ADDRESS: 9201 S. Western Avenue, Suite A
PHONE: 405-735-7173
WEBSITE: tom&chee.com
HOURS: Sunday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
About eight years ago, a legend was born on the NBC television show “Shark Tank.” Cincinnati-based Tom & Chee hit the big time with their Grilled Cheese Donut. The restaurant and the sandwich were voted among the best of 2012 by the Today Show and numerous other media outlets. Fast forward to 2021, and we find that Tom & Chee has expanded far beyond that unique offering to give customers a healthy, gluten-free and vegan-friendly menu filled with astounding melts and soups.
Rocky and Lish Iqbal are part of a local family-owned company that has opened a second Tom & Chee franchise on South Western Avenue. So far, Rocky says, the response has been phenomenal.
“Our Tom & Chee restaurants are the only ones in Oklahoma,” said Rocky, “We’ve been very pleased with the way folks here in Moore and South Oklahoma city have responded to this new store.”
The Iqbals opened their first store on the north side of Oklahoma City in 2018. The southside store is the second of a planned expansion across the metro OKC area. Lish Iqbal says one of the things people are really enjoying about Tom & Chee is that it’s a definite step up from fast food.
“We are a fast-casual restaurant,” said Lish. “Our menu isn’t really all that big, but it’s layered in such a way that customers can create their own unique combination. We have fives kinds of cheeses, six kinds of meats, and three kinds of bread. And of course, everyone is fascinated with the grilled cheese donut.”
Among the things that set Tom & Chee apart is the quality of meats and cheeses used by the restaurant and the equipment.
“People are really into healthy eating and cleaner meats,” said Rocky. “We use premium meats and gluten-free products that we buy locally and roast here in the store. We also have these amazing high-speed ovens that cost $10,000 each. And our melts are made with three-to-four slices of cheese and include fresh toppings.”
The other thing that is immediately noticeable at the Southside Tom & Chee’s is the energy found among the employees. It’s something that customers quickly pick up on.
“The primary job requirement we have for our employees is that they be happy to be here,” said Lish. “We work hard to know them as friends and meet their needs.”
Rocky added, “Our employees are truly like our family. We have amazing pay here, and they do well on tips. But it all comes down to this attitude of trust and delegation that they buy into. We all embrace that, and it helps us challenge each other to always be at our best.”
The Iqbal’s are thrilled with the early response to this new concept in the Moore and South OKC area and want everyone to know that they are very much a hands-on ownership team.
“We consider this place our home and are committed to the highest levels of food, service, and cleanliness,” said Rocky. “We truly believe that we are in a league of our own and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure every customer feels like this is their home as well.”
