Byrdstown-Pickett Co Update July, 23 2021

 

Happy Friday!!

Stay cool this weekend everyone! It’s supposed to be really hot. It’s also time to get ready for back to school. Tax Free Holiday starts soon. It’s expanded this year to include an extended period for gun storage and a special time planned to help food vendors and grocers. Check out their website for details. Business of the Month is below! Congratulations!!! There will also be a free food distribution next Friday (7-30-2021) morning at 9:00AM at the Byrdstown Pavilion across from Town Hall. The Fall Dale Hollow Bass Classic will be October 2 & 3, 2021. The forms are printed and we hope to get them mailed out tomorrow. The begin date for entries is next Friday morning (7-30-2021) at 8:15AM. You can download the form here

COMING UP THIS WEEKEND AND SOON: Obey River Grill/East Port Marina will have trivia tonight (Friday and every Friday night this season). Live Music Friday and Saturday evenings at Dixie Cafe, and The Steel CoopSulphur Creek Resort/Mike’s Landing Restaurant and Lounge has announced that they will have live music 7 nights a week for the month of July! Backyard Grill is having live music the next 3 Saturday nights (at least) – their schedule is posted on their Facebook page for details. Plenty of other great food out there! You can find our member places to dine at this link as well: www.dalehollow.com/dine. Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park has a variety of workshops happening. Space is limited so you need to register for the one(s) you are planning to attend. The GNT Gala will be September 18. Also, the Pickett County Library will be having the Summer Reading Program. Find more information here. The Town of Byrdstown 3K/5K to benefit St. Jude will be held the 2nd Saturday in October. This year that will be Oct. 9, 2021. That will be our 10th Anniversary, so expect something special! 

UPCOMING MEETINGS:

DAV will meet at the Welcome Center on the second Saturday of each month at 9:30AM


The Rescue Squad meets the 1st Thursday of each month at the Rescue Squad Building at 7PM


Congressman John Rose’s Office will hold local office hours on July 28 from 11AM-12PM at the Pickett Co. Library

August Chamber Board of Directors Meeting will be held on August 12 at 11AM at the Byrdstown Activities Park Pavilion catered from Dale Hollow Shell and sponsored by Tranquility Properties, LLC.

The Byrdstown – Pickett County Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate the Backyard Grill for being selected as the business of the month for July 2021.

Graceann Reagan Page was born into the restaurant business. Her mom Retta began working at the Dixie Café in Byrdstown before she bought and ran it for almost 14 years. Meeting her husband Steve at the Dixie, Retta and Steve then built the Farmhouse Restaurant when Graceann was about 11 years old. She can remember having to use a step stool to help her parents at the Farmhouse. Her parents sold the restaurant after about 10 or 11 years.

After graduating high school Graceann went to TTU where she earned a degree in animal sciences, but was unable to find her dream job within her field. Knowing she wanted to stay in Byrdstown, she helped her dad out in 2018 serving barbeque and other dishes from a food trailer across from the old B&K Bi-Rite in Byrdstown.

Graceann then had a restaurant for two seasons at Wisdom Dock before buying what she thinks was on old auction building on highway 111 and began remodeling in 2019 to become the Backyard Grill.  Her grand opening was during the COVID-2019 pandemic. Despite the pandemic, Graceann’s business was a huge success and continues to be one. Her future plans are to have an indoor/outdoor enclosure in the rear of the restaurant to have outdoor events.

Asking what the chamber of commerce could do to promote her business, she says as long as the chamber keeps sharing her Facebook posts she thinks this will help because so many people follow the chambers page. She feels the business climate is good in Byrdstown, but due to her location outside of Byrdstown, she tends to get overlooked as a hometown restaurant.

Recently, board members from the chamber of commerce assisted Graceann with the installation of a sign for placement on the roadside. Graceann loves the sign and feels it has already helped bring in new customers after receiving multiple compliments and Facebook comments regarding her “new” sign.

Graceann runs daily specials and has live music on occasion, follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Backyard-Grill-103177671232488 or visit her at 2705 Livingston Highway, Monroe, TN 931-823-9677.

If ANYONE needs any help, questions answered, etc., please reach out to our office (931) 864-7195, the County Executive’s Office (931) 864-3798 or Mayor Gibson’s Office (931) 864-6215.

Bill Robbins, Byrdstown-Pickett Co. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
Janice Neal & Donella Beaty, Assistants to the Executive Director