Southern Hospitality at Magnolia Market

When we were first married, Dan and I stayed at a bed and breakfast on the Oregon Coast. The tagline on the brochure read “Hospitality is Our Specialty.” The place was an older Victorian era home turned B & B and from the looks of the brochure it was going to be a lovely place to stay. It turned out to be one of those situations where the camera angles told a much different story because in real life it was a strange, quirky place. Bedroom closets converted into showers but still looked very much like a closet. Unevenly hung wall paper and strangely appointed decor that just left you scratching your head. On the other hand, the lady who ran the B & B was so friendly and talked with us for quite a while, making us feel right at home. Indeed, hospitality was her specialty.

In fact, whenever I hear the word ‘hospitality’ I think back to this quirky place and over the years Dan and I have joked many times about how weird this place was. Needless to say, it left a lasting impression.

After visiting Texas, I can honestly say hospitality IS their specialty. Everywhere we went, people were just so polite and friendly and welcoming and accommodating. Southern hospitality is serious business y’all! The level of service and kindness we experienced in Texas has left a lasting impression on us from our first days in Waco to our time in Austin, San Antonio and Galveston to our very last day in Dallas. We were treated well the entire time.

Just being at the Silos in Waco was fun and enjoyable on it’s own. It was great to experience everything in person after hearing such great things for so many years. We were fortunate enough to visit each of the Magnolia establishments on our trip and could tell that top notch customer service was a company wide effort and not just a coincidence.

Magnolia Customer Service is Second to None

Be prepared to be wowed by the level of service that is evident at all of the Magnolia establishments. They have really done their homework and created a well thought out, efficient destination shopping experience that minimizes potential frustrations at every turn. Here are a few examples:

Magnolia Market

Greeters at the front door who engage in friendly conversation while you wait to get in, even going as far as offering to help take photos, which for me is a huge bucket filling gesture.
An employee at the jewelry counter complimented me on my outfit. Little did she know how much I agonized over the decision of what to wear. Her well placed compliment stayed with me all day!
The cashiers are really great at their job and you can just tell they are treated well and love their job because it’s reflected in the way they treat their customers. The lady who helped us at the check-out counter was just the kindest, most friendly person and we could tell by the way she inquired about our purchase and asked where we were visiting from that the employees are genuinely nice people. It felt like we were old friends for the quick 5-10 minute span of time we spent together.
Every purchase from Magnolia Market comes with a note from Chip and Jo thanking you for supporting their business. Such a nice way to show gratitude. I just love that!
Silos Baking Co.
The ordering process at the Silos Baking Co couldn’t be more streamline! Before you even get to the counter, you will receive an order form to fill out which really cuts down the time before you get your goodies! I am such a planner that I already knew months ahead of time what I was going to order, but was still impressed with this little step that made a big difference. Two thumbs up for the Lemon Lavender cupcakes!!

Magnolia Table

The wait staff at Magnolia Table was very attentive, friendly and helpful even offering suggestions for our next stops in Austin and San Antonio…and our waitress didn’t even bat an eye at the plethora of photos I was taking of my breakfast!
There are Take Away options for those who want to enjoy eating at Magnolia Table but don’t want to wait in line to be seated inside. You can chose to eat at a table outside, or take it on the go.
Magnolia Table and Silos Baking Co have food trucks located at the Silos as an alternative to visiting the physical restaurant and bakery. This alleviates the number of people standing in line at either location, while serving those who just want delicious food.

Traveling to a new place can be stressful and tiring, but it was so refreshing to be welcomed with smiles and personalized attention…just like in the Good ol’ Days!

One of my favorite southern flavored hospitality experiences happened on our very last day. We had a few hours in Dallas before our flight home, so we decided to spend it at the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and oh my word…The lady who sold us our tickets was just the best. At first I thought it was cute when she called Dan “Sugar.” “Here’s your tickets Sugar!” But it didn’t end there…she called me Sugar too! I mean, this is an equal opportunity sugaring we experienced. We were treated to a barrage of Sugars, probably no fewer that 30 Sugars were sprinkled our way. “Now Sugar, your gonna want to get in line at 12:30 Sugar for the 12:30 tour, Sugar. At this time Sugar, they will hand out the audio players, Sugar. Then you’ll ride up the elevator Sugar, to the museum on the 6th floor, Sugar. Y’all have a nice visit Sugar!” It was pretty great and quite fitting considering the excess amount of actual sugar we consumed on this trip!

Until we meet again, Sugar!