Wonderland-themed restaurant now open in Branson

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“The theme (makes it unique) because it’s all Wonderland themed. It’s just off-the-wall a little bit, crazy, different, whimsical, as far as the decor and atmosphere,” said Owner Michelle Fares. “It’s a happy place, it’s not a place to me that you could ever come into and be in a bad mood. It’s just really an upbeat atmosphere, and with that it’s nonsense and thinking out of the box.”

When it comes to food, Fares says they’re different because most of their food is homemade, including the Thousand Island dressing.

“What is so different (about our food) is, No.1, our bread is shipped in from Philadelphia (and) I get that shipped in a couple times a week,” said Fares. “We do slice our own meats and our own cheese, so it’s nothing that’s pre-done. There’s just a lot of stuff that’s homemade that you just don’t get at a lot of places. You go (to other places) and you’re getting a packaged product. We’re actually making it.

“Our Reuben is phenomenal, that was one of the big things. We started out in Ozark in 2018 and that was one of the biggest compliments, the Reuben, and of course the Italian dressing. Even in our samplings right now, that’s what everyone’s talked about, the Italian dressing. It’s on two of our sandwiches, the Dormouse Italian and the Mad Hatter. But we’ve had people ask for it on others (and) we actually use real corn beef, it’s not a press.”

Not only is Mad Hatterz Eatz & Treats entirely Alice in Wonderland themed, but you will also find photo opportunities and live characters like the Mad Hatter and Alice on this unique dining experience.

“I was trying to figure out a name and I was just sitting and thinking, man, this is just nonsense trying to do all this and that’s all it took, and I thought Mad Hatterz,” said Fares. “Really that’s where the idea came from. Our sandwiches are named after characters, our menu is all characterized to that. We have several areas where you can take photos. I do have live characters, Mad Hatter and Alice. They will be here doing different things on different days.”

Mad Hatterz Eatz & Treatz also offers private events and has event space and catering available.

“We do host private tea parties, birthday parties, baby showers,” said Fares. “We usually host some live events throughout the year. We always do mother and daughter tea and father and daughter tea for Mother’s and Father’s Day. We’re going to do a mother and daughter look-alike, kids karaoke, an Alice bingo and just different fun things.”

For January and February, Mad Hatterz Eatz & Treatz is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. Once the official tourist season begins in March, their hours will be extended from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Fares highlighted that, not only is her food important to her, but thanks to her grandmother, it’s extra special.

“When we opened up in 2018 (in Ozark), sadly my grandma passed away in 2019, but my Italian dressing is her recipe. My seven layer salad (and) my potato salad is her recipe,” said Fares. “She joked with me when I would tell her ‘everybody likes this grandma, I’m so glad you worked with me’ and one day when I called her she said ‘I’ve been to the mailbox looking for a check and I just haven’t got it yet’ and I said ‘what check?’. She said ‘well you’re using all my recipes, surely I get royalty’ (laughs). For me it now makes it even more special that so much of her is in my food. It’s what she taught me and so it makes it even more special for me.”

Mad Hatterz Eatz and Treatz is open for dine-in, carryout, curbside and delivery through DoorDash.

According to Fares, by the end of this summer she is hoping to get a Volkswagen Bug and have it designed with paisley flowers so the characters can go out and do deliveries.

Fares hopes to hold a grand opening in March.