Michael Donahue
Spencer Coplan and Cara Greenstein at the Jewish Chinese Culinary Mashup dinner, which was held last January at Puck Food Hall.
Wok’n in Memphis has left the building. The restaurant in Puck Food Hall that features chef/owner Spencer Coplan’s take on Chinese food ceased operation Thursday, July 8th.
“We are closed,” Coplan says. “It was a multitude of factors. One being health reasons. It just feels like with the rising COVID cases and stuff, taking precaution for myself and my family and my staff is always number one.
“Also, I don’t feel like now is a good time to try and invite guests back into the building due to the rising number of cases. People are scared and such. I don’t want to be a reason people go out.”
And, he says, “There aren’t that many people coming out. The amount of traffic Downtown is nonexistent. No tourism, no social events really going on Downtown, so people don’t go out to eat as much. No foot traffic.”
Coplan, who began Wok’n in Memphis, as a pop-up restaurant, opened in 2018 in Puck Food Hall.
Meanwhile, Coplan’s new Wok’n in Pickle Co. online grocery store will open July 25th. He will sell his own specialty provisions and products using local ingredients. These will include Coplan’s kimchi pickles, flavored oils, and aged soy sauce. The products will be available online at wok-in-memphis.square.site.
“We’ll be all online. And we are in the midst of doing a non-contact delivery for the grocery items and probably set up some shipping, also.”
As for reopening Wok’n in Memphis at a later date, Coplan says, “I’d love to resurrect it someday.”
But, he says, “This pandemic doesn’t just end overnight. So, I think waiting until a more appropriate time to open back up and in another location, yes, it’s something I’d like to definitely do at some point. I don’t know when.”
