OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department (OTRD) announced La Ratatouille as the new restaurant operator for Oklahoma State Parks.

This comes after allegations of fraud last year with the previous operator.

In April 2022, the state canceled its contract with Swadley’s Bar-B-Q following allegations of fraudulent activity and improper bidding practices.

That same month, Jerry Winchester, who was the Director of Tourism and Recreation at the time, resigned from the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.

In total, Swadley’s received $16.7 million from the state to renovate and operate restaurants at select state parks.

The Attorney General’s Office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation continue to investigate those claims.

“Reopening these restaurants has been a top priority of mine since joining the agency,” said OTRD Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt. “Our goal from day one was to conduct the process with integrity and transparency, while also giving the citizens of Oklahoma a dining experience they would enjoy and be proud of. We can’t wait to work with La Ratatouille to offer excellent food and service inside our state parks.”

The Tourism Department says they got seven responses in their search for a restaurant operator. A seven-person evaluation team review and score each applicant before coming up with their selection.