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ATOKA, Oklahoma (KXII) – When Texoma\u2019s own Reba McEntire opened up a restaurant in Downtown Atoka, it took the area to new heights.<\/p>\n
Now, two years later, the hoppin\u2019 stop is stepping up once again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really lets us do different things for different occasions, get a different feel,\u201d Executive Chef Kurtess Mortensen said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always talked about wanting to bring the inside, outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new al fresco<\/i> patio will do just that.<\/p>\n
With the patio grand opening on Thursday night\u2014filled out by the sounds of Oklahoma-based band The Gypsys<\/a>\u2014Mortensen said the venue kickstarted a new era of open air entertainment and events.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always on the move, always trying to do the next great thing,\u201d he said. \u201cReba makes it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Phil Duty, who\u2019s lived in Atoka for 56 years, said Reba\u2019s Place is just what the town needed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s got good people, good food, good company, everything,\u201d Duty said.<\/p>\n To get started, the new patio will be open for special events, like the Sunday and Monday night dinners hosted throughout September.<\/p>\n Then, later this fall, the patio may be in use all the time.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the weather cools off, and it gets a little more comfortable in the middle of the day, then we\u2019ll see about opening it up all the time,\u201d Mortensen said.<\/p>\n