Reba McEntire is saving a seat at her table – and is sure to have good cake and iced tea!
The 67-year-old Grammy-winning singer opened Reba’s Place, a 15,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and showroom in her hometown of Oklahoma.
Located in Atoka, halfway between Tulsa and Dallas, the new business is attracting interest — even before it opens this Thursday, McEntire told People. “I’m happy for everyone involved, even the customers, the people, my friends, my loved ones, people from Texas, from northern Oklahoma, even people from out of state, who came here a first. in the restaurant, to. Taste the food, give a great story, listen to the music, merchandise, everything,” he says. We are very happy. We are very happy. “
Becoming a restaurant host for the first time is not something “on the menu” for the busy Big Sky star, who is up for another Grammy next month (alongside Dolly Parton for Best Country Duo / Group Performance for “He Loves You – Bring Back”), who are currently starring in the Lifetime show The Hammer, will resume the spring series of the “Reba: Live in Concert” tour and have a live life unfolds during this fall.
She admits opening Reba’s Place “wasn’t my idea — I can assure you! I’ve always heard it’s the hardest thing to do.”
But when her mother Jacqueline died in March 2020 after a serious illness interrupted the trip, McEntire found himself in his hometown for the first time in a long time.
“I stayed in Oklahoma to help clear the land and clean up my mom and dad’s house,” he said. “I’m with everyone in the state and my love for Oklahoma State,” that’s when she was approached about the idea of a hotel designed to revitalize the small town of Atoka.
Don’t miss a story – sign up for People’s free daily newsletter to keep up with the best People has to offer, from fun celebrity stories to compelling personal interest stories. Along with the city council and the Choctaw Nation, McEntire moved forward with the plan, which was placed on three floors of the original Masonic temple. He gave his opinion about the menu items and shared some of the things she had to do with the group, with one guiding principle: “What it means to be, it’s delicious!”
And the list of hotels wanted? “Oh good luck. A family situation, kicked out of the stadium. We need music – on a small stage. There is no big group. Not very strong. It will be something that people can continue to eat, visit, while the music continues. I will come in and do music, sing, everything. It must be a friend. It must be good food.”
About the food: The restaurant’s chef is Kurtess Mortensen, formerly of Pioneer Woman Mercantile (Ree Drummond’s restaurant in Pawhuska, about three hours away). She clearly understood the message.
“I told them, ‘You have to have iced tea. Great bread. I want chicken fried steak. fried chicken. I want beans and cornbread,” McEntire says. “I gave Chef Kurtess the recipe for my mashed potatoes and caramelized onions and garlic. And had a great drink. It’s very important.”
These premium drinks will carry Reba’s familiar names (yes, there’s a “Fancy” drink on the menu, and a nod to her racing days at the Ken Lance Sports Arena) and “all employees are trained in history Atoka. the story of that place, my story.”
But more than anything, McEntire says, it’s about family: her partner and Big Sky costar Rex Linn will be joining her for the grand opening, her nephew Lucchese Luchsinger will be the bartender, and the list of dreamers includes his sister and brother. -in law. -law Susie McEntire-Eaton and Mark Eaton. The family touch extends to the library of the third floor, filled with books from her late mother’s collection. “We took all my mom’s books and made it into a library, so people can come in, get a book, read a little. A great atmosphere where they can sit and visit and have a drink,” she told People. “She would have liked it. Books were his treasure. It’s what she’s been hoarding. She will be happy.
