Celebrities lending their name to restaurants and bars is a common occurrence, especially in the country music world.
Reba McEntire is once again the exception to the rule.
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.
City officials began planning ways to revitalize the decaying city by bringing in visitors Highway 75 traffic.
“I thought it was a pipe dream,” McEntire said.
“You have got to dream big to make it big.”
It opened in January 2024 and is available by walk-in or reservation.
Just expect a bit of a wait to be seated.
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.
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 withGood 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.”
