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Pawhuska, Oklahoma, went from a 'ghost town' to a thriving tourist hub thanks to 'The Pioneer Woman' - here's what it's like to visithttps://www.businessinsider.in/pawhuska-oklahoma-went-from-a-ghost-town-to-a-thriving-tourist-hub-thanks-to-the-pioneer-woman-heres-what-its-like-to-visit/and-its-helping-pawhuska-as-a-whole-according-to-thrillist-nearly-a-dozen-new-business-have-opened-over-the-past-year-or-so-and-the-towns-sales-tax-revenue-has-risen-33-across-all-businesses-/slidelist/61054782.cms2017-10-12T19:00:07+05:30

Pawhuska, Oklahoma, went from a 'ghost town' to a thriving tourist hub thanks to 'The Pioneer Woman' - here's what it's like to visit

Oct 12, 2017, 19:00 IST

And, it's helping Pawhuska as a whole. According to Thrillist, nearly a dozen new business have opened over the past year or so, and the town's sales-tax revenue has risen 33% across all businesses.

There's construction on what Drummond referred to on Instagram as "another restoration project we've been working on in our small town."

This summer, the lodge by Drummond Ranch began offering free tours on select days.

The Drummonds are far from finished when it comes to bringing new activity to Pawhuska.

Ladd Drummond comes from a prominent ranching family. With more than 440,000 acres, the Drummonds are one of the top 20 largest landholders in the US.

As the name of her blog and show would indicate, Drummond lives on a ranch: Drummond Ranch, just outside of the town.

Drummond lives slightly outside of Pawhuska.

Drummond jokingly said that the coffee shop was centered around her desire for a high-quality espresso drink. "I felt that I really did this whole thing, just so that I could have a good cup of coffee everyday," she told Thrillist.

Source: Thrillist

Drummond jokingly said that the coffee shop was centered around her desire for a high-quality espresso drink. "I felt that I really did this whole thing, just so that I could have a good cup of coffee everyday," she told Thrillist.

Source: Thrillist

There's also a bakery-coffee shop hybrid.

Basically, it's a Ree Drummond-approved Cracker Barrel.

The general store is packed with knick knacks, kitchenware, and home decor.

Drummond is known for her comfort food, meaning the menu is filled with items like pancakes, mac and cheese, and chicken fried steak.

The menu features some of Drummond's recipes from her blog and Food Network show.

Customers wait in line for hours, with some arriving as early as 5 a.m. to get into the restaurant.

Up to 15,000 customers flock to Pawhuska every day to visit the site.

"The Merc," as it is often called by Drummond and her fans, is a triple threat: bakery, deli, and general store.

Drummond and her husband, Ladd Drummond, opened "The Mercantille" in 2016.

There are no hotels and few restaurants, except for a Sonic Drive-In on the edge of town. Even the town's Walmart shut down in 1995, and the site has since been turned into a warehouse for Drummond's "Mercantile."

More than one person told Shah that Pawhuska was a "ghost town" until recently.

Prior to the rise of "The Pioneer Woman," the town's biggest claim to fame was being the site of the first Boy Scout troop.

Pawhuska isn't easy to get to. The closest airport, Tulsa, is more than an hour away.

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