Hayes, Finn, and Amy McPherson with Ethan McGaughy (Photo: Michael Donahue)
Comeback Beverage Co. is “up and running,” says Hayes McPherson. “We officially moved into our new space roughly May 29th, and we started operations June 5th. That is, brewing our coffee sodas and also roasting our own coffee, as well.”
The impressive facility in the Pinch district, with its 160-gallon temperature brewing tanks, is at 354 North Main Street, right next door to Comeback Coffee, the comfortable coffee shop that Hayes, 28, and his wife Amy, 28, opened four years ago.
Comeback Beverage Co. is “four things in one,” Hayes says. “It is our headquarters for Comeback. It is our roasters. It is our coffee brewery.”
It also shares space with Amy’s plant shop, Golden Hour, which is set to open June 17th. It features an all-glass greenhouse, which is the front entrance to Comeback Beverage Co. “If you’re walking down North Main, it’s this beautiful all-glass greenhouse filled with beautiful green plants.”
With the new beverage facility, Hayes says, “We are essentially quadrupling our space.”
They began producing canned coffee soda in 2021 during the pandemic. “We started off in our kitchen and we were doing 100 cans at a time. And we were selling out in 30 minutes or an hour.”
They then moved the beverage business to a garage behind the coffee shop. “That allowed us to do 600 cans at a time.”
The new space “allows us easily to do four times that with new equipment coming in and the scope in general.”
It also fulfills part of Comeback Coffee’s mission, which is to give people “an opportunity to grow with us.”
Ethan McGaughy, who has helped them “every step of the way,” is now their “right-hand man,” helping brew, roast, and create recipes.
Hannah Sisson and Kelsey Taylor will “help us push this thing to a different level,” says Hayes, who wants Comeback beverages to be available “on the national stage.”
Comeback Beverage Co. currently makes two canned Comeback Coffee Sodas: Southern Style, which is lemon and thyme, and Field Day, which is strawberry and lime.
“We’ve got one coming up — pineapple cinnamon coffee soda — and a few up our sleeve as well.”
They’re able to test their coffee beverage ideas in their coffee shop by putting a coffee beverage on their special menu and testing its popularity. “Memphis is literally creating these drinks with us, in a way.”
Hayes and Amy launched their coffee soda with their first two flavors at the 2018 Grind City Coffee Xpo and introduced the cans at last year’s event. “We threw it on the bar last year. They got a really good reception.”
They knew from the overwhelming response they’d start making those two flavors as soon as they got in their new space.
“Because of the space we’re in, we have the capacity to play how we want to. And get to be creative with our offerings. So, it allows us to be who we are at our core, which is coffee lovers and coffee professionals. What we’ll do is make fun, interesting, tasty coffee drinks for our coffee shop.”
And, Hayes says, “The space and equipment we’ve got will also enable us to have cold black coffee. We pride ourselves on our flash chill coffee — how we make our cold brew coffee. It’s a special method that we believe holds all the good things of cold coffee, and coffee in general. And we’ll be canning that.”
Comeback has also partnered with Grind City Brewing Co. “We’re roasting the coffee for them for their coffee beer.”
Future Comeback Beverage Co. plans include making their own “flavored sparkling waters.”
As for the big picture, Hayes says, “The past two years we spent shaping out what this will look like. And, ultimately, what we want to do is be the Wiseacre for the coffee of Memphis.”
Like Wiseacre Brewing Company, which “put its beer on a national stage,” Hayes wants to do the same thing “for the coffee industry. Whether coffee sodas or canned flash chill or roasted coffee, when people think about Memphis, I want them to think about our coffee industry.”
“Memphis is known for barbecue, beer. I want them to think Memphis is also known for high-quality coffee.”
Having a spot of tea with Joel Borton and Matt Baudo at the Rishi Tea & Botanicals booth at Grind City Coffee Xpo
I’m proud to say I’ve attended and covered all three Grind City Coffee Xpo events since it began in 2019.
I love coffee. I drink it black like a film noir reporter. And I make it on the stove in an old-school percolator with the little glass thing on top.
So, attending Grind City Coffee Xpo, held November 5th at Wiseacre Brewing Co. downtown, was like being in coffee — and tea — heaven. I drank carbonated coffee at Comeback Coffee’s booth and tea at the booth for Rishi Tea & Botanicals out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And lots of little cups of hot and cold coffee at other stations.
Dante Baker, Joseph Jenkins, Noah Randolph, and Raegan Jenkins at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Ken and Mary Olds and Averell Mondie at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Amy McPherson at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)David Lambert, Drew Smith, Teagan Griffith, Kim Lambert at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Tamer Younis at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)
This year’s event featured 18 vendors, says founder Daniel Lynn. “It was awesome,” Lynn says “I think we’re going to end up with around 600 people. It was incredible.”
He doesn’t yet have the final amount of how much they raised for their charity, Protect Our Aquifer.
Alden Schmidt at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)MIcah Dempsey and Daniel Lynn at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)
They didn’t feature tea at their first Xpo, which was held at the old Memphis College of Art.
The event now features “anything in the coffee community,” including tea, Lynn says.
The Xpo also included Ounce of Hope. “I’m a big believer in wellness, health. And CBD in coffee is a really nice thing.”
Cat Brooks, Collin Bercier, Kyle McFarland at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Ounce of Hope at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I asked Lynn what it is about coffee that gets people so excited. Besides caffeine, of course. “It’s so welcoming,” he says. “It not only tastes good, but there’s some incredible science behind it, too. Anyone can make a cup of coffee, whether you’re a novice and you just like your drip machine with your Community Coffee in it. Or you want to get crazy into it and you’re doing a Chemex pour over where you measure out the water and the coffee in grams. It’s a multi-step process. You put the timer on and start the pour and its super relaxing.”
You “let the coffee bloom and then come back and pour the rest of the water over the coffee.”
Making coffee is universal. “Anyone can do it. From the novice to the super nerd. I think it’s very approachable.”
Jessica Diaz, Scott Jackson, Erica Mathis at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Magnolia Pelous and John Cook at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Brian Miller and Wood Rodgers at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Bram Bors-Koefoed, DJ Superman, Eric Scott at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Julie Digeronimo and Evan Winburne at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Will Sexton, Johnny Dowd, Amy LaVere at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)Spencer Kaaz and Matthew Burdine at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue) Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)We Saw You
A fresh latte from Dr. Bean’s (Photo: Justin Fox Burks)
The fickle Memphis weather threatened to rain on Daniel Lynn’s parade when he launched the inaugural Grind City Coffee Xpo back in 2019. Gathering storm clouds eventually morphed into a raging monsoon, with Lynn worried that the gales and heavy rain would keep people away.
“I was concerned for sure, but we had about 500 people come out that first year,” recalls Lynn. “After seeing that, I knew we were onto something. If we got 500 people to come out in a monsoon, that convinced me we could build on the event.”
Lynn has sustainably grown the Grind City Coffee Xpo over the past couple years. Every successive iteration sees the addition of a few new vendors, representative of the organic growth of Memphis’ coffee community. Inspired by the Science of Beer event held at the Memphis Museum of Science & History, the result is a celebration of all things coffee, with everything from roasters to traditional shops to various health and wellness vendors. The comprehensive package covers everything that coffee enthusiasts would want from an event but also strives to welcome newcomers and give advice on how they can best approach coffee.
The scent of roasted beans fills the Xpo. (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
“Our event puts beauty over competition,” says Lynn. “Many similar expos will have shops competing against each other, and there is, of course, some friendly competition here. But this is about bringing everyone together under one neutral roof. It’s all about building community. And it’s also hyper-educational. We ask vendors to come prepared to answer any questions people might have.”
Don’t expect to find only simple roasts at the Grind City Coffee Xpo, held this year at Wiseacre HQ on November 5th. Lynn gives the vendors free rein to experiment as they will, whether that’s focusing on their prime product or trying something outside the box. And if previous Xpos are anything to go by, prepare for a few pleasant surprises along the way. “I remember our first year, Comeback Coffee debuted their coffee soda,” says Lynn. “That’s become so popular that they’re building a cannery for it.”
Xpo-goers this year can look forward to four new vendors: Memphis Grindhouse Coffee, Muggin’ Coffeehouse, Southaven’s Coffee Central, and Ounce of Hope. “I’m a big believer in health and wellness,” says Lynn, “and we’ve got that represented here, too.”
While, at the end of the day, many coffee shops are in competition with each other from a business perspective, Lynn says that Memphis’ growing coffee community has always been supportive of new members. “What keeps me doing this is the community and culture around coffee in Memphis,” he says. “Everyone is so welcoming in the industry. Folks like Charles Billings over at Dr. Bean’s have been doing trainings and other things like that for newcomers, helped them open their doors. From what I’ve seen, everyone is willing to bend over backwards to help others, no matter what.”
As for Lynn’s favorite coffee shop? There’s no right answer to that question. “Every place in town has a couple things that they really excel at,” he says. “I go to different shops when I’m in the mood for different things and am never disappointed.”
The Grind City Coffee Xpo allows Lynn and the coffee community to take that supportive ethos and extend it to one of our greatest treasures: the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Lynn doesn’t profit from the event, and vendors are donating their time and product to a good cause, since 100 percent of the proceeds go toward the Protect Our Aquifer organization. After all, high-quality water is intrinsically linked to the Xpo. “You can’t have good coffee without good water,” says Lynn, “and the water we have here elevates it to another level. I think sometimes people take it for granted, but look at what’s happening over somewhere like Jackson. It’s so important to maintain high-quality water levels.”
To help enhance the Xpo coffee even more, Lynn has partnered with Third Wave Water, a company that creates packets which can change the mineral content of water. That allows vendors to customize their water for whatever their preferred brewing method might be, and each participant at the Xpo will be doing so. “You combine that with our already amazing water from the aquifer,” remarks Lynn, “and you’ll see some amazing pours.”
Looking ahead, Lynn believes that Memphis can continue to grow its coffee community. “We’ve got so many great shops, but we can handle more, too. The passion is there on our end 100 percent, but I can see us expanding in a healthy and organic way going forward.”
And there’s plenty of good stuff in store for caffeine connoisseurs and newcomers alike. Read on for a closer look at five participating vendors at this year’s Grind City Coffee Xpo. —Samuel X. Cicci
Attendees sample roasts from 15+ vendors. (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
Boycott Coffee
Boycott Coffee just celebrated its first year in business, but it has been putting cups in hands for far longer. As co-owner Alexander Roach explains, since 2017, “Boycott Coffee was already an established social program working with language communities here. We had a few pop-ups and a few language centers. I was popping up wherever I was invited to present ideas, drink coffee, and create spaces.” As his recent social media post announces: “Boycott Coffee wants to help!”
Now, with the help of Mersadies Burch and Averell Mondie, Roach’s vision has a permanent home. Calling themselves “the three-human ownership team behind Boycott Coffee,” the trio of activists’ shared progressive values have led them to open a storefront cafe combining coffee with community.
Burch and Mondie “started consulting and working with this building during its redevelopment,” explains Roach. “Fast-forward a year, and it was a shared project between the three of us, a kind of a weird coffee/potluck in the back. Then they asked us to move to the front of the building.” That’s where you’ll find the pink interior of Boycott; the place still retains the clubhouse vibe of Boycott’s earlier incarnations.
All that’s missing is a bookshelf. But you may want to reach for your phone for some heavy reading. As their website states, “We call on you to question how coffee is really made and who it belongs to along the value chain. To revolt and protest alongside the producers, traders, mill workers, carriers, roasters, and baristas.” And, we might add, to tip generously. —Alex Greene
Comeback Coffee shows off its coffee soda. (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
Comeback Coffee
Hayes McPherson, who along with his wife Amy, owns Comeback Coffee, is excited about the upcoming Grind City Coffee Xpo. “That was kind of where we got our start,” he says. “We were at the first Xpo three months before our opening day.”
Hayes, Amy, and Ethan McGaughy, who work together on all the flavor combinations, also launched their strawberry-lime coffee soda at that first Xpo in 2019. The native Memphians are bringing a “new coffee soda to promote” at the upcoming Xpo, says Hayes. It’s going to be a surprise. They’re also bringing a “non-coffee-related product,” but it’s a secret. “It highlights that really special water we have in the city.”
The McPhersons opened Comeback Coffee in March 2019. Food & Wine magazine named it one of “The Best Coffee Shops in America” about six months after they opened.
“We just try to do our thing really well. Good coffee. High specialty coffee. We bring in roasters from all over the world and showcase them here in Memphis. We highlight those people and those stories.”
They’re “physically building out” the business. “We’re pretty far along in construction of our building. It’s still on North Main two buildings down from Comeback. We hope to be in there by March.”
Chef Cole Jeanes brings his Kinfolk restaurant pop-up on weekends and sells fried chicken on cathead biscuits and other items. “Our slogan is ‘Stay Awhile.’ I think we’ve nailed that.” —Michael Donahue
The Xpo shares samples and roasting techniques. (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
Crazy Gander Coffee Company
Crazy Gander welcomes Memphians with their open atmosphere and creative selection of frappes, unique coffee renditions, and delicious pastries.
Enjoy anything from a traditional Americano and hot tea to their cookies-and-cream frappe and a seasonal drip coffee served with a cookie. This quaint storefront is found in the heart of Memphis providing a simple yet aesthetic space filled with immense love and efficiency. With every cup, each staff member and owners Dana Bunke and Kevin Crow strive to connect with the Memphis community.
Abby Sexton, a member of the business development and operations team, states that Crazy Gander’s main mission is to “serve a continuously excellent cup of coffee and be consistent with our product.” Along with consistency and care, Sexton says that Crazy Gander connects with people by treating “every new visitor like a regular.”
As for Bunke and Crow, each are local entrepreneurs working to better the community, raising millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and environmentally safe organizations. And that same love and care go right back into their coffee as a “small neighborhood way of doing things for the community.” But stay tuned: Sexton says to “look for new and exciting things coming your way from Crazy Gander.” — Izzy Wollfarth
Guests watch a pour-over coffee procedure. (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
Memphis Grindhouse Coffee
Ten banks turned down Dwayne Chaffen and Rick Askew’s loan application to jump-start their new coffee shop. “One particular bank asked us if we had a white business partner,” says Chaffen. “It was 2019. We really thought they were joking.”
They weren’t joking, the two friends soon realized, so instead, they invested their own money into the online shop that has become Memphis Grindhouse Coffee. Being online, though, has had one major benefit: reaching a global audience. So far, they have customers in 22 states, plus Canada and Australia.
The coffee is made-to-order in Memphis. “That is the freshest you’re going to get,” Askew says. “Sometimes the bag is still warm when you get it. And we only buy the highest-quality beans you can find. The light roast comes from Peru, the medium roast comes from Ethiopia, and the dark roast comes from Guatemala.”
Plus, with every product sold, the company donates money to ongoing literacy efforts and buys books to give away to kids. They’ll even ship books free of charge to kids in need.
“We’re two inner-city Memphis kids,” Chaffen says. “We love our city, and we understand the unique challenges that many people in our city face, especially the children. We wanted to find a way to give back.”
Still, the two hope to open a brick-and-mortar location to provide a physical space where young students can sharpen their literacy skills. For now, it’s a matter of finding the right place at the right time. —Abigail Morici
Muggin’s Mary and Ken Olds (Photo: Jonathan Amado)
Muggin’ Coffeehouse
Ken and Mary Olds believe that coffee should be accessible to everyone, not just connoisseurs. And when it comes to their coffee, they don’t concern themselves with fancy names. After all, what’s more accessible than a coffee named Zippin Pippin or Flickin’ on Beale?
According to Mary, if you walk into Muggin’ Coffeehouse, located at 1139 Brownlee Road in Whitehaven, asking for “that caramel thing,” they know exactly what you’re talking about. Mary says that coffee connects people, and that there should not be barriers like pronunciation standing in the way of enjoying a fresh cup.
The Olds wanted to take away the “pretentious stigma” surrounding coffee and opened Muggin’ in June of 2020. They also wanted to make sure that coffee is approachable to the people in their community. In fact, according to Mary, 90 percent of Muggin’s employees had no prior background in the coffee industry. The Olds sought to teach their community more about coffee, while also giving back.
The uniqueness of Muggin’ can be pinpointed to a number of things, such as the way Memphis culture is intertwined within the shop and its products (Hard Out Here For A Drip, Looking for the Brewin’). However, Mary believes that being a Black-owned business and demanding a standard of excellence from their staff has played a major role in the success and brand of Muggin’. “We want to make sure we represent in a great way,” she says. —Kailynn Johnson
Grind City Coffee Xpo takes place Saturday, November 5th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Wiseacre HQ, 234 E. Butler Ave. For tickets, visit grindcitycoffee.com. All proceeds go toward Protect Our Aquifer.
In the wake of the recent tragedies impacting our city, our feeling of safety, and our wellbeing, Memphis’ community spaces are doing what they do best — being there for us. Whether you need to meditate in a serene garden or watch penguins be penguins so you don’t have to think, the organizations you support are here to support you.
♥️ Memphis Botanic Garden is offering free regular admission on Friday, September 9th, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., to help Memphis heal and to offer a safe outdoor space for all to enjoy and find comfort and light in.
♥️ MoSH recognizes that Memphis needs some love and is offering free admission to all exhibits, movies, shows, and to the Lichterman Nature Center on Friday, September 9th, 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
♥️ Friday, September 9th, Memphis Zoo is offering free general admission to the community to reflect and relax and just exist with the animals. The zoo’s hours are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., last admission at 5 p.m.
♥️ The Dixon Gallery & Gardens always has free admission and wants to remind us to take advantage of the oasis of safety, calm, and beauty there.
♥️ Memphis Rox will offer free admission on Friday, September 9th. No reservation or special equipment needed.
♥️ The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will offer free admission Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so that people may reflect, find constancy, and experience the beautiful possibilities of humanity.
We have included all the local sites we know are offering free admission tomorrow, but we may have missed a few. If you are associated with or know of another venue that should be included, please email calendar@memphisflyer.com.
Amy and Hayes McPherson
and Ethan McGhaughy (Photo: Comeback Coffee)
You can now order Comeback Beverage Co. canned coffee sodas online at comebackbevco.com. That means you can enjoy the sweet taste of strawberry — and lime and lemon and thyme — coffee without leaving your house.
You can, of course, still stop by Comeback Coffee and get a can along with fresh coffee and house-made pastry.
“The plan has always been taking this product and breaking outside of Memphis city limits,” says Hayes McPherson, who, along with his wife Amy, owns Comeback Coffee. “They’re doing this with beer, where the name of ‘Memphis’ is being spread in the beverage industry. And we want to do that with coffee.”
The native Memphians opened their shop in March 2019. They wanted to get in “the movement of specialty coffee that was starting to exist here,” Hayes says.
They don’t brew coffee at their shop. “We’re a multi roaster,” Amy explains. “That means we bring in coffee from all over the world.”
Food & Wine magazine named them one of “The Best Coffee Shops in America” in 2019, about six months after they opened, Hayes says. Some of that is doubtless due to the coffee itself, but some credit must go to the coffee shop. They wanted to “create a unique space for people to come together,” Amy says, “make it comfortable.”
Coffee soda, which became a staple in the coffee industry four years ago, is a “cold coffee, oftentimes with some sort of flavoring, sometimes sweet, sometimes not,” Amy says. “Ours is sweet.”
After trying other brands of coffee soda, they thought, “I think we can make this and make it better.”
“We figured out a process where we could hold onto all the good parts of coffee,” Hayes said. “Cold brews a lot of times are bitter. The coffee tastes burned or old or kind of gross.”
Their coffee sodas have sweetness from the sugar and fruit juices along with a not-overpowering coffee taste. “You get those fun flavor combinations, but you still get the caffeine kick.”
Hayes, Amy, and Ethan McGaughy, who all work on the flavor combinations, launched their strawberry-lime flavored coffee soda at the first Grind City Coffee Xpo in 2019. People “dug it,” Hayes says.
They put it on tap when they opened the shop. “And sold 10 gallons of it that first day.”
The couple launched Comeback Beverage Co. last year and began selling small batches at the shop. They sold out all 100 cans in 30 minutes the first day, Hayes says.
Comeback Beverage Co. now sells only two mainstay canned coffee sodas: “Field Day,” the original strawberry-lime drink, and their No. 1 seller, the lemon and thyme “Southern Style.”
Memphis artist Macon Wilson designed the labels.
This past year, Hayes and Amy researched “how to create a system to make bigger batches and have full control over it instead of sending it out places to get it made or relying on other folks to do it,” he says.
Now it’s all done in house. “About six months ago I started a process of buying this equipment to do this in bulk.”
Comeback Beverage Co. is in “literally a garage” connected to their shop, Hayes says. They plan to physically build out the business, though, “and help build out this district, the Pinch, a district we’ve fallen in love with.”
The Comeback crew wants their coffee sodas to be “all over the country and all over the world,” Hayes says.
“This started out as a singular drink on a coffee menu over two-and-a-half years ago. We never anticipated it would be this well received,” Hayes says. “Well, our community has supported us in ways we are so thankful for and allowed us to jump into something like this and spread it out.”
And, he says, “If it wasn’t for the city of Memphis, we would not be able to do it.”
Comeback Coffee is at 358 North Main Street; (901) 860-4215.
This was the year of seafood, South Main, and comeback stories, with old favorites like Fino’s and Zinnie’s making triumphant returns. Here are a few items of note from 2019.
RIP
Mary Burns, longtime owner of Java Cabana, died on October 4th after a nearly three-year battle with lung cancer. Burns purchased Java Cabana in 1998 and had become a fixture of Cooper-Young, serving as a member of the Cooper-Young Business Association and the Cooper-Young Garden Club. Burns is largely remembered for making Java Cabana what it is today, a welcoming safe haven for artists and poets alike.
City of Sole
Several seafood restaurants — particularly those specializing in crab dishes — have opened or opened new locations, including Crab’N’Go, Crab Island, DeeO’s Seafood, Red Hook Cajun Seafood & Bar, Saltwater Crab, and others.
Saltwater Crab opened its doors over the summer with an expansive menu including sushi, sandwiches, and crab options such as crab cakes, king crab, snow crab, and a saltwater crab roll. Atlanta-based restaurateur Gary Lin opened Saltwater Crab in early July, but the kitchen is managed by Memphis chefs. The menu is entirely “coastal,” so you won’t find any catfish here.
The Juicy Crab, a Georgia-based seafood chain, opened its first Memphis location on Winchester earlier this year, and The Coastal Fish Company opened in Shelby Farms in October. Mardi Gras Memphis, which specializes in Louisiana-style seafood boils, recently reopened their restaurant across from the Crosstown Concourse. And Picasso’s — a seafood and pasta place — opened in August at 6110 Macon, making it the newest seafood addition to East Memphis. The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck also opened in March.
Downtown Dining
South Main is now home to quite a few new dining and drinking destinations, including the restaurants (Hustle & Dough, Longshot), coffeeshop (Vice & Virtue), and bar (Bar Hustle) inside the Arrive Hotel, as well as those inside Puck Food Hall, Memphis’ first and only food hall, which had its grand opening in May.
The Central Station Hotel also opened on South Main in October, and with it came a new bar, Eight & Sand, and restaurant, Bishop — Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman’s newest project.
Justin Fox Burks
BarWare
BarWare, a neighborhood bar that features craft cocktails and elevated bar food, opened on Front this year, too. And several other notable establishments opened their doors Downtown, including Comeback Coffee, Hu. Diner, 3rd & Court, and more.
Old Favorites Return
This was also the year we saw many old favorites come back to life. Fino’s, the beloved Midtown deli, reopened on June 6th, bringing their classic gourmet sandwiches back after closing in late 2018.
Old Zinnie’s — the “best little neighborhood bar in the universe” — first opened in 1973 but closed abruptly in 2018, leaving many Memphis barflies feeling abandoned. They reopened on Halloween, the perfect night to welcome the regulars back to their local haunt. As if it never closed, Zinnie’s feels very much the same, and they’re even serving popcorn again like in the old days.
The infamous and inimitable Hernando’s Hide-A-Way also celebrated its reopening near the end of 2019. The spot, famous for hosting music legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, closed in 2007 but was recently purchased and reopened by partners Dale Watson and Celine Lee along with co-owner Patrick Trovato of Long Island, New York. The owners plan to maintain the integrity of the original, offering plenty of local music and color, and, supposedly, the “best hamburger in Tennessee.”
Grind City Coffee is bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis on Saturday, November 16th, with three caffeinated routes.
Caffeine Crawl is designed to be a fun, educational, pub-style crawl from venue to venue that allows participants to taste, learn, and talk about different kinds of coffee with like-minded java enthusiasts. Stops on the crawl include Dr. Beans at Puck Food Hall, Comeback Coffee, Vice and Virtue, INSPIRE Community Cafe, and Ugly Mug Coffee, among many others.
“I think this is going to showcase that Memphis is more than just Beale and barbecue,” says Rachel Williams, co-founder of Grind City Coffee. “We are growing a lot. We have a lot to offer.”
Williams explains that not everyone is aware of the coffee scene in Memphis, and Grind City Coffee is trying to change that through events like Caffeine Crawl and Grind City Coffee Expo.
“A lot of people sometimes get a little nervous to kind of step out of their comfort zone,” she says. “So being able to have something more approachable that’s introducing people to this, whether it be through a caffeine crawl or through the [Grind City Coffee] expo, there’s something for everybody.”
Co-founders of Grind City Coffee, Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams, love to promote a “community over competition” mentality when it comes to showcasing and celebrating local coffee spots.
“This is just another example of that,” Lynn says. “Plus, you know, people like to have non-alcoholic alternatives sometimes, so this provides that as well.”
Williams and Lynn see an opportunity for more and more people to get involved in local coffee culture, so bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis was a natural next step for Grind City Coffee in serving that mission.
“Every time I look on social media, there’s another home roaster or coffee shop. So, it’s fantastic to see all the growth,” Lynn says. “But that’s also what we’re hoping for this as well as other events to keep putting the voice out there about what we have right here in Memphis.”
Is Memphis in a coffee renaissance? It may be too soon to tell. But something certainly is, ahem, brewing. For proof, look to all the third wave places like Launch Process and Low Fi popping up. Our next piece of evidence is the Grind City Coffee Expo, set for March 9th at Memphis College of Art.
Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams are the event’s organizers. “It’s a way to bring Memphis coffee [purveyors] together under a neutral roof,” says Lynn. “And it’s a way to expose Memphians to what [these purveyors] have to offer.”
Photographs by Justin Fox Burks
Daniel Lynn (left) and Rachel Williams, organizers of the Grind City Coffee Expo
Guests will be given a tasting card and a five-ounce tasting mug to sample coffees from the nine vendors who will be at the event. The vendors include: Dr. Bean, Vice & Virtue, Comeback Coffee, The Avenue, Awal Coffee, The Hub, Reverb, Launch Process, and French Truck. Each, in turn, will offer something special for the show. Vice & Virtue is bringing a mini-roaster and guests can roast their own beans. Comeback Coffee will have coffee sodas(!).
Lynn says he was inspired to create the expo after attending the Science of Beer event, though he acknowledges “coffee’s more of my speed.” Lynn notes that he’s learned a lot from setting up the expo. For example, “spro” is short for espresso.
“Coffee is almost like a plate of barbecue,” says Lynn. “It’s something you can bond over.”
Tickets are $30, with proceeds going to Protect Our Aquifer.
Grind City Coffee Expo at Memphis College of Art, Saturday, March 9th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Comeback Coffee, set to open in Uptown March 29th, has a lighted sign on the wall that reads, “Stay a while,” and they mean it. Comeback is owned by Hayes and Amy McPherson. Hayes marvels at the variety of potential customers. You’ve got your Uptowners, your St. Juders, North Memphians, Mud Islanders, and so on. “All those people can rub shoulders,” he says.
Hayes vows that Comeback will be quick and consistent. He plans on a little quality pushing. What this means is that there are no fancy pour-overs; drinks will be made by machine but from the finest sources. Folks can “sit and be,” he says. Plus, price points will be reasonable.
There will be classic coffee drinks as well as seasonal and specialty drinks such as mochas. A giant espresso machine sits on the counter just waiting to hit customers with a caffeine buzz. In addition, a menu, designed by noted local chef Cole Jeanes, will feature pastries, sandwiches, and toasts.
Comeback is in a pretty, old building on North Main. There is exposed brick and large windows on the west side. The McPhersons, who live upstairs, had taken note of the building, fantasizing what they could do with the space. Amy’s father is in commercial real estate. He had, on his own, taken interest in the building as well. The two sides compared notes and decided it was meant to be.
Hayes says he’s excited about the upcoming expo. “We’ve needed this for a long time,” he says. “We on the cusp of a coffee culture.”
Comeback Coffee, 358 N. Main
Wee beginning roasters often start with an air popper (meant for popcorn) to roast their first beans. Tim and TeriPerkins of Vice & Virtue Coffee did and quickly moved on to a whirley pop, trading up to better equipment as their knowledge grew. They are currently working out of a space on Hollywood with a commercial roaster and hope to eventually open a small shop of their own. Their coffees are currently available at Curb Market, Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, Belltower Artisans, City Silo, the Grecian Gourmet Taverna, and at the roastery.
Tim and Teri Perkins of Vice & Virtue Coffee
Tim calls this a passion project, but this is an obsession of a Fatal Attraction variety. They travel to conferences, take classes. They talk, talk, talk coffee and never get sick of it. They caught the fever when they heard their first bean crack.
On the name, it involves Aristotle, the human condition, good versus evil. “It appealed to us,” says Tim. “I’m vice, she’s virtue.”
Tim points out that the “v” in the logo is actually a martini glass, which points to the notion of craft coffee moving into the craft cocktail space and the Perkinses’ plan to serve coffee cocktails one day.
The Perkinses say they’ve enjoyed learning about different beans from different countries, experimenting with coffee, and coaxing out the best flavors. “We know what we’re doing, but we can get better,” says Teri.
At the expo, Tim plans to walk guests through the roasting process, having them immerse themselves in the sensory experience. Like the McPhersons, the Perkinses say the expo is a long time coming and that Memphis’ coffee community has thus far been underserved.
“It’s a craft,” says Tim. “It’s an artform.”
Vice & Virtue offers cuppings on the first Friday of the month, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Hollywood roastery, in conjunction with Broad Avenue First Friday. The next cupping is March 1st and will have a March Madness theme, where tasters are put to the test. Cost is $5.
Justin Fox Burks 
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash 
Photographs by Justin Fox Burks 
