By TIM FLANAGAN

Correspondent

MURFREESBORO – Colton and Cassie James, you can’t help but like them.

Colton is an apparently laid back, kinda smile all the time, wound up powder keg of a guy. Cassie is a warm and friendly soul who doesn’t flinch at long, hard days at work for a family she loves.

He plays music, she serves food and drink…and together they run Whitley’s BBQ Traditions.

The James family reopened Whitley’s with a grand opening bash. Having been there at their soft opening a couple of weeks back, this reporter had the opportunity to see the beautiful enhancements they had made, which would not have been the case during the grand opening and being packed with people. Why mention it, surely you will want to go see it for yourself!

Arriving before it was crowded afforded the opportunity to find the perfect perch, and so it was discovered. From the front corner of the bar everything could be seen, it was the perfect vantage point from which to cover the night’s activities. Watching as familiar faces and many new ones flitted through the door….watching their eyes as they looked all around the main foyer. Seeing the expressions on their faces told this reporter much about the future success of this night.

The food was delicious and the ambiance festive. The lighting coupled with the beautiful wood walls, floors and tables. All done with different wood and stain to create a look that just works.

From the bar you could order wine, beer and specialty drinks. Reminiscent of a “happening” lounge in a city, it was cool to enjoy that experience right in our own backyard. There was so much going on you were never bored, to include Cassie and crew running around selling raffle tickets to a gorgeous grille. The smell of good food wafting up from the buffet area in the back. Yeah a really relaxing night.

There was plenty of entertainment on call for the night! Brian Gurry, producer & host of the TV Series “American Builders” hung out all night, and was filming the night’s festivities. Karaoke fun was also on the menu that night and drew many a brave soul to the microphone. Colton’s friend and guest star Daniel Jordan took us through some old time favorites with his singing and acoustic guitar. Last up was Colton himself who drew us in with his solo vocals and guitar. If you have never seen Colton he has a heck of a lot of energy. Energy, yeah that’s how you could best describe my night at Whitley’s grand opening…lots of fun energy.

You might say, well that was just for the grand opening. Oh contraire, Cassie was very forth coming when she was asked about the future plans of Whitley’s. She also added a glimpse of her passion for the place.

“We love the love our customers have for Whitley’s and the stories they tell of the past,” she noted.

The couple plans to build on that tradition with acoustic sets planned, dinner night caps…that kinda thing. We now have what we have been wishing for all along, a cool place to hang out, with good food and good people.

Whitley’s is located at 315 Beechwood Blvd. in Murfreesboro. For more information, call 252-398-4884.