After a successful summer with pop-up restaurant Café Pompeii, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will continue the fast-casual concept following the pop-up’s closure on Oct. 17. Centre Bistro at the Museum Cafe will open on Oct. 20 and draw inspiration from the historic theater that OKCMOA now calls home. Michael and Andi Haddad of Richey’s Grill will manage the new concept and menu.
“I have often heard the Museum Cafe described as the living room of Oklahoma City,” said Michael J. Anderson, Ph.D., OKCMOA president and CEO. “Centre Bistro stays true to that tradition by offering a comfortable place to enjoy food and drinks with colleagues, family and friends. We had a great response to Café Pompeii, and I look forward to continuing to cultivate a casual space for conversation, friendship and relaxation.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael and Andi Haddad to the Museum,” Anderson continued. “Our thanks also go to Robert Painter and the Patrono staff for their hard work on our Café Pompeii pop-up this summer.”
Haddad has owned Richey’s Grill for almost three years. But it’s been a downtown breakfast and lunch favorite for over two decades. Prior to his time at Richey’s, Haddad worked in prestigious restaurants across the metro area, including Nikz at the Top, Legacies, Junior’s and Michael’s Grill. Haddad has brought his wife into the forefront of menu planning and restaurant operations for this location. They met while working alongside one another at a restaurant over 12 years ago. This duo is excited to grow their restaurant portfolio and expand their catering services through the Museum clientele.
“The Museum Cafe has always been a downtown staple and I am excited to take the helm this fall,” said Haddad. “We will continue what the restaurant has always done well while putting our own spin on things. Our aim is for the space to become a gallery of its own, providing upscale food with fine ingredients prepared with care and served with artistic expression. Whether enjoying a cocktail on the patio before a film, lunch in the dining room with colleagues or coffee with friends after a visit to the Museum’s galleries, Centre Bistro will enhance the Museum experience and cater to those living, working and visiting Downtown OKC.”
Centre Bistro will specialize in lunch, light bites, coffees, wine, beer and cocktails. The restaurant will offer counter service with open seating, including the dining room and patio. They plan to offer Sunday brunch beginning in December.
Centre Bistro will share hours with the Museum. The Museum begins winter hours on Oct. 19 and will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Centre Bistro will be open select evenings until 8 p.m. and is available for booking private events.
OKCMOA incorporates the original 1947 Centre Theater as an adaptive reuse project. The 250-seat Samuel Roberts Noble Theater features a state-of-the-art projection system and is home to the Museum’s film program, which presents screenings every Friday through Sunday.
