For generations, Oklahomans dined on dinnerware from Frankoma Pottery. The iconic business opened in Norman in 1933. OU professor John Frank started using light hued Ada clay to make plates, mugs, saucers, tea pots and trivets. He moved the business to Sapulpa, along the then bustling original alignment of Route 66. That is where it stayed until the retail facility closed in 2010.
But now, Frankoma is about to make a comeback. Retired Phillips Petroleum engineer Dennis Glascock owns the name and molds. He lives in Houston, Texas, but says the Oklahoma roots are too deep to move Frankoma out of state.
He is building a new 10,000 square foot facility in Glenpool at Highway 75 and 171st Street South. It will feature a factory and a retail store. He hopes to open in the spring with about a dozen workers.
Initially, Glascock will focus on artware, mugs and vintage pottery. If all goes as planned, he will then bring back the vintage dinnerware.