From The Ridge at Wayfarer

Starting a restaurant is no small mountain to climb. It’s a road of grit and grace, where every stone in the path tests whether your vision has roots deep enough to hold. Finding the right hands and hearts to walk alongside you—to execute the dream just as you see it—is one of the hardest parts. But it’s also the most rewarding.

As Chris and I stand here, looking toward our grand opening on September 12th, I can’t help but feel the pulse of this little town rising up like a drumbeat. We have some exciting things for the Grand Opening Weekend. We’ve already been blessed with nights of music that linger in the rafters—Redd Volkaert, Tennessee Sheiks, Rob Mayes, and Billy Droze—each show a testament that Wayfarer is more than four walls. It’s a gathering place where stories, laughter, and songs collide.

The outside of the building shines fresh and ready, with a patio waiting for Fall and Winter nights and a few surprises we’re holding close until you see them for yourself. Every nail, every beam, every coat of paint carries a piece of our hearts. We love what we are building here, and we know with time, it will become a place that everyone can claim as their own.

And then, from our back window, came a reminder of just how wild and mysterious life out here can be. One evening, we spotted movement along the ridge—a flash of tawny muscle and grace. At first I thought it was a bobcat, but as it moved from the top of the ridge to the front of the barn, we realized we were watching a mountain lion in all his majesty. For a moment, it felt like we were living inside Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. He lingered just long enough to leave us in awe, and then vanished into the night. We haven’t seen him since, and perhaps we never will—but for that brief spell, the wilderness itself came to remind us we are part of something far greater than ourselves.

But here’s the truest part: where we go from here is the most exciting chapter yet. Wayfarer is not just about us—it’s about lifting this town, making it gleam like a cluster of stars against the great wide sky. We want the world to look at Tazewell and see not just a dot on a map, but a galaxy all its own—bright, magnetic, unforgettable.

We’re working hard to lift ourselves, yes—but in the same breath, we are determined to lift everyone around us. Because when one star shines, the whole sky glows brighter.

So here’s to the road ahead.

Here’s to the music still to be played, the meals still to be shared, and the community that makes it all worth it.

— Mystic Mountain Mama