TULSA, Oklahoma -
In a short six years the Blue Dome Diner has grown to be a downtown icon. That run came to an end as the diner shut its doors Sunday, July 29.
Ask almost any customer at the Blue Dome Diner, and they'll agree that there's "no place like dome."
"It's the last day. I wanted to come down and reminisce," said longtime customer Philip Norman. "It's kind of a nostalgic place for me. A lot of good memories and I wanted to just sit here enjoy it and take it in."
Philip Norman is a regular at the diner. In fact, he helped renovate the inside of the restaurant when current owner Brian Prewitt took over six years ago.
"Converted this building into this restaurant. Put these windows in and these doors," he said.
On Sunday, those doors closed for the time being.
Prewitt says the landlord wants to hike up rental fees, so he's decided to pack up and head to a new location.
"It'll probably take awhile for it to set in, but we're not letting any grass grow under our feet. We're going to keep moving. We're going to keep hustling and doing what we have to do to get by," said owner Brian Prewitt.
7/15/2012 Related Story: Climbing Real Estate Prices Force Blue Dome Diner To Close
So far there's been no word on what will replace the diner, but many are speculating a new restaurant may come in with a pricey new menu.
"If they just gentrify it, they're going to push all the artists out, and the artists are what brought this whole area," said Scott Hurst, another longtime customer.
"Brian would always open for the artists so that the artists could have food and water and bathrooms that are clean," said Virginia Harrison. "I think it's very sad. That's why were here. It's a staple of the Blue Dome Arts District."
As the burners die down and cooks serve up final meals for their faithful customers, Prewitt works to come up with a Plan B. That plan includes opening a new restaurant with a new name on Admiral between Harvard and Yale.
Prewitt is still working out all the details on what the name of his new restaurant will be and when it'll be up and running.
He plans to let his regular customers know through Facebook as soon as an opening date is set.
Sunday was the last day for the Blue Dome Diner in its present location.
The popular diner will have a new incarnation on Admiral between Yale and Harvard.
Diners are pictured during the restaurant's last day.
