Sibling success at The Chalkboard – Josh and Shannon Ozaras

Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I’m your host Tim Landes. The week this episode debuts is also the one Restaurant Week occurs for the 14th year. Each year diners visit restaurants across the city to enjoy a great meal and help support the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. 

There’s never been as important a time to support local restaurants and the food bank. This year there are 40 local restaurants taking part and all the menus can be found at TulsaPeople.com/RestaurantWeek.

One of the participating restaurants is The Chalkboard owned by siblings Josh and Shannon Ozaras, who are my guests on this episode. They have taken part in Restaurant Week every year, and as you’ll hear they are excited to do it again. 

It’s been an incredibly challenging year for those who work in the restaurant industry. For The Chalkboard, located inside the Ambassador Hotel, it’s been extremely tough with most the downtown businesses working from home, no events to attend at BOK Center or the other venues and travel being down. Josh and Shannon kick off this episode talking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their business and how they’re working to bounce back in a world of the unknown. It’s a topic that weaves in and out of this conversation recorded by phone on Aug. 28.

As much pandemic talk as there is, there is just as much or more talk about family, because it is after all a family business.

Josh and Shannon have spent most their lives inside restaurants. Their father owned popular spots The Green Onion, Garlic Rose and more. Josh started in the dish pit then worked in kitchens before switching to serving in his 20s while attending TCC.  

Shannon actually went off to college to become a teacher, but she found herself back in the restaurant game helping run the family business shortly after graduation. She waited, bartended and worked back of house as she learned the business. They reflect on those early days in this conversation.

Nearly a decade ago, the siblings bought the Chalkboard and made it their own. They’ve built a staff that’s like family, which is discussed in the second half of the episode after a sponsor break. Today, Josh helps oversee the day-to-day operations and Shannon focuses on bookkeeping and financials when she’s not loving on her newborn son. 

I enjoyed learning more about the Ozaras siblings and how they operate their business. I recently enjoyed a wonderful dining experience on their new covered patio. My advice, make sure you save room for the bread pudding. 

Following my conversation with Josh and Shannon, Voice music writer Kyra Bruce pops in to share her the new single “Hey Get Your Purse off My Girlfriend’s Barstool” by Solbakk. More on that later. 

OK let’s get this going.  

This is Tulsa Talks.