Oklahoma country music star Reba McEntire opens Reba’s Place in Oklahoma

ATOKA, Oklahoma (KFOR) – Just when you thought she couldn’t fit anything else on her plate, you can now add “restaurant owner” to Reba McEntire’s resume.

“It’s a dream come true,” Reba told visitors during the restaurant’s grand opening on Thursday afternoon. “It just turned out to be something beyond my imagination.”

Shelley Johnson, a clerk at Reba’s Place, said the store was buzzing with excitement on opening day.

“Everyone loves it,” Johnson said. “Everyone loves her.”

The three-story dining, bar, entertainment and retail outlet is located in Atoka, about 12 miles south of Reba’s hometown of Chockie.

“I’m getting another excuse to come home to our state,” Reba said. “It’s going to help our city, it’s going to help the community, it’s going to create jobs.”

The restaurant’s “soft opening” took place earlier this month. So far, Reba’s Place has drawn crowds from across the country to dine and admire the memorabilia throughout the building.

“We had people from Florida, from Wyoming,” Johnson said. “I was sitting with a couple who were here from Winsconsin the other day. It’s pretty amazing.”

The menu is said to be inspired by the food Reba grew up eating in southeastern Oklahoma, as well as choices inspired by cities and regions associated with her career, such as Nashville, Tennessee. Items include “slow-smoked Choctaw brisket,” a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, and a “Southern charcuterie board” featuring country ham and simmered peanut hummus, among other apps and appetizers.

Fans at Thursday night’s grand opening didn’t have to turn on the radio to hear Reba’s music as she surprised guests with a performance.

“It’s the music that helped build this place,” Reba said.

Just before Reba took the stage, Choctaw Nation Senior Executive Officer Commerce Janie Dillard also made sure to give Reba plenty of credit.

“Your hands are all over this property tonight,” Dillard told guests at Thursday’s event. “She says, ‘The team did this, the team did that.’ No, she is a very committed woman. She is a savvy business woman. She picked every dish you have on your table tonight. She chose every color. Curtains, color schemes, color palettes. All. She was so dedicated.

“She’s there for every call. We can’t talk on the phone without her there,” Dillard said.

Reba’s Place is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the restaurant’s website.