Thursday update

This fall we will have one more delicious reason to be lucky to be Memphians. You remember MK who did those home-delivery Quarantine Cuisine dinners and Lockdown Lunches?

She and her business partner Kat have bought a food truck and will hit the streets in Fall 2020. “Like” The She Shed Food Parlor on Facebook to find out when the truck will be in your neighborhood, and what will be on the menu.

In other food service industry news, one heck of an opportunity has come open at the Memphis Airport:

Today is a huge day for the Grizzlies, who have a 3:00 game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s the final seeding game of the season and here’s how this works:

  • If the Grizzlies win, they are guaranteed an appearance in the Western Conference play-in game(s) as at least a 9 seed;
  • If the Grizzlies win and Portland loses, the Grizzlies are in the play-in game(s) as the 8 seed. That is advantageous because the 8 seed has to beat the 9 seed in only one play-in game, whereas the 9 has to win two in a row;
  • If the Grizzlies lose today, and Phoenix and San Antonio also lose, the Grizzlies are in the play-in as the 9 seed;
  • Any other result and the Grizzlies finish 10th or lower in the West and fall into the NBA draft lottery; however, unless Memphis gets extremely lucky (top six I believe) the team has to CONVEY THAT PICK to Boston to fulfill a leftover obligation from the Jeff Green trade.

You can catch the game on Fox Sports Southeast and the Fox Sports GO app. Other important games today:

  • Dallas at Phoenix, 3 PM, TNT (Go Dallas! …unless the Grizzlies win, then it doesn’t matter)
  • San Antonio at Utah, 5:30 PM, TNT (Go Utah! …unless the Grizzlies win, then it doesn’t matter)
  • Portland at Brooklyn, 8 PM, TNT (Go Brooklyn!)

Good news from the Memphis Flyer:

Good news about the public health crisis: In Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, Mayor Strickland reported that Shelby County is doubling its coronavirus cases once every 35 days, the longest duplication period since the pandemic began. The virus is having more trouble than ever finding hosts here.

The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Biggs checked in with the folks at Bari restaurant in Midtown, and let me tell you, if you’ve ever wanted to dine with them but have not got around to it, now is the time. They only had two reservations the day Biggs spoke to them. They have about 38% of the revenue and 100% of the bills, pretty common for a restaurant in 2020. They are crippled seating-wise because of the Health Department requirement to close bar areas. They could seat 6 to 8 more socially distanced at their bar if allowed. That is such an arbitrary and unnecessary rule, the epitome of government bureaucracy making a regulation “so we can say that we did something” even if it hurts more than it helps.

The South Main Bumpus Harley-Davidson is the latest Downtown business to not make it amidst the pandemic, but the prime location at 525 S. Main already has a taker: ceramics business Paper & Clay will move in. Seems like a great fit for an art district and for South Main Trolley Nights the last Friday of each month. Check out the Paper & Clay website

The same Daily Memphian article that announced Paper & Clay’s move also said The Haven Memphis is set to move in next to Renee’s Sandwich Shop on G.E. Patterson Avenue. According to their Facebook page, The Haven is “a Safe Place to feel safe and empowered” and a “men’s drop-in facility that provides outreach services to men of color in the community. The Haven’s mission is to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of men of color by educating, equipping and empowering them to embrace their worth in a safe environment.”

Elmwood Cemetery is back with Part 2 of its Memphis street names presentation tonight at 6:30. This is an online Zoom event and the fee is $10. Streets covered will include Park. Kate Bond. Bingham. Austin Peay. Dunlap, Overton, and Willis.

Central BBQ Downtown is temporarily closed because an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The location will remain closed until all employees who had contact with the infected one are tested and the business is deep cleaned. The other Central BBQ locations are not affected.

Chris Hill plays Slider Inn Downtown tonight at 6 and he’s bringing a full band from Nashville to back him.

The Downtown Hooters will have the PGA Tour – Wyndham Championship on TV today.

I will very possibly be back between 1:30 and 3 with a recap of the Shelby County COVID-19 task force press conference, so check back.