Fianl Project

Ft. Sill Training

Service Station Print Story

The Service Station is unlike any other restaurant in Norman. Inside this classic burger joint, history and comfort mingle with the smells of delicious, freshly-cooked food.

Founded in 1978, the Service Station is located at 502 South Webster Ave. The building used to be an old gas station before it was converted into a restaurant, hence the establishment’s name. The restaurant takes pride in its history, and all the items on the menu are named after vehicles or car parts, from the VW Classic (a basic cheeseburger) to the Mustang (a French dip sandwich) to lug nuts (fried okra).

Kenton Johnson, the current owner of the service station, thinks the automobile names give character to the restaurant, but all the food choices at the Service Station can make the naming process challenging.

“The problem with having such a big menu is when we come up with a new item, what the heck are we supposed to name it now? Most of the cars are already taken,” said Johnson.

The Service Station’s interior is decorated with old gas station signs, license plates and ornaments from days gone by, giving the Station an aura that is seeped in American history and progress.

“The people who owned the place before us had an antique shop, so most of the things on the walls are from them,” said Johnson. “It gives the place some character.”

Seated amidst pieces of history, the customers enjoy a wide variety of food - from burgers and steaks to tilapia and shrimp - as they talk and are treated to excellent service.

Casey Holcomb is a chef at the Sevice Station, and he's worked in the kitchen for 3 years. He's an expert at preparing the wide range of food found on the Sation's menu, but he thinks the customers definitely have some favorites.

"Hamburgers and chicken sandwiches are popular, but we also do some higher-end specials," said Holcomb. "Steak and fish specials are big, too."

Holcomb's domain, the kitchen, is a fairly cramped space in the back of the restaurant that was added on to the building after it was converted from a gas staion. Freezers, boxes, stoves and all manner of equipment necessary to cater to the menu line the walls of the kitchen.

The Service Station is proud of the quality of its food, but the comfortable and friendly atmosphere is what keeps customers coming back according to the management and employees.

"Our clientelle is really loyal, we're just a little neighborhood bar," said Johnson. "Everybody kind of thinks of Cheers when they come in there. [We've got] a lot of the same kind of characters."

Taylor Sherrod, who has worked at the Service Station for 5 years, is a jack-of-all-trades at the restaurant. She is a waitress, bartender and assistant manager, but she says she loves every aspect of her job.

“It’s comfortable,” said Sherrod. “I like the people, I like the atmosphere. It's like family."

The combination of a dedicated staff, an historic yet homely feel and fresh, tasty food make the Service Station a unique stop for a casual diner or a local and dedicated Norman citizen. Johnson and the rest of the staff take the principles of a good, local business to heart, and it shows.

"You've got to take care of them," said Johnson. "The restaurant business is an easy business: good food, good service, that's all there is to it."

Matched Action Sequence

Partnered with Matt Gilroy

Muslim Interview Biographies

Sarah Albahadily (pictured left) and her mother, Zaineb Attia (pictured right) sitting in their house in Edmond.

Sarah Albahadily and Zaineb Attia live in the outskirts of Edmond on a quiet rural street. The trees that line their yard show the change from green to muted browns and oranges, signaling the arrival of autumn on their quiet avenue. Here, the two women live and thrive in a loving family environment, strengthened by their family bond and their heritage.

Albahadily is an Oklahoman, born and raised. “I love Oklahoma,” said Sarah with a grin. “People talk about Southern hospitality, and it really is amazing.”

Albahadily is a Muslim, a religion not commonly found in the southern United States, but she says she feels right at home. “People say it must be tough living in such a red state, but I say it doesn’t matter; red state, blue state, whatever…I love the people here.”

That attitude has served Albahadily well throughout her life. Her parents came to Oklahoma 30 years ago from Iraq, and although she has never been to her parents’ home country, she feels a strong connection to her heritage.

She says she never felt different or segregated growing up in Oklahoma with her sister and two brothers. Baklava and hummus were a regular part of her diet in her family home, and her friends and classmates were very happy about that fact. “My friends would come over and ask my mom to make them baklava,” she laughed. “They loved it.”

Albahadily was born in Stillwater in 1983. Her family moved to Dallas when she was very young and then migrated back to Oklahoma when she was in third grade. She attended Deer Creek High School in Edmond and went on to attend the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated with a zoology degree in 2006.

Now 27 years old, Albahadily lives in Edmond with her mother and teaches science at a private Islamic school just down the street from her house. She has no plans to leave Oklahoma anytime soon; for now, she’s content working at a job she loves and enjoying the Southern hospitality around her.



Attia is Albahadily’s mother, and although she loves her daughter, they do differ on one major issue: a Bedlam family rivalry. “Both my husband and I went to OSU, and I always tell her (Sarah) that orange is the better color,” she chuckled.

Attia immigrated to America from Iraq in the early 1980s. She taught herself to speak English and began to work at a daycare center in Texas. She and her husband moved around a lot, first to College Station in Texas, then to Stillwater, Dallas and finally Edmond.
While in Stillwater, Attia earned a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies and a master’s in Islamic law at Oklahoma State University. Attia started her own restaurant in Edmond, called the Garden, which she ran for 16 years. They also began to raise a family of four children.

Attia says that her Iraqi and Oklahoman heritages both play a major role in who she has become. “Twenty years there, 30 years here…both places are a part of me.” She also wants more Oklahomans to know that Muslims have a lot to contribute to the society around them, no matter where they are. She believes that Muslims have their own special thread to blend with the tapestry of all the people in the world, especially in Oklahoma.

Game, Set, Match

InFAIRmation