Everything We Know About Reba McEntire's Restaurant

Celebrities lending their name to restaurants and bars is a common occurrence, especially in the country music world. While there is always a new spot popping up in Nashville with a country star's name plastered across it, rarely do these venues make a huge social impact. Reba McEntire is once again the exception to the rule. Just as she has always been a positive outlier in her career, her new restaurant is breathing new life into a dying town.

Atoka, Oklahoma is a small town of around 3,000 residents. The town is situated on U.S. Highway 75, but sees almost no visitors. Despite a prosperous history as a mining and manufacturing town, it has slowly been in decline since the early 2000s, and the pandemic nearly broke the town. Fortunately, country star Reba McEntire is from Atoka County and grew up about fifteen minutes down the road from the city.

City officials began planning ways to revitalize the decaying city by bringing in visitors Highway 75 traffic. According to the New York Times, Carol Ervin, the economic development director of Atoka, reached out to Reba with a proposal. McEntire partnered with the local Choctaw Nation to front the money for a new restaurant, blessing it with her name, memorabilia, and a sizable investment. "I thought it was a pipe dream," McEntire said. "You have got to dream big to make it big." The result was a complete economic shift in the community, a stunning live-music venue, and a second chance for a town near the end of its rope. It opened in January 2024 and is available by walk-in or reservation. Just expect a bit of a wait to be seated.

Reba McEntire is no stranger to success, and the restaurant has been a big success for both her and the Choctaw Nation, seeing thousands of visitors per day. But its impact is much more widespread than dollars in the pockets of the investors. The restaurant created over 100 quality jobs, from a full restaurant staff to residents manning the gift shop.

The New York Times reports that McEntire's involvement brought name recognition to the town beyond simply the fact that she grew up in the area, spurring investors to also attempt to capitalize on the new brand. Local businesses saw a surge in traffic leading to a growth in sales. New shops even began moving into and renovating the rest of the downtown Atoka area. Both McEntire and the Choctaw Nation have pledged their shares of the profits to reinvest in the local area.

In an interview with Good Morning America, McEntire discussed her reasoning for getting involved. "If It'll help other people, I'm for it 100 percent." She also described the transformation of the town as "fun to watch." The way the beloved singer has transformed both herself and her hometown over the years is another prime example of why so many people became fans in the first place.