The popular Classen Grill eventually will reopen as the historic Donnay Building in Oklahoma City undergoes extensive and long-needed renovations.
Steve Lackmeyer’s recent article in The Oklahoman newspaper provides a lot of details about what is happening to the Donnay, which for a short time was endangered by a proposed Braum’s ice cream parlor development. That plan was abandoned after public outcry.
Back to the Classen Grill:
Renovations are underway on the far north end of the complex, a part of the building that started out as office space but is better known as the longtime home of Classen Grill. […]
Happy Plate Concepts, which owns Sunny Side Diner restaurants, bought Classen Grill in June and is set to reopen it under the original name, with the restaurant’s beloved fresh orange juice machine, and a menu that will include some favorites and new items as well.
The story also contains a useful history of the Donnay Building:
The developer, Matt Donnay, was a military veteran who worked as a homebuilder and architect. Donnay diversified from single family home construction in 1949 when he built an apartment complex in Paseo. It was about that time construction also started on the Donnay Building.
The odd architectural configuration of the Donnay Building itself was deemed historic by preservationists. The tenants added to that history. The iconic Patio restaurant was a local favorite from 1950 to 2004. Its neon sign was taken down and sold to a private collector when the space was leased to a Mexican restaurant.
Charlie’s Records opened in the late 1970s and was one of the city’s best-known places to buy jazz music until its owner, Charlie Nicholson, died in 2017.
The Hi Lo Club started out as an integrated live jazz lounge in 1956, and by the 1980s it was serving as a safe space for the city’s LGBTQ community. Even then, the club boasted a diverse mix of clientele drawn to its odd configuration and design, drag shows and vibe of a welcoming neighborhood dive bar.
The building now is owned by Nick Preftakes and Caleb Hill, who told the newspaper they’re not sure what it will look like once renovations are finished. The Donnay became a crazy quilt of add-ons from different eras, some of which never apparently made code. The renovation team never found the original blueprints, if there were any at all. So it’s starting fresh.
In all, the owners estimate the renovations will cost $3 million — about twice as much as the building’s purchase price.
According to Jim Ross’ “Oklahoma Route 66” book, Classen Circle was a 1950s alignment of Route 66. Current-day Oklahoma Highway 66, overlaid onto Interstate 44, also sits near the building.
(Image of the Classen Grill in Oklahoma City by H.L.I.T. via Flickr; image of Donnay Building in Oklahoma City by Matthew Rutledge via Flickr)