Just How Big are Chip and Joanna Gaines?

Whether you live here in Central Texas, are new to the area, or are reading this from afar, no doubt you know who Chip and Joanna Gaines are. If you don't, you're one of the few.

From Zero to Hero

Chip and Joanna Gaines have gone from local yokels to big time celebs with what started out as a remodeling show on HGTV, Fixer Upper, to building a Central Texas tourist empire in Waco, Magnolia Marketplace Silos, to landing their own network with Magnolia Network.

The latter kicked of Wednesday, Jan. 5 with the rebranding of the DIY Network as The Magnolia Network, and will debut the new season of "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home," a reboot of the original series "Fixer Upper" which ended after 5 seasons.

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According to Fox Business, along with the series premier of "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home," The Magnolia Network will also feature 25 other shows that both Chip and Joanna are heavily involved in planning.

Welcome to Central Texas

As for the tourism, if you've ever been to one of the events at the Silos, you know exactly how popular "Magnolia" has become.

Just try finding a parking spot in downtown Waco on a Saturday during The Silos business hours or anytime when Magnolia host an event. The wait time to get seated at  Magnolia Table can also be long. Magnolia Press also sees steady business daily.

Show Me the Money

KXXV 25 reports that the Silos bring in around 1.5 million tourists each year. Ray Perryman, an economist for the Perryman Group, says, "The economic impact they've had on Waco is about a half a billion dollars per year in gross products, several thousand jobs and have increased tourism to the city by about 44%." 

Those are some big numbers, and their influence puts not only Waco but the rest of Central Texas in the spotlight.

With the launch of The Magnolia Network, those number will surely grow, as will the legend of Chip and Joanna.