Rida AbuZaineh, the proprietor of the Peanut Shoppe currently at 24 S. Main, has applied to the Center City Development Corp. for a $30,000 Tenant Improvement (TI) grant to move his business to 121 S. Main. He can’t stay in his current location because the owner has renovation plans. Everything in the new location will be new and up to code, except the famous peanut roaster which would sit in the window.
The new location would be the ground-floor storefront that used to be the Center for Southern Folklore. That block of Main sees even more foot traffic than the Peanut Shoppe’s current location, and a similar business (Margie’s 901 ice cream parlor) is a proven success on that block.
We locals love Rida and his family and I cannot think of a better small business example that illustrates what Downtown Memphis is all about. I urge the CCDC to approve this application.
Today is National Nut Day. Can you think of a more perfect reason to visit the Peanut Shoppe?
From Smithsonian Magazine: How Memphis created the nation’s most innovative public library. You can take sewing lessons, check out a bicycle repair kit, or record a song with your library card.
Go Tigers! Memphis travels to Orlando today for a 6 PM game against UCF, broadcast on ESPN2.
Memphis and UCF’s conference, the American Athletic Conference, announced that it was watering itself down expanding yesterday with the addition of Conference USA teams UAB, UTSA, North Texas, FAU, Charlotte, and Rice. Any notion of there being a “Power Six” – the Power Five conferences plus the American – got flushed down the toilet with this expansion. You’re truly scraping the bottom of the barrel when you admit Rice.
Bardog has announced its annual Halloween costume contest. It will happen at 11 PM on Saturday, October 30 and cold, hard cash is on the line.
- First place: $250
- Second place: $100
- Third place: $50
The First Horizon Foundation has committed $1 million to the creation of Big River Park, a conservation effort stretching from the I-55 bridge to Big River Crossing (Harahan bridge).
TEDx Memphis happens Saturday, October 30 at the Levitt Shell. This year’s theme is Ctrl-Alt-Del, a keyboard combination when you need to do a reset. What if, instead of resetting our computers, we reset our way of thinking?
Your Academy and Loose Opinions play a free, outdoor show tonight at Carolina Watershed beginning at 8.
Big Barton will play golden-age country (1940s-1960s) tonight at Wiseacre Downtown’s outdoor beer garden stage tonight from 7 to 9.
Drag queen bingo is back at the Moxy Hotel tonight. You might win a night’s stay in a suite if you play.
Grind City Brewing Co. hosts Barks and Boo-ze tomorrow afternoon. Friends of Tipton County Animal Shelter will be there. Feel free to bring your pups.
National news: The remains of Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of slain blogger Gabby Petito, were found in a Florida wilderness reserve this week.
The Trumpster is starting a social media company called TRUTH Social. Oh, the irony of that name. A platform where narcissists can lie as much as they want – I can think of a couple of people who should jump aboard.
That’s it for this Friday. Back tomorrow with more news.