Local TV station Fox 13 obtained a memo sent to Beale Street tenants regarding the re-opening of Beale Street, and it sounds like the place will be No-Fun Street for a while. Although the restaurants, bars, and stores will be allowed to open, the entertainment district itself will remain closed. That means that drinks must be consumed on the premises where they were purchased, and cannot be carried out onto the street. Although the street will be closed to vehicles after 5 Monday-Thursday and after 2 Friday-Sunday, pedestrians will be directed to remain on the sidewalks. To-go windows and beer carts will not be permitted.
Other no-fun restrictions: Live music will be prohibited; DJs will be prohibited; outdoor speakers will be prohibited; gatherings of more than 10 people will be prohibited. Businesses must close at 10 PM, which is seven hours earlier than the normal closing time for some venues in the entertainment district.
I bet the Beale Street Flipppers took a huge financial hit during the house arrest, and will continue to under the new restrictions. Anyone know if they have a Venmo or Cashapp account?
LuLu’s, a women-owned co-op that has had a presence at the Memphis Farmers Market and the Cooper-Young Farmers Market, has found a space in Puck Food Hall at 409 S. Main. They plan to start off serving during the breakfast hours of 7 to 11 AM, and they will expand to lunch within 3 months. Check out LuLu’s online store to see what they offer.
Free masks:
Pick up a free mask from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at locations below, while supplies last⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vmDjaPEhlE
— City of Memphis (@CityOfMemphis) May 7, 2020
Congratulations to Desiree Robinson, owner of legendary Downtown BBQ joint Cozy Corner. She has been named a semifinalist for the 2020 class of the National Barbecue Hall of Fame.
There’s been talk of a meat shortage due to COVID-19. Cordelia’s Market wants everyone to know that their meat department is fully stocked and full service. So slide that meat in your mouth like a hooker working the 3800 block of Lamar! (That last sentence was my own, not Cordelia’s.)
117 Prime is back open with a limited menu for curbside pickup and delivery to Downtown and Midtown. Check their Facebook page for the menu, which includes their Prime Burger, a couple of salads, and beef, chicken, and veggie Phillys. They open at noon and accept delivery orders until 8 PM and curbside orders until 10 PM.
Dine with ducks on Mother’s Day:
Spend Mother’s Day with the Peabody Ducks. 🦆 Celebrate Mom with a three-course meal in our Grand Lobby Restaurant, while watching the Peabody Ducks swim in the Lobby Fountain. 12PM – 4PM. Reservations required as seating is limited: 901-529-4164. #MothersDay #LunchWithTheDucks pic.twitter.com/0wK7DAYwsG
— The Peabody Memphis (@PeabodyMemphis) May 7, 2020
Edible Communities is selling a digital cookbook that contains more than 80 recipes, along with podcasts, video, and useful illustrations. One of the recipes is Chef Michael Patrick’s shrimp and grits.
The Flyer has an article on Lightclub Memphis’ weekly Twitch streams. DJ Scotty B and his guest DJs have created a bit of normalcy for us all to enjoy.
Margie’s 901 put its list of flavors in the window, hoping to attract business. In my opinion that list needs to stay in the window permanently. Margie’s is the former Maggie Moo’s ice cream shop on the Main Street Mall.
The Memphis Medical Center District Collaborative is back with another Virtual Friday concert today at noon. The concert will originate from Health Sciences Park and will feature DJ Chandler Blingg.
Hospitality HUB has continued to serve its clients on their path to get out of homelessness during the quarantine. Since March 17, the HUB has accomplished the following:
- 8500 nights of Safer At Home shelter for clients experiencing homelessness
- 31,000 individual meals served
- More than 100 stimulus checks applied for, 45 received so far
- 12 individuals permanently housed
- And the best statistic of all… of the COVID-19 tests with which they assisted, there were ZERO positives.
Lyft will soon join its competitor Uber in requiring drivers and riders to use face coverings.
Some members of Congress want to fight unemployment by declining to renew H-1B work visas, giving Americans less competition for jobs. In theory this makes sense, but in practice this will MURDER the economy. Have you bought anything online during the lockdown? The website on which you placed the order was likely designed and maintained by people with H-1B visas. Thinking about local Downtown companies, AutoZone could be heavily hit by this decision. I hope someone smartens Congress up on this matter, but I realize I might as well hope pigs grow wings and fly.
That’s the news for now. Back tomorrow with more.