You've Got to See Pioneer Woman's New Bakery and Restaurant
The Mercantile's now open—and here's your sneak peek at the shop (and menu).
The Pioneer Woman's general store/deli/bakery is officially open—and fans are proving there's no distance too far to get a taste of the blogger-turned-Food-Network-star's world. People traveled from Alaska, Florida and California, many lining up as early as 3:15 a.m. on Halloween morning for the grand opening, according to Tulsa World.
Ree Drummond, known to many as The Pioneer Woman (the name of her food and lifestyle blog), has been renovating the century-old building in Pawhuska, OK, for a few years now, but it wasn't until this year that Drummond announced her grand plan for the space. Here's what you can expect, if you decide to make a pit stop in the Midwest.
The Menu Has Every Southern-Fried Favorite You Crave.
This is not the place to go to if you're on a low-carb diet. Or watching your sugar. However, if you're in the mood for some serious comfort food, you've come home. The menu features cereal-breaded croissant French toast, steak and eggs and biscuits and gravy, as well as two different kinds of pancakes.
There Are Two Unique Coffees You Can Order.
The PW Coffee Shop covers the classics—lattes, espresso, cold brew, even frappes—but it also has two specialty drinks: A Sasparilla-infused Cowboy Coffee and an iced Spicy Cowgirl, which combines espresso, chocolate, cayenne pepper and sweet cream.
The Deli Serves a Whole Lot More Than Cold Cuts.
Macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, pork roast, whiskey-glazed carrots, meatballs—this isn't your typical cold ham-and-Swiss situation. The shop also makes its own potato chips.
Call It "The Merc" for Short.
Drummond and her husband bought The Mercantile—or The Merc, as they call it, because "we say the word so much we're trying to conserve our oxygen"—four years ago, but for the past two years, only a quarter of the property was renovated. They used it as a ranch office until they started overhauling the entire building, which has been around for 106 years.
Some Things Will Never Change.
Walls have been torn down, entire areas have been gutted, but some classic facets of the building will remain, like this National Biscuit Co. mural.
Even the Pancakes Come with Plenty of Options.
Expect to see the kinds of classic, down-home Heartland fare Drummond features on her blog (and Food Network show) at the deli, like pancakes with flavored butter—and your choice of three kinds of syrup, according to a Yelp review—and one insanely gooey, definitely-not-from-a-box macaroni and cheese.
There's a Separate Warehouse to Keep Up with Sales.
Drummond bought a former Walmart (which also served as an Alco store, once upon a time) to use as a warehouse for The Mercantile. It was cheaper than building one from the ground up, she wrote.
You Can Help Decide What's on the Menu.
Drummond has been asking for fans' input on certain dishes on The Merc's Instagram account, @pwmercantile.
Everything Has a Story.
Drummond jokes that she has an aversion to shiny, new furniture, and at The Mercantile, it shows. Many of the shelves and fixtures she's featured have a worn patina to them, making it fit seamlessly with the building's historic, red brick walls. (Even the flooring is a mix of old and new.)
There Will Be One Killer Sugar Rush.
Oh, there will be chocolate: Chocolate pies, M&M-studded chocolate cookies, chocolate-dipped biscotti and double-chocolate drizzled rice crispy treats (even white chocolate-covered ones sprinkled with Fruity Pebbles). And, if chocolate's not your thing, don't worry—Drummond's also said she's been testing orange muffins, coffee cakes, thumbprint scones and bread puddings to serve at The Merc.
The Bakery Will Be Straight-Up Design Porn.
If you need home renovation inspo, look no further than the pics Drummond's been posting of the bakery, which will feature marble countertops—if PW can decide which style she likes best. (We vote top left too!)
You'll Get to Steal PW's Style, Too.
Food isn't the only thing The Merc will be serving up daily. The general store will feature accessories, housewares, postcards and other goods, which will also be sold online. (The exact web address for the store hasn't been confirmed, but PW polled fans, and TheMercantile.com was the clear winner.)
Since it's a general store, nothing's off limits. Drummond's been considering everything from beaded bracelets to Abe Lincoln puppets, and as she thinks about stocking each one, she asks herself seven questions:
1. Do I love this?
2. Will other people love this?
3. Is this a good value?
4. Is this different from a lot of things out there?
5. Will this make people happy?
6. Will this make people smile?
7. Will this provide some kind of solution?
We'll see what made the cut in mid-September, when the store launches.
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