The Truth About Chip And Joanna Gaines' Restaurants
Chip and Joanna Gaines became famous for their HGTV home renovation series Fixer Upper, but since that show ended, the multi-talented duo have been expanding out of realty — and reality TV — and into the restaurant business. The Silos Baking Company opened in 2016, to be joined by Magnolia Table in 2018 and, most recently, the Magnolia Press Coffee Company in 2019, all three restaurants being located in the Gaines' hometown of Waco, Texas.
Although the food business might seem like a different direction for the couple, Joanna has had a long-standing love for cooking (as well as for eating), and from fans' reactions to their restaurants, it seems as if the duo have nailed this latest venture.
The Silos Baking Company
The Silos Baking Company is, just as the name says, a bakery, although they also have a full coffee bar. Some Yelpers have commented that there are often lines out the door, but this seems to be par for the course with the Gaines' eateries, as they are a can't-be-missed stop on any Fixer Upper fan's itinerary. Evidently Chip and Joanna-inspired tourism is pretty huge in Waco, according to one Washington Post reporter who herself made the pilgrimage.
The real star at Silos Baking is the cupcakes, which come in flavors such as lemon lavender, strawberries 'n' cream, and nuts & bolts, this last-named a cute reminder of the Gaines' earlier career — although the "nuts and bolts" in the batter are actually pecans and walnuts. Other baked goods include cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter), muffins, and a few savories such as the prize pig bacon and cheddar biscuit. While a few reviewers complained of the crowds and others of the prices, most seemed to agree that the baked goods themselves are top-notch.
Magnolia Table
Magnolia Table is the Gaines' one true sit-down restaurant, and it's known for having insanely long wait times. The restaurant doesn't offer dinner service, just breakfast and lunch, and closes at 3 p.m. On her visit, the Washington Post reporter found that the waitlist for tables had closed an hour prior to the kitchen's doing so. She inquired as to when she should arrive in order to be seated for lunch, and the hostess suggested doing so prior to 8:30 a.m. The reporter then asked, "What if I didn't want to eat lunch during the breakfast hour?" and the hostess told her to show up by 11 a.m. to snag a 1 p.m. spot. Yelp reviews confirm that long wait times are still very much a thing, with 2-1/2 hours from arrival to seating not unheard of.
The menu itself is quite simple, with a few basic breakfast dishes — eggs and bacon, eggs and sausage, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, and yes, millennials, they do offer avocado toast — and lunch items including turkey or chicken salad sandwiches, a burger, a tossed salad with roast chicken and asparagus, and what is billed as a Gaines family favorite, chili served over Fritos. Most Yelpers seemed to find the food absolutely wonderful and the restaurant itself quite beautiful, as it should be. Magnolia Table is located in the Gaines-renovated 1919 Elite Cafe building that Joanna's blog calls "a Waco icon."
Magnolia Press Coffee Company
The latest addition to the Gaines' Waco empire is their answer to Starbucks, except there's only one Magnolia Press instead of the approximately 12 billion or so Starbucks currently covering the planet. Chip and Joanna, however, seem less bent on world domination through franchising and more on turning Waco itself into a foodie (as well as reality TV fan) destination.
Reviewers rave about the cute old building. One Yelper from New York said, "If I were to visit Waco again, I would come back here just to hang out. It gives off a really old school library/study hall vibe that just screams nostalgia." The coffee drinks are also held in high regard, as are the baked goods, and there's less mention of long lines and huge crowds than with the other Gaines' restaurants — something the Washington Post reporter also experienced.
We predict that the recently-opened Magnolia Press will be just as successful as everything else Chip and Joanna turn a hand (or take a hammer) to, and it sounds like the perfect place to hang out with a latte and a lemon blueberry roll while we wait to see what the Gaineses are going to do with that castle they bought (via Business Insider). Would it be too much to hope they might open a dinner theater a la Medieval Times?