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Oklahoma City restaurateur Rachel Cope was never a fan of the expected path. After waiting tables throughout college, she’d planned to go to law school, but instead fell head-over-heels for the restaurant scene.
“The restaurant industry combines five things I love: food, art, music, people, and drinks,” says Cope. What she didn’t love was the way OKC eateries closed early, leaving evening and night shift workers nowhere to go after hours for a drink and a great meal.
In 2012, through a city-wide contest she won, Cope met an Arts District landlord eager to transform an old laundromat into a restaurant. She made an elegantly simple pitch: How about a by-the-slice pizzeria and bar that stayed open late? The landlord loved the concept, and Cope traveled to San Francisco to learn from 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani. On a shoestring budget, Cope—still in her 20s—opened Empire Slice House in 2013. Its success fueled a desire to broaden the culinary tastes of a city widely known for its ubiquitous fast food.
“Oklahoma City is a melting pot of different cultures,” she says. Today, under the auspices of her company, 84 Hospitality Group, Cope and her team currently oversee several trendsetting restaurants, with a new concept on the way.
Variety Pack
With intriguing New York style pizzas like Fungus Among Us and No Sleep Till Brooklyn, the Empire Slice empire now boasts locations throughout OKC, Edmond, Tulsa, and Stillwater. Burger Punk serves music-themed burgers (i.e. The Clash and Green Daze) with cheeky add-ons. The Paseo District’s Goro Ramen offers ramen, inventive bar snacks, and nikuman (Japanese steamed buns) in a cozy, hip environment.
At every 84 Hospitality Group restaurant, a boldly curated playlist finetunes the experience. “We believe the atmosphere is equally as important as service and product quality,” says Cope.
Feeding Change
In 2018, Oklahoma teachers staged a walkout, and Cope didn’t miss a beat. “Coming from a family of educators, I wanted to make a substantial contribution to their cause,” she recalls. By the end of the dispute, Empire Slice Pizza had given out $40,000, over a 3-week period, worth of free meals to striking teachers, but Cope wasn’t finished; she implemented Empire for Education—a permanent 25% discount for Oklahoma teachers.
“We’ve always been big givers, since inception, but this was the biggest donation we had ever made,” says Cope. “We have three pillars we use when we decide whether to do a concept. One: Is this unique? Two: Is this something we are passionate about? Three: Does this benefit the community around us and how?”
Today, the company proudly supports local organizations such as Homeless Alliance and Positive Tomorrows, which better the lives of adults and children experiencing homelessness. It also supports area LGBTQ+-focused groups and has been a headlining sponsor of OKC Pride, Inc.
“Restaurants come and go, but the difference we make in our city lasts,” says Cope. “We are a proud progressive force in a traditional state. As 84 Hospitality Group grows, we’ll never stop asking, ‘What’s our impact here?’”
Contact Info:
Name: Rachel Cope
Email: Send Email
Organization: 84 Hospitality Group
Address: 1010 NW 68th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Website: https://84hospitality.com
Release ID: 89133060
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