Straightaway Cafe is a lucky seven years old

Seven years old and successful despite long odds, Straightaway Cafe and Pub is celebrating its seven-year birthday with a bash Wednesday, April 20. Performing will be Circus Mutt, a Fairview band that will release its new CD, “Old Dogs & New Trick.”

Straightaway Cafe started out in 2009. Alaska transplants, Caroline Botham and her family wanted to open a coffeeshop to serve the workmen and real estate agents working on the development in the Broad River area. But then, in came the Great Recession and out went the work. Her husband Ray, a general contractor with too much time on his hands, changed the coffeeshop concept into a juke joint and burger bar - a combination he’d come to love in Alaska.

He’s a big live music fan, so the Straightaway booked bands. Now it offers live music four nights a week.

“The ship is floating pretty well right now,” Ray said of the business. “It’s an odd success story. No one thought we would work out out here.”