Press & news
Coverage of the room, the music, and the building — from the local paper, the tourism bureau, and the writers who've walked through the front door.
Latest · Williamson Herald · April 15, 2026
The Coles sell the 1876 landmark to local restaurateur Johnny Weber, owner of The Country Boy in Leiper's Fork. The Gray's name, the sign, and the live-music tradition stay put.
Read at Williamson Herald →“It's important to me to keep the Gray's name. It's important for me to keep the sign and be true to our roots and what it's been all these years.”
Downtown Franklin · August 27, 2023
A decade after the 2013 reopening, Joni and Michael Cole reflect on a pre-Prohibition bar program, a community of regulars, and a restoration that honored what the room had been since 1876.
Read the full piece →“Michael and I didn't want to start any restaurant just anywhere. We wanted this building on Main Street and with this community because it's all about your community and the people you surround yourself with.”
Visit Franklin · December 31, 2022
The tourism bureau's standing feature on the venue — the 1876 Gray Drug Co. building, the 1952 neon sign, the second-floor stage that has hosted Grammy-winning performers alongside emerging artists, and the Sunday Jazz lunch.
Read the full piece →“The Gray's sign has been an icon of Main Street since 1952.”
Lovely Franklin · December 31, 2021
A walk through the 18-month restoration, the preserved tin ceilings, the 1890 prescriptions on display, and the famous pimento-cheese balls that nod to the pharmacy's old soda-fountain menu.
Read the full piece →“We let Nashville take care of country music, and we are going to do everything else.”
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