More information has been released on what will be going in the former Purple Haze spot at Second and Lt. George W. Lee Avenue. It will be a restaurant and LGBTQ-friendly nightclub called Atomic Rose. It will be open Wednesday-Sunday nights, starting off with dinner service which will include choices such as burgers, salads, shrimp Alfredo, ribeye steak, spaghetti, and 12-inch crust pizza pies. They hope to eventually expand to include lunch service as well. The space will seat 120 people for dinner.
At night, Atomic Rose will evolve into a nightclub, with new lighting and a dance floor that cost more than $125,000. According to the club’s Facebook page, this will be the schedule:
- Monday-Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday (4:30 PM-2 AM): Atomic Retro Night with DJ Tree Riehl
- Thursday (4:30 PM-2 AM): Le Chic Night with DJ Space Age
- Friday (4:30 PM-3 AM): Maverick 1990 and DJ Half-Def
- Saturday (5 PM-3 AM): Maverick 1990 and DJ Half-Def
- Sunday (5 PM-1 AM): The Rose Review with Maverick 1990 + Drag Show
There will also be karaoke Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:30 to 10 PM.
I like the concept and welcome it to the neighborhood. A gay-friendly club will make the neighborhood more diverse and will attract more people down here. I like it that it is a totally different concept than Purple Haze; I liked Purple Haze’s concept too but it was attracting some bad people. I like it that the club is not staying open until 5 AM.
As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, I have a couple of exciting pieces of news to share with you about that neighborhood. First of all, the CA reports that the first employees are moving into Orion Federal Credit Union’s new space at 400 Monroe. This is the former Wonder Bread bakery (with the sign still atop the building) and within a few weeks, all 150 administrative employees will be moved in. A new bank branch will open in the building, too. Welcome Orion employees to Downtown! Check out Sabor Caribe, Evelyn & Olive, and Trolley Stop Market over on Madison for lunch. Although, I hear there’s going to be a really nice employee cafeteria too.
Across the street from Orion, at 411 Monroe, is LEO Events, featured in the MBJ’s new column Open Office. The company outgrew their space on South Front and the people fell in love with the building in The Edge, which had been an auto body paint shop for 100 years. With a second floor that is not even being used yet, LEO has room to grow.
The City Council has brought back the $5 cover charge to get on Beale 10 PM-2 AM Friday and Saturday nights until the end of the summer. Data shows that this program works; there is less crime on Beale when there is a cover charge.
The Memphis Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog has a look at Catherine & Mary’s new menu.
For those of you interested in the Arkansas vs. Ole Miss baseball Super Regional to be played in Fayetteville this weekend, winner advancing to the College World Series, here’s the info:
- Game 1: Saturday, 11 AM, ESPN
- Game 2: Sunday, 2 PM, ESPNU
- Game 3, if necessary: Monday, 3 PM, ESPN2
A server at the Majestic Grille posted that they are hiring all positions and to come by between 2-4 PM Tuesday-Friday. That is one of the best places Downtown for service industry folk to work. Patrick and Deni treat their employees like family and I have personally witnessed them go way out of their way to make sure their employees are happy. They offer paid time off, highly unusual in that industry, as well as other benefits and flexible schedules. The Majestic is 1 block from the Orpheum, 3 blocks from FedExForum, and 3 blocks from AutoZone Park, and servers make some really good money when there are events at any of those spots.
On Wednesday, June 26 from 5 to 7 PM, there will be a Downtown Parking Study Open House at Comeback Coffee at 358 N. Main. Come to this free event and get a sneak peek at some of the plans and recommendations being developed. Talk to the team about tactics and strategies and what should be prioritized to improve the Downtown parking experience.
Here’s a list of all the big changes coming in iOS 13 that were announced by Apple yesterday.
A group led by Billy Orgel intends to renovate two old Cotton Row buildings at 99 and 105 South Front into apartments with lots of windows. The backs of the buildings face the Mississippi River.
A new Tennessee ban on handheld cell phone use while driving goes into effect July 1. VERY MUCH NEEDED!
Amtrak is having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on tickets right now. It appears that the City of New Orleans route connecting Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans is included in the sale.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup begins Friday, although the USWNT does not play until Tuesday. The U.S. team is in a group with Thailand, Chile, and Sweden.
A summer concert series is being added to Food Truck Thursdays in Court Square, starting tomorrow.
That’s it for now. I have an appointment tomorrow morning so tomorrow’s post will possibly be late.