WACO, Texas – A new delicious destination has opened its doors in downtown Waco.
HGTV star Joanna Gaines is now not only sharing her good taste in decor, she's also sharing what tastes good in her kitchen.
After a soft opening Wednesday, Thursday was the official grand opening of The Bakery at the Silos, the latest venture taken on by Joanna and her husband Chip who stars with her on their hit show “Fixer Upper.”
Joanna has transformed the old cotton seed oil plant into the Magnolia Silos, a sort of Disneyland for design-lovers, with a retail shop (Magnolia Market), garden store (Magnolia Seed and Supply), and now...a bakery (to be named).
"She loves cooking, she loves baking, she loves tasting," said Brock Murphy, Magnolia's director of public relations.
The thousands who visited the Magnolia Silos Thursday got a "sweet" surprise from the star who loves fixing houses and fixin' deserts.
"It's just a fun treat, and they get a treat as well," said Murphy.
Magnolia had kept the bakery's grand opening a secret to surprise people visiting the Silos.
"We had heard about it before, about the bakery going to be opening soon, but we didn't know it was going to happen today!" said Madeleine Durkee who was visiting the Silos with her mother.
"I feel extremely lucky," said Paula Durkee, Madeleine's mother who was visiting from Las Vegas. "The only way it could be better is if we actually saw Joanna and Chip!"
While they weren't there in person, the couple's "Magnolia touch" could be seen everywhere in the design, decor, and deserts.
"It's definitely like what you see on the show 'Fixer Upper,' like it's that style to a T," said Madeleine Durkee.
"Being from South Carolina and seeing the show, you know, we come into this bakery and we feel like we're on the show, really you honestly do, it has a neat touch to it, a special touch," said Michael Cousar who was visiting the Silos with his daughter who was interesting in attending Baylor.
The ingredients used in the confections must also be pretty special; Cousar's family came back for a second round of sweets.
"The lemon cupcake, awww, the frosting," said Cousar about his favorite cupcake.
Fifteen chefs, (three of them are executive chefs), now make eight flavors of cupcakes on-site, fresh daily, which have “Fixer Upper” themed named like "shiplap," "cup of Jo," and, in honor of Chip, "nuts and bolts."
"It's just their own special recipes, and it's really cool," said Anne Douglas, Cousar's daughter.
Joanna worked for months to perfect those special recipes, but she'd already had them "cooking" in her mind, and in her heart, for years.
"When Joanna was initially looking into opening Magnolia Market back in 2003, it was going to be either a bakery or a retail space, and so she's always had it in her heart to do a bakery, she's always loved the idea," said Murphy.
And the tens of thousands who visit the Silos daily appear to love the idea too, maybe too much.
"We might be doing some exercising the next couple of days," said Paula Durkee jokingly about eating too many cupcakes.
How about a walk around Waco to burn off those cupcake calories? Magnolia wants to bring people to the Silos, yes, but the goal is for guests to explore what the entire town has to offer.
"We want them to come to the Silos and then send them on their way to eat and shop at other local places," said Murphy. "We just want them to experience Waco like we love it."
The Gaines' did a "reveal" of the bakery (like they do on their show with the houses they transform) over the weekend which will be featured in an episode of 'Fixer Upper' Season 4. The couple renovated the building on the corner of the Silos property which had last been occupied by Rosetree Floral.
After two days, the most popular cupcakes at the bakery so far were "the classic" and "lemon and lavender." All eight flavors are $3.50. The bakery also has cookies, cinnamon rolls, and for those who prefer savory to sweet, biscuits.
The Bakery at the Silos will be open 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
