Once neglected corner now community hot spot

A once neglected corner in downtown Bartlesville has been transformed into a community hot spot thanks to the imagination and hard work of Samantha Nikkel and her husband Ron.

Samantha Nikkel, whos tried a lot of things from running marathons to skydiving, said she never expected to be operating a restaurant. But thats exactly what she and her husband are doing.

The inspiration behind the citys latest fine-dining opportunity stemmed from Samantha Nikkels desire to further enhance the relaxed atmosphere of her adjacent clinic and spa.

Located the corner of Fourth Street and Shawnee Avenue, Samanthas has quickly become a popular gathering point for lunches, dinners and casual get-togethers.

I was getting a lot of people from surrounding cities coming to the spa, and when they came here, they wanted to linger a bit, she said. I thought it would be nice to have a place where they can sit and have a cup of tea and a bite to eat.

Her idea to expand the tranquil feel of 5 Elements Clinic and Spa is reflected in the restaurants soothing waterfalls, cozy nooks with fireplaces and gazebos in the spacious outdoor eating area.

When we were building it, people wanted to know what I was up to and started to ask if I would do parties, birthday parties, anniversaries and little gatherings, said Nikkel. From there, I thought if we had parties, we need to have some beverages for a variety of guests besides just tea and coffee so we went through the process of getting a liquor license. After that, we realized we really need to have real food.

News soon spread that the couple needed a chef, and it wasnt long before they hired Shaun Coyne, who holds more than 25 years in the restaurant business. His culinary experience has lead to a elegant and creative menu items such as pineapple chicken sliders. Soup, salad and sandwich choices will also continue to evolve at the restaurant.

Were coming up with foods and ideas in an environment no one else has. The fun part was creating something so unique for Bartlesville that even Tulsa people are saying they dont have and theyre coming up here, said Nikkel.

Well have a different menu with each season and of course well have our weekly specials menu to make interesting and fun. Were going to have entertainers here, so that its just not a food experience but the whole dining experience.

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Once neglected corner now community hot spot