Reba opens namesake restaurant in Atoka

Residents of Atoka, Okla. now have a new reason to sing. A new restaurant and gift shop opened for business. There was a grand opening onThursday,January26and multiple media outlets were invited to attend.

Reba’s Place opened its doors after a year and a half of remodeling, licenses and roadblocks due to COVID-19.

the privilege of being called Reba McEntire’s hometown. Now, they are the spot with the newest hot spot.

After members of the media had the opportunity to try multiple appetizers and gatherthemselvesfrombeing inthepresenceoftheamazing McEntire, she and her Executive Chef Kurtess Mortensen held a press conference. This allowed members of the media to ask questions.

McEntire said that opening the restaurant was a “dream come true.” The establishment is a three-story historicbuildingindowntown Atoka. The bottom floor is the main restaurant with a small stage for entertainment. McEntire said she wanted a small, quaint stage to avoid the loud concert setting.

“I want guests to be able to enjoy the music, but still hold conversations with their familyandfriends,”McEntire said.

She said that her team was the key to getting the restaurant off the ground.

“I’m a professional restaurant go-er,” she said. “The best thing I can make is a reservation, so I know nothing about it except what’s good and what’s bad.”

McEntire said she loves stories and she made sure that her songs tell stories. This restaurant was no different. She passed the baton to Mortensen to make sure the menu also tells a story.

“The menu is part of her story,” Mortensen said. “The menu tells her story from southern cooking and location. Nashville hot chicken and New Orleans BBQ Shrimp tells the story.”

Even though McEntire relied on her team to get the restaurant open, she had a hand in every detail of the operation. Mortensen sent a questionnaire to Reba to see what she liked to eat and foods she didn’t like. He said he based the menu on her answers.

The establishment has a gift shop and a library on the third floor. The library is close to McEntire’s heart. It is comprised of books that her mother owned.