After just two years, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced that it is suspending the operations of The Lookout Kitchen locations in state parks.
In a news release, state officials accuse the restaurant's operator of "repeated failures to make outstanding payments and fulfill other contractual obligations to the State."
A letter from the tourism department's legal counsel to the operator, RPW Enterprises LLC, outlines several failures to comply with state requirements, including $254,943 owed to the state as a percentage of receipts, and requests financial documents to illustrate the money made in 2025.
The state says it has not received an adequate response from Lookout and was forced to close the state park restaurants as a result.
Tourism officials say they're working to provide alternative food service options, such as grab-and-go sandwiches, snacks and drinks, as well as food trucks at impacted parks.
The restaurants were at the following state park facilities:
- Lake Murray State Park – Ardmore
- Quartz Mountain State Park – Lone Wolf
- Robbers Cave State Park – Wilburton
- Roman Nose State Park – Watonga
- Sequoyah State Park – Hulbert
- Beavers Bend State Park – Broken Bow
This is hardly the first financial issue faced by restaurants operating in the state parks. The Lookout Kitchen replaced Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen, which closed in 2022 following accusations of fraud, which led to criminal charges.
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