Jackson Free Press

In the small dining area of Ray's Smokehouse and Grill, a pedestal fan in the corner blows cool air into the room. Laughter rings out from behind the kitchen door of the restaurant.

Raymond Kennedy and Natasha Cayson, two Jackson natives, are the co-owners of Ray's Smokehouse and Grill.

The two started dating after they met in 2009 at a club with friends, but they didn't get involved in the restaurant business right away. Cayson, who already had one son, Brandon, from a previous relationship, did not know much about cooking when she and Kennedy began dating.

Soon after the two began their relationship, Kennedy decided he needed to teach her everything his mom, Christine Kennedy-Brown, and his grandmother, Lois Gene Frazier-Kennedy, had taught him about cooking.

Since then, Kennedy, who they consider to be Brandon's stepfather, and Cayson have had kids of their own, and they enjoy cooking for their family together.

Kennedy and Cayson's career in the food industry started when Kennedy began cooking for big family events, which eventually led to other catering opportunities. It didn't take long for his food became popular in the Jackson area, and the amount of catering requests continued to grow.

When the owner of The Green Room offered to let the couple use the bar's kitchen to enhance their catering business, Kennedy and Cayson immediately accepted his offer. Because of the improved workspace, they were able to increase their workload and take their catering business to the next level.

Kennedy and Cayson decided to expand the business once again by opening their own restaurant. In 2014, they opened Ray's Smokehouse and Grill, which was given its name in honor of their children.

"The catering got so busy," Cayson says. When asked about the process of opening Ray's and creating the menu, she says: "It was all trial and error, and we took it one step at a time. It was just trying stuff and seeing what was the most popular. People said what they liked the most."

Kennedy and Cayson say they opened the restaurant so they could leave a legacy for their kids and hopefully give them a sense of pride in their family and community.

Over the last four years, Ray's has become popular among locals for their food and low cost.

"We want our customers to feel welcomed with great customer service and to know they're going to be served great food," Cayson says.

After going through the process of starting the catering business and opening a restaurant, Kennedy says that the key to opening a successful restaurant for any new business owner is "remaining patient, handling negative commentary as areas that need improvement and staying consistent."

Ray's Smokehouse and Grill has menu items such as shrimp, ribeye steaks and Kennedy's personal favorite, the chicken Philly with bacon and jalapenos.

Kennedy also says he will make anything the customer desires if he has the right ingredients on hand.

Ray's Smokehouse and Grill (369 W. Northside Drive, Suite A) is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. For more information, call 769-233-7110.