changing pawhuska
Drummond up business
The Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile draws thousands to Pawhuska BY NATHAN THOMPSON
N
ot since the days of wildcatters and oil barons making deals under the Million Dollar Elm in the early 1900s, has Pawhuska seen anything like this. But this time, it’s not for oil riches that thousands come to town every day. It’s for the richness of great food and a one-of-akind experience at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile on the corner of Main Street and Kihekah. Ree Drummond shot to fame with her food blog, cookbooks and nationally televised show “The Pioneer Woman” on Food Network. From her and husband Ladd’s sprawling cattle ranch west of Pawhuska, she has reached millions of followers from all over the world. In 2012, the Drummonds purchased the former Osage Mercantile, a run-down, old building in the center of Pawhuska’s historic downtown district. Ree Drummond, who refers to her husband as “Marlboro Man” on her blog, wrote they thought they had gone crazy when they purchased the building. “Marlboro Man and I lost our marbles and bought an old, dilapidated building on Main Street in our small town,” she wrote. Fast forward four years, and on October 31, 2016 the “lost marbles” turned into a place of magnificent glory. “The Merc” is a mixed-use retail/restaurant/bakery coffee shop that thousands of people visit daily — Sometimes waiting hours to get in and have a meal with a recipe picked by Ree herself. “Everything we have here is based on what Ree decided she wants to have for her fans,” Taylor Potter, director of operations for The Mercantile, said. “Whether it is the coffee, the baked items, the delicious food in the deli, or the eclectic mix of items in the retail store, Ree hand-selected them all.” The Pioneer Woman Mercantile brings in anywhere from 4,000 to 6,000 people every weekday and double that on the weekends, said Kurtess Mortensen, general manager and executive chef of The Merc. Vistors from all 50 states and over 20 different counties have converged on Pawhuska, more than doubling the city’s population daily.
Crowds line up outside of Ree and Ladd Drummond’s The Mercantile in Pawhuska. All photos by Mark Blumer
“It’s been a frantic few months,” Mortensen said. “It’s been incredibly busy here in Pawhuska, as we’ve doubled the size of the town in single days and tripled it in other days. It’s pretty spectacular business and it keeps on rolling.” Mortensen moved to Bartlesville from Las Vegas where he was the executive chef for many outstanding restaurants. His move to Bartlesville and working with Ree Drummond opening The Mercantile has been the experience of his life. “This is so exciting and we have a great product and experience to offer Ree’s fans,” Mortensen said. “I never thought I would be helping open a restaurant in the middle of Osage County in Oklahoma. This has been such a great experience. I feel like I’m home.” Vistors to The Merc’s retail store will find Ree Drummond’s latest picks of cookware,
Bartlesville Magazine VISITOR’S GUIDE 2017
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