"Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have revealed their forthcoming breakfast/lunch restaurant will be called "Magnolia Table" - and the menu will include Chip-approved items like Farm eggs benedict, the Gaines Brothers Burger, and homemade pies.
The Christian reality stars are at the helm of a home improvement empire that includes a hit HGTV show, quarterly magazine, real estate company, and paint, rug, wallpaper and furniture line - and now a restaurant.
"We wanted to write to catch you up on one of our biggest projects of the summer: getting our restaurant across the finish line!" Joanna writes in a June 20 blog post. "Opening a breakfast joint has always been something that Chip's been interested in - and it's been so fun to watch how excited he has been about the entire process."
She adds, "People always say the restaurant business is a beast - and we believe that, we aren't naive to the fact that this is all new to us - but we are genuinely thrilled that we get the opportunity to restore a Waco treasure into something new."
Formerly known as the "The Elite Cafe", Chip and Jo reveals their Waco, Texas restaurant will now be called "Magnolia Table" - a name embodying the idea that "here everyone has a seat at the table."
Joanna explains, "Since it opened, The Elite Cafe's original slogan had always been 'Where The Elite Meet To Eat.' With this new start, we want our new restaurant's name to be a nod to the original slogan - the idea that 'All are welcome here.' No matter who you are or where you are from, our hope is that when you step into this place, you feel welcome."
Chip's favorite part of the entire process has been picking out the menu, Joanna says: "Ok, who am I kidding, it's probably been mine too," she admitted. "I'm not complaining about eating a few extra bites of the homemade biscuits (and our crafted jams and butters) during all of this recipe perfecting."
"Magnolia Table will be serving breakfast, brunch & lunch, so in addition to Chip's favorite breakfast items, you will also find his famous ham sandwich on the menu," Jo reveals. "A couple of the crowd favorites here at the office are the Farm eggs benedict, the Gaines Brothers Burger, and of course our homemade pies!"
The restuarant, set to open later this year, was actually recognized as a historic landmark about 20 years ago, "which essentially ensures that aspects of the original character stay intact," says Jo.
"Figuring out how to restore the building and seamlessly incorporate new and creative design elements into the mix while staying true to the original features has been one of my favorite parts of the design process."
According to Wide Open Country, the Elite Restaurant first opened its doors 97 years ago and was a favorite stop for those traveling between Dallas and Austin. The Waco Tribune notes that Elvis Presley even dined there when he was stationed at Fort Hood.
However, after years of success, they closed their doors for good in Feb. 2016 due to chronically low sales.
According to Southern Living, the creative duo purchased the historic eatery last year, and after auctioning the contents to benefit Mission Waco's Jubilee Food Market, they began renovating the space.
"The restaurant itself is literally one big giant kitchen," Chip recalled to Southern Living. "When we first got in there, it was all the things you can imagine-dingy, musky. But if I took you in there today, you'd be like 'Oh! This is so clean, everything smells so great.' Those are a few benefits of a little bit of elbow grease and hard work on the front end."
Several months later, the couple announced the official plan for the restaurant, and after removing the original sign, posted a message to their fans on the billboard outside: "We'll let you know when breakfast is ready. - Chip"
