According to kjrh.com, a long‑vacant building at the corner of Dallas and Main streets in Broken Arrow’s Rose District is about to become home to two new businesses – District Mercantile Grocery and Deli and Wanderlust Coffee Roastery. The 2,200‑square‑foot space has sat empty and boarded up for nearly four years after Spoke House Bicycles and the Rattlesnake Café left.
Both enterprises are owned by local entrepreneur Randall Ryan, who signed a lease on the space in April and has been renovating it through his company Rise, Grind & Ride, LLC. Ryan, who began selling coffee from a mobile trike at the Rose District Farmers Market 11 years ago, said the total renovation investment is approximately $255,310, paid upfront.
The Broken Arrow City Council approved an economic development agreement in July that allows the city to reimburse Ryan up to $80,000 once the businesses open. The reimbursement covers 100% of city permitting and inspection fees and up to 50% of physical building renovation costs, but not equipment or intellectual‑property expenses. “The $80,000 is exclusively for infrastructure of the building,” City Business Retention and Development Coordinator Brent Brassfield said.
District Mercantile will offer a grab‑and‑go deli, light groceries and locally sourced products such as cheeses, eggs, produce, honey and fresh‑roasted coffee from the adjoining Wanderlust Coffee Roastery. Residents welcomed the development. “Sometimes you know you’re in the area doing other things, and it’d be nice to pop in for groceries somewhere closer,” said regular Debbie Morris. “We have so many little neighborhoods around here, and they’re all so cute, so I think it’ll be perfect for the area,” added Gentry, a nearby resident.
Ryan explained that the store cannot begin stocking shelves until health inspectors complete their review and sign off on the space. He expects that clearance to happen “within a week” after the inspection.
Brassfield noted that the grocery concept completes the city’s vision for a downtown lifestyle in the Rose District. “When I arrived in Broken Arrow seven years ago, the Council’s vision was to create a downtown lifestyle with shops, restaurants and bars, but we also needed goods and services,” he said. The city anticipates the project will generate new sales‑tax revenue, create jobs, increase pedestrian activity and strengthen downtown vitality.
What’s next: The businesses await health‑department approval, after which they plan to open within a week. Once open, the city will process the agreed‑upon reimbursement for the $80,000 infrastructure support.
Sources: kjrh.com
