PHOTOS AND STORY BY ROB MORRIS
PICKERMAN'S DELIVERS DELICIOUS SOUPS, SANDWICHES, AND DESSERTS FOR DECADES
ADDRESS: 8916 S. Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73159 PHONE: 405-685-0000 FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Pickermans-Soup-Sandwich-116298731727971/ HOURS: Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
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really easy for me. I also do the tasting, which “My wife makes the soups from scratch, so might be the best part of the job.” they’re all pretty tasty,” said Waters. “People come in daily to buy them by the quarts. And it’s a tasty menu that has created great Sometimes they’ll just ask how much we have loyalty among Pickerman’s customers, begin- left and buy it all.” ning with their sandwiches. Waters says the chicken noodle soup is on the “Honestly, we’ve kept most of the basic menu daily. They also rotate through different sandwiches all along,” said Waters. “We add soups to keep things interesting, including tospecialty sandwiches like Reubens or chees- mato-based options and chicken dumplings and esteaks now and then. People will also come Spanish soups like chicken enchilada and tortilla. in from time to time and ask if we can make a sandwich they’ve heard of or seen, and we’ll Pickerman’s also offers catering options, alfigure out how to do that. But most of our though the pandemic has slightly impacted menu is the same one we’ve had for the last that side of the business. 20 years.” Another critically important factor in PickerWaters says the Numero Uno is their best man’s success is its commitment to providing seller. It features smoked ham, Genoa salami, excellent value to its customers. That includes provolone cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, using the best and freshest ingredients while and a homemade herbed olive oil dressing. keeping prices low.
n 1999, David Waters and his wife opened a new Pickerman’s franchise sandwich shop on the corner of Southwest 89th and Pennsylvania Avenue. Even though the franchise went under, Pickerman’s Soup & Sandwich is still going strong in 2022. Waters says that the restaurant is still open is a testament to their “That Italian-style olive oil dressing might be customers. the big key,” said Waters. “We have really loyal customers who underPickerman’s also serves fresh, homemade stand that we’re a family-owned business,” soups, as the name clearly states. said Waters. “Especially during COVID, they were coming in and buying gift certificates to give people, telling us, ‘We just want to help.’” Waters also says it helps that the only two employees are he and his wife. That’s a blessing right now in a time when so many businesses find themselves having trouble finding employees. “My wife and I work really well together here,” said Waters. “She is a fantastic cook and handles most of that side of things. I like talking to and dealing with people, which makes this 18 | MOORE MONTHLY | FEBRUARY 2022
“We haven’t raised our menu prices in a long time,” said Waters. “And we’re a family and locally owned company, so the money stays here. We just like to keep it fair for everyone.”
