Author: Lorna Field

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Autumn Chastain Selected as Thistle and Bee’s First CEO

Autumn Chastain and Bridgette House (Courtesy Thistle and Bee)

Thistle and Bee, a local nonprofit that aids and empowers women survivors of addiction, sex trafficking, and prostitution, has announced that Autumn Chastain will be their first CEO. 

Chastain has 20 years of experience as a lawyer specializing in protecting the rights of trafficking survivors. 

“I’ve been an attorney in Memphis for 20 years, and primarily in and around things affecting children, dependency and neglect, delinquency, termination. … I slowly ended up being one of the go-tos for cases involving human trafficking,” says Chastain. 

Autumn Chastain (Courtesy Thistle and Bee)

“I also worked with different organizations internationally, combining efforts of foreign governments and things to establish some safe procedures and harbors and education outside the United States on trafficking.”

Chastain’s legal background and passion for protecting the rights of trafficking victims make her an ideal fit for Thistle and Bee, where the women served by the organization are taught how to care for bees, harvest and bottle honey, and make honey-based products –– such as flavored granola, candy, coffee, tea, lip balm, soap –– for several local retail outlets and farmers markets. 

“I’ve also owned retail stores in Memphis for a while,” Chastain continues, “and someone came to me and said that Thistle and Bee was looking for a new chief executive officer, so I thought, oh, I mean, retail, and law with trafficking –– all of it in one place, all of my interests in one thing, instead of me in multiple different areas. Okay, ‘sign me up.’ And it was just a great fit.”

At Thistle and Bee, the women are able to earn an income and gain professional skills through their social enterprise program while engaging with the wraparound services offered via the residential program.

“Our social enterprise is not a business with a mission; it’s a mission with a business,” states Becca Stevens, Founder of Thistle Farms, on their website. 

As a complement to the social enterprise program, the two-year residential program offers a safe place where the women can focus on healing and recovery.

“[It] provides them safe housing in a community safe house environment, where we provide all of their medical, mental health, dental recovery needs. And that’s all free of charge to them. And in addition to it, we have financial literacy, we have physical wellness, and art therapies,” Chastain explains. 

“It’s called The Hive. And everything from circle time, where they share and explore, to their to 12-step programs, to the mental health counseling or medication management partnerships, they are always engaged in some sort of therapy or development throughout each day with our different partners.”

The women at Thistle and Bee don’t all work with bees, though. Like the services and therapy options offered at The Hive, work opportunities are likewise tailored to the individual. 

“Our goal is to help each woman find their inner worth, their passion, their skill set. And so we have some that really enjoy the harmony of working with the bees and the comfort,” Chastain says. “We have those that want to be at the farmers markets, sharing their story, selling the products. And we have others that want to stay in the kitchen and just do granola.” 

Thistle and Bee also offers support in other unique ways, such as getting a woman’s driver’s license renewed, taking care of her past fines and court costs, helping her build her credit, or anything else that might bolster success. 

Beyond hiring a CEO, 2022 will be a big year for Thistle and Bee. In the next several months, Thistle and Bee will launch a corporate gift program, seek to acquire an additional residential home for women transitioning out of the program, and host at least two honey-themed fundraising events. 

“One of my biggest goals is to help raise awareness that we are here and we’re a resource,” says Chastain. 

Those looking to support the organization should keep an eye out for their Virtual Honey Tasting on June 26th and the Honey Harvest Fundraiser on September 25th. But in the meantime, there are other ways to show your support. Visit ThistleandBee.org to donate, volunteer, or purchase some locally sourced honey, granola, and other honey-based products –– or find them at the Memphis Farmers Market.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Local Farmers Impacted by COVID-19

COVID-19 is radically changing how local restaurants operate, and, in tow, local farmers are facing mounting challenges as well.

“To be completely frank, it’s run us ragged,” says Scott Lisenby, who operates Bluff City Fungi.

“Our day-to-day operations have changed dramatically almost overnight. We’re running on a skeleton crew, and we’re working at 110 percent to keep up with the almost daily changes,” he says.

Fungus among us: Bluff City Fungi

Local restaurants are reporting dramatic losses in sales, which has had an inevitable impact on the farmers from whom they source their food.

For example, Ed Cabigao, one of the owners of Zaka Bowl, Interim, and South of Beale, has experienced this phenomenon at each of those restaurants — which all source food from local farmers.

“Interim experienced an 80 percent drop in sales instantly,” Cabigao says. “S.O.B. experienced a 30 percent drop in sales initially, and it has now dropped to around 50 percent. Zaka Bowl experienced a 50 percent drop in sales and has held at that.

“Interim was the first concept where we closed the dining room because of sales, and also because it’s pretty clear that the pandemic should be taken very seriously,” he says. “We are right next to a retirement home and a pediatrician’s office, so that helped strengthen our decision.”

The effects of restaurant closures like these have been felt throughout the local farming community.

“Since farming takes months and months of planning ahead, we have tens of thousands of dollars worth of product coming up and no one to sell it to,” Lisenby explains.

“The majority of our business is direct to restaurants and wholesalers, and, understandably so, almost every single one of those streams of income has dried up overnight,” he adds.

“The nature of the restaurant business relies on a constant flow of sales every single day, and when a sharp, unprecedented decrease happens so swiftly, and coupled with the fact that there has been no direction or leadership in terms of when we can expect the pandemic to pass, it forces us as business owners to make very difficult decisions,” says Cabigao.

Though they’re considered essential businesses, farmers markets are having to make tough decisions, too. It was recently announced that the opening of this year’s Memphis Farmers Market (MFM), originally scheduled for April 4th, would be delayed and projected to open on May 9th instead.

“We feel it is our responsibility to do our part to flatten the curve and help stop the transmission of this virus through our city,” says Robert Marcy, executive director of MFM.

“Please know that we made this decision with the entire MFM community in mind, as the health of our vendors, customers, volunteers, and staff is most important, and whatever measures we need to take to ensure their health and safety are the proper ones,” he adds.

Sandy Watson, market director of the Cooper-Young Farmers Market, is also adapting rapidly to changing circumstances.

“This situation can’t help but have a lasting impact — the community has been forced to cook at home more now that restaurants are closed,” says Watson, recognizing that the need to access fresh food is more important than ever.

“Will that continue after this is over? Will restaurants be able to recover from this? Some will not,” Watson says.

It’s not too late to support your local farmers, and many have transitioned to online sales and home delivery.

Lisenby offers his own advice: “Please shop local. Please. Your farmers are adapting to better serve you right now, many will deliver or ship right to your door, many are still working farmers markets with ramped up safety protocols.

“Reach out to your favorite local farms and see what your options are for supporting them,” Lisenby suggests.

Find out more about your options from local farmers markets at memphisfarmersmarket.org and cycfarmersmarket.org, or order from Bluff City Fungi at bluffcityfungi.com.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Award-Winning Chefs Ticer and Hudman Talk Bishop, the Fire at Hog & Hominy, and More

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman have been busy opening a new restaurant, reacting to a fire at Hog & Hominy, and being honored by the James Beard Awards. Here’s a look at what’s happening with the award-winning chef team.

MF: How does your new restaurant, Bishop, complement or contribute to the presence of French cuisine in Memphis?

Hudman: Memphis is always, to us, a place that starts by acknowledging where we come from. French cooking is rooted in that same style of techniques, passed down, done right. It’s about mentorship. These are things that we value in our company. We’re always looking for ways to build our people, and this was a natural entry point. When the idea came to us, it just made sense to flex those old muscles as a callback to where we started. The moment that we saw the space that Natalie Lieberman had designed and the collateral and branding from Loaded for Bear, it clicked. We’d wanted to do a French brasserie for a while, and here it all was, ready to go.

Ticer: It’s funny. My brother Olivier is from France, and he just happened to be in town the week we soft opened. He told us that, often, brasseries are attached to train stations and breweries, and here we were opening one in a train station. It just made sense. We have our homage to Downtown trattorias at Catherine & Mary’s, our riffs on Southern food and oysters from the fire at The Gray Canary, and then our classic French spot attached to a train station.

Memphis-based restaurateurs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman (left to right)

What was it like opening a restaurant in the Central Station Hotel?

Ticer: There are challenges to opening any restaurant, but a restaurant in a hotel is a fun experience. We have to focus on all aspects of the food and beverage, from Eight & Sand and Bishop, to the events in the Grand Hall. The biggest challenge is that we really opened three spaces at once, so there are a lot of moving parts that needed to be focused on all at once.

Hudman: For us, it’s all about assembling the right team who can carry that culture of our restaurants. We want everything to feel like it was paid attention to and thought about for our guests, and that takes some time to get right. We opened in the middle of the holiday season, too, which was pretty intense.

How did your experience at Chez Phillippe contribute to the development of the menu and culture at Bishop?

Ticer: Chez Phillippe was such an amazing experience where we really learned to cook and really understood for the first time what it meant to cook with high standards. Chef Jose Gutierrez taught us so much about how to cook, how to pay attention to the details. A lot of the traditional menu items we first tasted cooking there, and after, when we were in Lyon, we were like, “Oh, this is how that started.”

The new Bishop restaurant inside Central Station Hotel

What are some menu recommendations you would make for someone visiting Bishop for the first time?

Hudman: That’s always so hard because we love everything. But the tinned seafood is really special and really specific to European cuisine. We have a lot of classic items to French cooking that we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel on, just make it properly. Salade Lyonnaise, French onion soup, tarte flambée, the raclette. It’s about the classic preparation, and we had fun testing until we had it right.

Ticer: I love to start with the grand aioli or the escargot, and the spinalis is beautiful. But there are lots of things. I think go in with an open mind and try things you haven’t heard of. And drink some wine! Ryan Radish, our wine director, really had a field day putting together this 150-bottle, all-French list that is really beautiful and fun to drink from.

How does Bishop benefit from being part of the Central Station Hotel?

Ticer: When we first met with McLean Wilson about the hotel and he gave us his vision of it, we were like, yeah, this will be a cool thing to be a part of, a place that celebrates Memphis and really feels local. We really appreciated that McLean wanted us to open our restaurant inside the hotel and not the other way around, a hotel restaurant. It allows us a lot of freedom to do exciting and fun things with the menu. Just like our experience with Ace, there’s a lot of infrastructure that the hotel has that gives us the ability to do things we’ve never done before, including working with these awesome design teams. Because the hotel really wants to function as the living room of South Main, we see a lot of guests from all over, but we’re still a part of the fabric of South Main and the Memphis community, rather than separate from it.

Another of your restaurants, Hog & Hominy, suffered an electrical fire earlier this year. How has the restaurant and the staff recovered since then?

Hudman: It’s been a real process. Our first priority was to get everyone working, and we met with everyone as a group, and individually, to make sure they were happy going to another restaurant. Our team was loyal to Hog & Hominy, and none of them wanted to leave, but they understood and are now doing their thing throughout the company. They’ve added a lot, too, to those restaurants, and when they come back for the reopening, they’re going to have learned a lot. It’s like an extended externship for them.

Ticer: We’re going through the insurance process now, which can be pretty frustrating at times. But what we know is that we’re bringing the existing structure down and starting over. Fitting Hog & Hominy into a ranch house was always something we were working around, even during the remodel that started last year. So now, we’re starting over with a blank slate. It will always need to feel like the old Hog & Hominy, but we have an opportunity to address things like comfortable chairs, noise, kitchen layout, server stations. It’s going to take longer than we hoped, but we’re not afraid of taking our time to get it right.

The James Beard Awards are an extremely high honor, recognizing chefs and restaurateurs from across the country. How did it feel to be named semifinalists once again — and also to be the only semifinalists from Memphis?

Hudman: It’s a huge honor to be on the list. I mean, just looking over the list of the chefs on there from our region and around the country, it’s really humbling to see your name on there. Our teams work so hard to produce in the restaurants, so while it is our name, it’s a nod to them as well. We can’t do it without them.

Ticer: Memphis is growing around the country as a place to come and visit, to see, to move to. We’re a city of history, culture, and great food in all kinds of restaurants. It’s an honor to represent that on a stage like the James Beard Awards.

What’s it like representing Memphis cuisine to those who may not be familiar, or who might think of Memphis food as just barbecue and fried chicken?

Ticer: You know, I think that Memphis might be known for barbecue and fried chicken, but we think of Memphis food as coming from the family table. It’s about feeding people because you care. We grew up and got into food because of our grandmothers and our family meals. Sure, you might get yelled at, but there was always good food, and everything came from a place of love. If we can make people feel cared for, then we’re showing them what Memphis food is.

What’s next for the Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman team?

Hudman: We are mainly focused on getting Hog & Hominy back open, but we do have lots in the pipeline. We’re just about finished with the redesign of the interiors at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen that Natalie Lieberman has headed up. We’re trying to make that restaurant feel updated and even more comfortable for our guests. And we have some plans to move into Catherine & Mary’s for some adjustments as well. It’s been running for four years and needs a little love. Mainly, we’re focusing on making sure that the restaurants feel good for the guests and work for the staff.

Learn more about these award-winning chefs at enjoyam.com.

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News News Blog

Fighting Food Insecurity Amid School Closures

CREDIT: Mid-South Food Bank/Facebook

Mid-South Food Bank/Facebook

Shelby County Schools announced Thursday that they would be taking precautions against coronavirus by closing all schools through March 30th, and many private schools and after-school programs have followed suit.

In the wake of the announcement, several collections and food drives have been started to ensure Memphis children do not go hungry during school closures, as many students rely upon the meals they get from school.

One way to get involved and fight food insecurity in Memphis during school closures is through the Mid-South Food Bank.

“As many Mid-South families prepare for schools to close due to the coronavirus and confirmed COVID-19 cases, Mid-South Food Bank is assembling 14-day food boxes full of nonperishable food for low-income and vulnerable populations,” states a post on the Mid-South Food Bank Facebook page. “We’re asking for your help to continue serving our hungry neighbors.”

Monetary donations to Mid-South Food Bank can be made online.

Other groups, like Shelby County Schools and Freedom Preparatory Academy, will prepare sack lunches during the week of March 23rd, while organizations like the Dorothy Day House are currently accepting food items as well as monetary donations via their website.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Huey’s Turns 50

Lauren Robinson, Huey’s co-owner, president, and CEO, is also the daughter of Thomas Boggs — the Memphis man who made Huey’s what it is today. Robinson looks back on the past 50 years and tells us what’s next for our city’s favorite burger place.

Memphis Flyer: What do you think Thomas Boggs’ greatest contribution to Huey’s has been?

Lauren Robinson: We’ve never met anyone like our dad. [Thomas Boggs] had an unwavering passion for helping people. And his way of loving on folks was serving them hot meals around two-, four-, and six-top tables. And as a musician and member of The Box Tops, which is a Memphis Hall of Fame Band, he couldn’t think of a better addition to those moments than live music. He had so many amazing contributions to Huey’s, but one of the best is that every employee who walked through our doors was family to him. He fought for them, fought with them, and always, always had their best interest in mind. It set an amazing foundation for our Huey’s family today, and we’re so grateful for that.

Photographs Courtesy of Huey’s

Thomas Boggs (center) with Huey’s family

How much has the menu changed in the past 50 years?

We actually have a wall of old menus hanging up in our corporate office! On the earlier ones, you can see that we had three specialty burgers, compared to 13 now. The earliest menu on the wall has a little over 30 items, including sides. Our newest has almost 60.

The recipes come from a variety of different people. Terry Gant, our head chef and Midtown kitchen manager, has been with us for over 35 years and has given us many recipes, as well as Wight Boggs and several other employees. We also have a food menu committee that comes up with potential menu items and tests them. While some of the recipes don’t make it, many of them are placed on seasonal table tents. And a lot of ideas come from our broader Huey’s team. We have over 600 employees, so there are always neat suggestions to choose from.

How did the toothpick-shooting begin?

It might sound crazy these days, but back then Huey’s customers would take the frill picks out of their burgers, shoot them from their straws, and see if they could get them to stick into the ceiling, and Dad definitely wasn’t going to stop them from having their fun. One of our customers, Craig Love, had the idea to knock them down to see how many were in the ceiling and create a contest based on which store had the most. Since Dad was always thinking about ways to benefit the community, he decided it was a great opportunity for a fundraiser, and our frill pick competition has benefited the Memphis Zoo ever since.

Huey’s at Madison and Thomas Boggs Blvd.

Describe the culture of giving at Huey’s.

It all started with our dad. He believed that giving back wasn’t just optional, but vital for us as a business and as community members. He especially loved the Memphis Zoo and served in several roles, including the president of the Memphis Zoological Society, throughout his time in Memphis. Today, we host an annual frill pick contest where customers can donate a dollar to the Memphis Zoo and shoot a frill pick in the ceiling. We’ve donated over $140,000 since the contest started. Starting this year, we kicked off the second University of Memphis scholarship in his honor, benefiting students in the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management. We will also utilize our 50th anniversary to donate funds to Church Health, another cause our dad was passionate about.

Our future of philanthropy is guided by investing in future generations through scholarships and learning opportunities, expanding our volunteer efforts through local organizations like MIFA, Memphis Athletic Ministries, and local schools and listening to our employees and managers when they tell us what they’re passionate about and want to get involved in.

What was one of the most memorable moments for Huey’s in the last 50 years?

One very special moment was when we were chosen as one of the top small businesses by the Memphis Business Journal in 1992. That was the first time we’d ever been recognized in that way, and they wrote an amazing article about us. We looked back at the article this week, and it mentioned that we were looking forward to celebrating 25 years in 1995. Flash forward to today and we’re celebrating 50 years in April. It’s crazy how time flies.

As far as events go, our 35th Anniversary at Midtown was one to remember. Looking back, it perfectly mixed the “old-school” Huey’s with who we are in 2020. We love anniversaries because vendors, customers, and our Huey’s family all make an effort to stop in. Plus, we always donate a portion of the proceeds to a nonprofit in the community. We also throw a huge Christmas party for our employees every year with food, drinks, and music at a cool venue. They dance, and we give away prizes. It’s so fun to see everyone together and to reward their hard work.

What’s next for Huey’s?

We’re excited to say that we just added two permanent items to the menu: the Beyond Burger and the Mac ‘N’ Cheese Burger. We will continue trying out specialty items on our table tents, and if our guests respond well to them, we’ll consider keeping them on the menu for good. Unfortunately, we are beginning to run out of space!

We’re opening a new location this year, tentatively in October, in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We’re excited to get to know the community [there] and add new employees to the Huey’s family.

A big ol’ burger with gigantic onion rings

What can we expect at the 50th anniversary celebration?

Wiseacre Brewing is creating a special Huey’s beer for the celebration. We can’t give you all the details, or it wouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s exciting. We’re also working hard on the T-shirts and promotional items, using a few of our past anniversary designs to create some very old-school swag.

Do you have a message for your Huey’s customers?

First and foremost, thank you for 50 amazing years! This goes without saying, but we truly wouldn’t be the company we are today without our customers. We have so many “regulars” that our employees get to know their names and orders. All of Huey’s growth, community involvement, and employment opportunities are made possible because they come and eat with us. They bring their families and invite us into their memories, and we can’t think of a greater honor than that.

Huey’s 50th Anniversary Block Party will be held on April 5th on the corner of Madison and Tucker, outside of Huey’s Midtown, from 3 to 8 p.m.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Mesquite Chop House Closes Germantown Location

CREDIT: Mesquite Chop House/Facebook

Mesquite Chop House/Facebook

Mesquite Chop House has closed its Germantown location at the corner of Poplar Pike and Forest Hill Irene. Other locations –– Downtown and in Mississippi –– will remain open. Germantown employees will be transferred to the other locations.

The decision comes as River City Management Group, which owns Mesquite Chop House and other restaurants in and around Memphis, decided not to renew the Germantown lease.

Other Mesquite Chop House locations are thriving, though, and the Southaven location was recently expanded to include a new private dining room.

It is still unclear who will move into their former Germantown space.

The Downtown location is still open at 88 Union.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Grind City Coffee Xpo Returns

CREDIT: Grind City Coffee Xpo

Grind City Coffee Xpo

Grind City Coffee Xpo is back for its second year and promises to be even “bigger and more caffeinated” than last year. All proceeds will benefit Protect Our Aquifer.

The first Grind City Coffee Xpo was held in 2019 and hosted eight Memphis-based coffee shops and roasters and four coffee-centric food vendors. It drew more than 500 attendees.

“A huge difference between this year and 2019 is the inclusion of coffee professionals from outside of Memphis,” says Daniel Lynn, co-founder of Grind City Coffee Xpo along with Rachel Williams.

“We wanted to expand our community to others outside our wonderful city and have been amazed at the incredible response we have had from them,” he says.

“We have people coming from Nashville, Chattanooga, and Milwaukee to participate in this year’s expo. We can’t wait to share with them what Memphis has to offer and to introduce Memphians to some truly amazing people from elsewhere in the coffee community. That’s what it’s about. Growing our community.”

The expo will have three tiers for entry: 10 a.m. for $35, 11:30 a.m. for $25; or 12:30 p.m. for $20, and it’s happening on Saturday, March 14th, at the Pipkin Building at the fairgrounds. This year they will host more than 20 vendors and feature coffee and cocktail demonstrations from four pairs of baristas and bartenders, live music, three panel discussions led by industry professionals, and so much more.

Grind City Coffee’s mission is to celebrate the culture in and around coffee by providing an inclusive environment for everyone who fosters community over competition through educational, social, and craft events.

The Grind City Coffee Xpo will be held March 14th at the fairgrounds’ Pipkin Building (940 Early Maxwell) from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets here: grindcitycoffee.com.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Fam Opens Second Location on Highland

CREDIT: Fam/Facebook

Fam/Facebook

Asian restaurant Fam opened a second location this month on the Highland strip.

Fam, a fast-casual restaurant Downtown that focuses mostly on Japanese cuisine, is expanding and introducing new menu items –– such as Maine lobster bao buns. Fam is known primarily for hibachi-style rice bowls and sushi, but they also offer a number of sides and appetizers, like tuna salmon poke and octopus dumplings.

The first location opened Downtown at 149 Madison in late 2018 with a slightly smaller menu and has been evolving ever since. Owner Ian Vo says the name “Fam” is short for “family.”

Fam is also available for delivery via Uber Eats, BiteSquad, and DoorDash, as well as curbside pick-up and catering.

The new location is open at 521 S. Highland, and both locations are open for lunch and dinner daily.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

New Cajun Restaurant Opening Soon Downtown in Former DejaVu Space

The restaurant, called Ben-Yay’s, will serve po’boys and other classic Creole dishes, include a coffee bar, and also offer homemade beignets. Additionally, they’re planning to offer a “scoop and serve” lunch special that will include a half po’boy and a cup of soup, such as gumbo, turtle soup, or jambalaya.

Ben-Yay’s will be operated by Tandem Restaurant Partners, which is run by partners Tony Westmoreland, Stephanie Westmoreland and Cullen Kent. They’re known for their work with restaurants like Interim, Growlers, Zinnies, and Mardi Gras.

Ben-Yay’s will open in mid-March at 51 S. Main.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Memphis Black Restaurant Week Kicks off March 8th

Memphis Black Restaurant Week (MBRW) is right around the corner, and there will be so many exciting options to choose from across the city.

MBRW is an annual celebration of black-owned businesses, with a goal of boosting awareness and bringing in new customers to support minority-owned restaurants around Memphis.

Participating restaurants are offering two-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $25 for the whole week, providing an affordable way for Memphians to sample food from lots of different eateries without breaking their budget.

This year’s featured restaurants include old favorites — like The Four Way, which has been a Memphis staple since the civil rights era — and notable newcomers, like Flava House, a restaurant and hookah lounge that opened its doors in late 2019. Other participants include Chef Tam’s Underground Café, Curry N Jerk, The Waffle Iron, and
many more.

Cynthia Daniels has been organizing MBRW since 2015 and wants people to know that MBRW has something for everyone.

Cynthia Daniels

Memphis Flyer: What originally inspired you to launch Black Restaurant Week?

Cynthia Daniels: It was inspired by the opening of HM Dessert Lounge in November 2015. I had the opportunity to work with Chef Fran Mosley during that time, and business was very slow in the beginning. I thought it would be cool to create a food-themed event that celebrates black restaurants, the same way we have a Jewish Festival, Italian Festival, Indian Festival, and more.

This is the fifth Black Restaurant Week since you launched the first one years ago. How much has it changed or grown or evolved in the last five years?

It’s grown outside of Memphis and is now a nationwide event in major cities across the country.

How do you choose which restaurants participate?

There’s a mixture of Memphis staples involved and newer restaurants that need marketing support to gain more business.

There’s a wide variety of food options across all the different participating restaurants — is that intentional? Do you try to get as much food variety as possible or does that happen organically?

Yes, I want it to be intentional. At times, black restaurants are stereotyped for only selling soul food, so MBRW showcases diversity among
what’s offered.

Justin Fox Burks

Sage

What are some dishes or foods that you’re most excited about or that you think are particularly unique?

Soul Rolls at Sage, peach cobbler nachos at Chef Tam’s Underground Café, and sweet potato pancakes at The Waffle Iron.

Now that you have a few years under your belt, what do you think the future of Black Restaurant Week looks like in the next five years and beyond?

I feel like it will continue to grow outside of the Midtown and Downtown areas. We’ve expanded to include South Memphis and Orange Mound this year.

Do you have any particularly fond memories from Black Restaurant Week over the last few years?

It never fails that I can run into MBRW supporters during the year and they always tell me that MBRW introduced them to their favorite new restaurants. That proves the week was successful, and the success continues long after the weeklong event.

Do you have any message for prospective restaurant patrons who are thinking of coming out for MBRW for the first time this year?

I want to remind people that MBRW is for everyone! It’s a celebration of food, and we embrace all ethnicities who want to experience amazing food and hidden jewels throughout the city.

MBRW is happening March 8th through 14th. Find more information and check out participating restaurants at blackrestaurantweek.com or follow along on their Facebook page: facebook.com/MemphisBlackRW.