By Vanessa Tinsley,
Meet Bill and Jenn Murray. They are the owners of Rhett’s Country Market, in Northern Franklin County. Rhett’s Country Market is a neat little gem, tucked right into Bald Knob.
Bill and Jenn bought Rhett’s Country Market on March 13, 2023. The store got the name “Rhett’s” when Jenn gave Bill the nickname “Rhett,” in reference to Rhett Butler from the 1936 novel, “Gone With The Wind.”
“In ‘Gone With The Wind,’ Rhett was a lot of things … A tough guy, a man’s man, all kinds of good and bad stereotypes,” Jenn said. “But when his daughter, Bonnie Blue, is born, there’s a softness that he can’t hide. His devotion to her is completely and obvious.
“Bill had the same look in his eyes from the first moment he held Katie.
Bill and Jenn Murray are huge supporters of other small businesses in Frankfort. In their store you can find ice cream from Sweet G’s, honey from Swarm, ground beef from Brenneman & Bucks, air freshners from Down on the Farm Freshies, Coffee from Creative Coffees, automotive and janitorial products from Capital Freshness, apparel from Twine & Sage Company, seasonal products from Hayway Farms and local farm eggs from Adriana’s Quail and Chicken Eggs.
They also offer a one stop shop. You can stop for gas, drinks, groceries, a hot breakfast, a quick sandwich, lunch or dinner. It is all cooked by Bill or staff member, Robin.
If groceries are what you are looking for, you can find deli meats and cheese sliced to order, canned goods, bread, milk, personal hygiene items and so much more. If your vehicle is needing something, they have motor oil, brake cleaner, starter fluid, brake fluid, and two-cycle oil. They even have cat and dog food.
Seated inside and at the outside tables, you can find locals, people passing through or people that have come in from town, sharing stories, enjoying conversation and belly laughs. It’s beautiful watching everyone make so many memories. Some of the tables they sit at, Bill built himself out of local barn wood.
Monday through Friday you can get daily specials that include a drink. The special on Saturday does not include a drink.
Daily specials include:
• Monday: “The Kyle” A 1 pound baked potato loaded with sausage, chicken, cheese, bacon and topped with brown gravy.
• Tuesday: Double R tacos
• Wednesday: “Aunt Marsha’s chicken pot pie,” which is homemade chicken pot pie with puffy pastry.
• Thursday: “Dale’s demand,” which is a 1/2 pound chili cheese dogmatic made from 100% Angus beef
• Friday: “The Russo,” which is Bill’s own recipe. It consists of homemade meatballs — using only the finest ground beef from Brenneman & Bucks Farm.
• Saturday: Breakfast includes the “Southern Favorite,” which is two biscuits with sausage gravy and and two eggs any style for $10;
lunch includes “Gigi’s meatloaf” — Bill’s grandmother’s recipe, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans for $12.50;
dinner includes Bill’s prime rib soup and sandwich, which is housemade. The prime rib soup is loaded with roasted red potatoes and vegetables, and served with a sandwich of your choice for $8.
Below 50 degrees outside? Warm up with Bill’s soup of the day, and a sandwich for $7.50, no matter the day. They also do a full breakfast Monday-Saturday and thin- or thick-crust pizza any day.
Rhett’s Country Market became a dream of Bill’s when “Jenn asked me after an injury, what I wanted to do,” he said. “My answer was, ‘Dreams don’t pay bills.’ She kept asking me, and I said I would love to have a place like the market up the road. The next day, the previous owner told us, it was for sale.”
When asked his what his favorite part about being a business owner was, he said, “Not being a part of corporate America, and being able to tangibly see the impact on our immediate community.”
When asked about its challenges, Bill said, “I mean, I don’t view it as hard. Life has challenges. You just analyze, adapt and overcome. Kind of simple really.”
If you would like to visit Rhett’s Country Market, it is located at 7640 Bald Knob Road. The hours are 6:30 a.m. -6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday. The phone number is 502-875-5671.
