 years. We've joked about being a satellite Plaza business for years now, and it's surreal to think we're physically a part of the neighborhood now.
The last 6 months have really taken it out of us to get this store open. Along with the usual day-to-day of completing custom design and print jobs for our great clients, we've been spreading ourselves thin trying to build a second store and create a completely new line of apparel and products. Without the hard enduring labor and increased responsibility of our guys in the print shop; John Metcalf, Phillip Bearshield, Taylor Dickerson, and Tanner Frady, we would've never been able to do it. Without the on point design help from Ian Spencer, I would be overwhelmed with contract design and completely unable to finish the tasks necessary for gearing up a second store. Without the non stop hard work from my business partner, John Milner; the finances, ordering, and licensing would've never been completed and the simple thought of a second store would've never left the ground.
We couldn't have asked for a better inaugural night to open a new location on 16th St. Thank you to everyone that made it out to celebrate. Thank you for your constant support. Thank you for making Oklahoma City a great and wonderful city to start a small business.
Here are some great photos of our opening by our friend and regular Drink & Draw attendee, Quit Nguyen:
Our friends Hector and Victor Lopez, being cool dudes.
Jabee performing on top of Velvet Monkey Salon in our Style Matters tee.
A big accent piece to our new store is the massive steel sign designed by us and built by our friend, Patrick O'Brien.
We gave away 250 shirts in 30 minutes. The line went out the door and down the street. Wow!
If you see our new sign outside, we're open!
Give our new sticker machine a try! There is a really good chance you could win a FREE shirt! (Thanks to Benny Gold for the inspiration!)
Here are some more photos from our designer, Ian Spencer:
This photo was taken about 30 minutes before the opening.
These guys.
Thank you again for helping, supporting, and attending our events. Thanks for wearing our shirts, reading our blog, and posting photos. This has always been a grassroots movement and all word of mouth. Your support over the years has kept us moving forward. Visit us at the new store at these hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Thursday: 12-7pm
Friday - Saturday: 11-7pm
