Case Study: Pantry builds an MCP server for its REST API with WorkOS AuthKit

Pantry builds an MCP server with eight tools, three resources, and two prompts using WorkOS

Pantry, a fictional cookbook and meal-planning service, faced the challenge of making its 24-endpoint REST API accessible and useful for AI agents. They partnered with WorkOS to build a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which required carefully curating the API surface into tools, resources, and prompts that an LLM could effectively understand and utilize.

WorkOS implemented a Python-based MCP server using its official SDK and FastMCP framework. The solution exposed a curated set of eight tools, three resources, and two prompts, intelligently merging or wrapping existing endpoints to match user intents rather than a 1:1 endpoint mapping. WorkOS also integrated its AuthKit product to handle the complex OAuth 2.1 authentication required for secure, remote MCP server deployment. The result was a well-shaped, agent-friendly interface with proper error handling and a clear path from local development to a secure production deployment.

Pantry