“Whoa,” my buddy Jason exclaimed as he scrolled through his phone. “This is great news for Downtown!”
Downtown could use some good news right now.
It was an announcement by Mexican restaurant TACOnganas that they are opening a location down here. It’ll be at 119 North Danny Thomas Blvd., at the intersection of Adams, near the Wendy’s on the corner of Washington. This’ll be a fantastic addition to our neighborhood, and a great lunch option for our friends who work at St. Jude.
But that’s not all the fast-food news I have for you this morning! According to a permit filed in November, Chick-fil-A may be opening a location at Thomas and A.W. Willis. Again, great for St. Jude employees.
Itta Bena, the restaurant atop B.B. King’s club at Second and Beale, will be closed most of January for renovations. Heard that from an employee yesterday.
The parking situation for Cossitt Library has improved. You can now park for 2 hours in the Premium Parking garage at 60 Madison for $2. Only available during library hours and this is the ONLY Premium location offering this deal. Use promo code READ at checkout.
I hear there’s a new policy at Max’s Sports Bar: If you spill a drink there, you have to drink out of a sippy cup for the remainder of your stay.
It’s International French Onion Soup Day.
What’s up with people ordering food to go at restaurants, then sitting at the bar for the next 45 minutes opening and closing the to-go container, eating a bite at a time until all the food is gone, then throwing the container away? If you order to-go, when your food arrives, pay your bill and FUCKIN’ LEAVE!!! For years I’ve seen “Food ordered to go must be consumed off site” signs at Beale Street restaurants like Blues City Cafe and Alfred’s and wondered what that was all about. Now I totally get it!
The new BBQ festival to be held in Tom Lee Park the third weekend of May, the one that will be the rival to Memphis in May BBQ Fest and will be held the same weekend, now has a name: SmokeSlam: The World’s Ultimate BBQ Showdown.
The Grizzlies host the L.A. Clippers tonight at 7. You can watch on Bally Sports. First 5000 fans in attendance get a Jaren Jackson Jr. growth chart.
Race for Reconciliation, originally scheduled for MLK Day this Monday, has been postponed until September due to the forecast for snow and extreme cold next week.
High Noon’s hard seltzer is now the #1 spirit in the U.S.
Fruit Stripe gum has been discontinued. 
Memphis 901 FC seeks a social media and content coordinator.
Auto-Chlor seeks a multimedia & social media specialist.
Comedian Jo Koy comes to the Orpheum Saturday at 8.
I think the hotel I’m staying in must have reset the Wi-Fi router after I complained this morning. Yesterday the signal was anywhere from “barely creeping along” to “nonexistent.” Today it’s “not fast by any means but workable.” Thank goodness for small favors. I can’t live without Internet, especially during a winter storm.
That’s all. If I have Wi-Fi I’ll probably be back tomorrow with more news.