Chip & Joanna Gaines' New Restaurant Just Opened. Menu Features Chip's Favorites!
Fans of the well-known Gaines couple will be happy to hear that there has been progress on the restaurant front. Most avid viewers will recall that the HGTV stars bought a cafe with character and history and were in the process of renovating and resetting it.
Rumors first hinted at the opening date being some time in 2017, but life happens. Fortunately, the restaurant — which has been dubbed “Magnolia Table” — is open as of Monday. It’s not accepting reservations, but walk-ins are encouraged and welcomed.
The Elite Café was started way back in 1919, and has been a staple of Waco culture since. Both local Texans and stars such as Elvis heard of its renown and have visited the landmark.
Chip and Joanna Gaines themselves frequented the local spot, and were heartbroken when it finally decided to shut its doors and accept that it’d had a very good run.
So they did that thing they do and snapped it up. It sounds like Chip was the one who leapt at the opportunity, but Joanna good-naturedly supported him.
“I’ve always been a breakfast connoisseur,” Chip told Southern Living. “I always do a heavy, bigger breakfast, but Jo is the exact opposite. She was kind enough to come with me on this one, and we are going to do up a breakfast joint here in town.”
And brunch lovers everywhere will be very happy to hear that its focus is to serve breakfast and lunch. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the eatery is closed on Sundays.
There are plenty of options for everyone, whether you are kindred spirits with Chip and want heavy and sweet with all the fixings or prefer Joanna’s lighter fare.
The wide array of offerings dish up everything from time-honored bacon and eggs to delicacies such as “Lemon Lavender Donut Holes.” Sweet or savory, breakfast or lunch, they’ve got you covered.
Warmth and personal touch are at every turn. The Magnolia Table’s mantra is “Where everyone has a seat at the table,” and many ingredients are locally sourced (select produce is even grown by Joanna herself!).
The reviews have been nothing but ecstatic so far, with people seriously enjoying both the famous Magnolia style and the food itself.
But apparently not everyone applauded the Gaines’ efforts to launch themselves into this new project. Getting into the restaurant business can be daunting and there are horror stories by the hundreds.
Chip admitted that though people have been supportive recently, when the cafe first began to take shape, that wasn’t always the case.
“Now, everybody that comes in tells me how smart I was to have bought this property,” he said. “Six months ago, I wasn’t getting as many encouragements. But the restaurant has some serious history that we’re going to tap into.”
But these two know a little something about recasting charming locales with a modern, homey touch, and if this endeavor is anything like their past projects, it will take off.
What can’t this power couple do? Chip’s enthusiasm and childlike energy tempered by Joanna’s creative genius and easy grace generally result in awe-inspiring creations — and this case is no different.
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