NATCHEZ &8212; For 28 years, a nightclub with a distinctive flair has been open on Main Street. With its brick walls, exposed beams and old artwork, the club, Dimples, retains much of the character of the late 19th-century building that houses it.

Darrell Cox bought the building in 1978, opening a club he called Bojangles.

Cox knew nothing about Natchez before coming to the city. He came to work for a car dealership.

&8220;Natchez had that warm feeling,&8221; he said. &8220;I didn&8217;t have any idea what I was going to do.&8221; The idea of a club soon took shape.

Cox took a chance on Main Street, he said, believing that one day it would be a livelier place than it was in the late &8217;70s.

His hunch was correct, as other businesses began to blossom on the block in the 1980s and today most buildings are occupied.

The name of the nightclub is not the only change that has taken place, said Darrell&8217;s wife, Deidre Cox.

&8220;We went from having a house band to bringing in different entertainment every weekend,&8221; Deidre Cox said.

Daughter Krista Cox also works in the business and is learning from the ground up &8220;so one day I can take over and maybe they can retire.&8221;

The club is open on Friday and Saturday nights only, from 7 p.m. on, with entertainment beginning at 11 p.m., Deidre Cox said.

&8220;It&8217;s really a fun place to be and to work,&8221; Deidre said. &8220;I hire and train the staff and I search and find the bands and book them.&8221;

She has another important role, in which customers know her as &8220;Mama D,&8221; she said.

&8220;I&8217;m the one who shakes hands, kisses babies and hugs necks,&8221; she said.

About 50 customers are regulars, who are at Dimples every Friday and Saturday night, she said. An average crowd either night is about 150 to 200 patrons.

&8220;We also get a lot of tourists,&8221; Deidre said. &8220;People come in here and say that they were told they have to see this great bar in Natchez while they&8217;re here.&8221;

Patrons are from all walks of life, she said. And they range in ages from 21 up to 60s. &8220;But the main range is from about 21 to 45,&8221; she said.

From the beginning, the idea was to have a club that is a good place, a friendly place. &8220;It&8217;s safe. And there&8217;s no pretension here. It&8217;s a place to come to have a good time,&8221; she said.

Krista Cox began waiting tables when she was 17. &8220;I started working with my Mom,&8221; she said. &8220;I&8217;ve tried other jobs. But I love this job. It&8217;s fun, getting to talk to people you ordinarily wouldn&8217;t meet.&8221;

And the atmosphere makes conversation friendly and fun, she said. Deidre added, &8220;There&8217;s never a frown in the house.&8221;

Deidre said the bands they book play music that includes the old favorites along with the Top 40. During hunting season and Mardi Gras, she often books Cajun bands because the clientele enjoys that music.

For Krista, the business is something that makes a statement about her parents&8217; commitment to Natchez and Main Street. &8220;I think of it as a family legacy, something to pass on through the generations. Maybe one day my kids will have it,&8221; she said.

Both mother and daughter praised the staff at the club. And they talked about ways they try to keep up with changing tastes, adding new drinks that have become popular with a new generation of customers.

The family invites friends and anyone interesting in learning more about the club to visit the Web site,

www.dimples1.com.