Tag: judd-tashie

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Bryant’s Breakfast Doubling Space on Summer Avenue

Bryant's Breakfast, a longtime Summer Avenue favorite, is expanding. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

In addition to a Bryant’s Big Breakfast, diners soon will be getting a bigger Bryant’s Breakfast & Lunch.

That’s the upcoming new name of the iconic restaurant at 3965 Summer Avenue, says Judd Tashie, co-owner of the Tashie Restaurant Group. The expanded restaurant — which is doubling its space — is set to open in October.

The Tashie Group bought the restaurant after owner Phil Bryant decided to sell it November 2020. It reopened April 14th, 2021. The group recently bought La Esperanza Tienda Mexicana, a supermarket next door to Bryant’s Breakfast.

Bryant’s Bakery bought the old La Esperanza Tienda Mexicana next door. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

They now have an “expanded footprint, expanded menu,” Tashie says. The total space of the restaurant will be 4,200 square feet. But, he says, “We’re not taking the space just to have a lot more seats. The point is the kitchen was just too small to do everything we want to do.”

They plan to open longer hours, seven days a week and do plate lunches. “A big part of the rationale was to allow us to expand our offering in terms of menu in an effort to launch this plate lunch and stay open later.”

The group bought the store around the end of June “from a lady who’s been operating it for a long long time. She was looking to do something different. She was ready to retire.”

Tashie says, “We put a door to Bryant’s and we cleared the store out.” As for what the new space will look like, he says, “We don’t have an exact layout, but we’re going to expand the kitchen, run it vertically the way it is now all the way across into this space. We’ll have a proper prep kitchen, a walk-in cooler. So, we’re just going to have a lot more room to work with that will allow us to do plate lunches and other things. And we’ll be able to stay open later to accommodate people who want to eat lunch. It will allow us more room to prep to stay open.”

There will be more seating as well as a lunch counter with stools in the expanded area. “Imagine a 1950s luncheonette.” They also will feature a “self-serve grab and go” hot box concept, where customers pressed for time can select what they want and pay for it right away.

But, Tashie says, “Part of the charm of Bryant’s is it’s tight. It’s small. And it creates a buzz because of that.”

They are considering staying open later “as the market and our customers dictate. We’re here to please.”

What about dinner at Bryant’s? “If people want it, we’re here to give it to them.”

The plate lunches will include the “traditional Southern meat and three offerings” Bryant’s is known for, Tashie says.

They’ve already hired Frankie Gattuso, formerly of Cupboard and Pete & Sam’s, who will be the lead cook and in charge of menu development. “He came over with the express intent to do the plate lunches.”

Jesus  “Cooper” Marquez is “our right arm in terms of kitchen operations.” And, Tashie says, “General manager Richard Lucchesi will continue to lead all facets of the operation.”

After they bought Bryant’s Breakfast, Tashie said in a Flyer interview, all they did was “optimize all the equipment, get all the former staff back, and reprint the menus.”

He also said buying the restaurant was “a great opportunity” because Bryant’s “has a great reputation for great food, great service. It’s a Memphis classic.”

The Tashie Group also bought La Baguette French Bread and Pastry Shop in Chickasaw Oaks. A second La Baguette at 5101 Sanderlin Avenue is expected to open in fall, 2022.

“While the Tashies are in an expansion mode,” Tashie says, the group decided to take additional space next to the Chickasaw Oaks La Baguette. They leased the boutique next door. “Renovations are under way with plans to connect the space beginning in September. David Tashie is leading  the renovation of the La Baguette expansion.”

And, Judd says, “renovations are well under way” for the new location of Ciao Bella Italian Grill, which will move this fall from 565 Erin Drive to 5100 Sanderlin Avenue in the space that formerly housed Craft Republic and the old Fox and Hound.

Jack Culp and David Tashie at the new Ciao Bella location. (Credit: Judd Tashie)
Bryant’s Breakfast gets bigger. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Bryant’s Breakfast Will Reopen April 14th

Richard Lucchesi is the general manager of Bryant's Breakfast.

You can go back to eating biscuits and white gravy, country ham, pork sausage, and other favorite Southern culinary delights when Bryant’s Breakfast reopens April 14th.

The iconic restaurant at 3965 Summer Avenue was bought by Tashie Restaurant Group.

Is the restaurant going to be different? How has it changed?

“We didn’t do anything except to optimize all the equipment, get all the former staff back, and reprint the menus,” says group co-owner Judd Tashie.  “And that’s about it. To be honest with you, we didn’t have to do much except get all the right people back. That was the key. Same people that were making the food before are doing it again. And the same wait staff, the same people taking care of customers, are back. That was the most important thing. We didn’t change the menu, add anything, or drop anything. We intend to reopen it just as it was.”

Owner Phil Bryant decided to sell the restaurant, which closed last November, Tashie says.

The Tashie group, which recently bought La Baguette French Bread and Pastry Shop, closed on the deal last month, Tashie says.

The restaurant was “clean as a pin” when they bought it, Tashie says. “I’ve been in a lot of restaurants to look at them for purchase or whatever and they’re usually in terrible shape. That’s how it goes. Especially older ones. This one was in tip-top shape.”

Buying Bryant’s was “a great opportunity,” Tashie says. “Because it has a great reputation for great food, great service. It’s a Memphis classic.”

Do they have any plans for the restaurant? “We haven’t secured any more space yet, but I can see additional locations.”

They have no plans to change the restaurant or the menu, says Tashie whose favorite Bryant item is the sausage and egg biscuit. ”Not unless we get requests from customers. Which is something we’re always open to. We’re always open to adding things based on customer demand.”

Richard Lucchesi, 26, who Tashie describes as “a super star,” is the new general manager of Bryant’s Breakfast. For now, Bryant’s will continue to just serve breakfast and lunch. “We’re going to keep the same hours they had before, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. And we’ll take it from there.”

Maybe Bryant’s dinner someday? “Nothing is out of the question,” Tashie says. “We’re the opportunity business. Nothing is out of the question.”

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

La Baguette French Bread and Pastry Shop is Sold

CREDIT: Photo courtesy La Baguette

Photo courtesy La Baguette



La Baguette French Bread and Pastry Shop has a new owner.

Tashie Restaurant Group purchased the iconic Memphis bakery at 3088 Poplar in Chickasaw Oaks Plaza, says Judd Tashie, group co-owner with his cousin, David Tashie.

“We’ve been buying bread and products from La Baguette for Pete & Sam’s and Ciao Bella for years,” Judd says. “Gene Amagliani (La Baguette general manager) told David he was tired and would like to spend more time with his family. So, my cousin said, ‘Well, look. If you’re interested in selling we’d love to talk to you about it.’”

Owning the bakery/restaurant would be “a great opportunity,” Judd says he told Amagliani. “We’ve got plans to make expansions in the future.”

They closed the deal March 5th.

“It’s a really good fit and they are happy. They know that we want to carry on the same legacy. We don’t want to go in there and start mixing things up. Refresh and do a little bit of refiguration, but they’ve got a great reputation. We want to keep doing what they’re doing.

“It’s worked out great. We’ve been in there learning the operation, which is the most impressive thing about the bakery. So, our plan is to go in there, make some cosmetic changes, leave the menu like it is — possibly expand it.”

They also plan to “open a second location in the fall in East Memphis. We’ve already secured a place.”

And maybe more La Baguette locations down the road?  “It’s a distinct possibility. We’re focused on No. 2 and can definitely see additional units going forward.”

La Baguette on Poplar is the original location and it dates to 1976. In a story in Memphis magazine, Amagliani says, “Several European people actually started it. They brought in a French bread baker and a French pastry chef because there was nothing like that in Memphis. I guess they longed for the European style of pastries and crusty bread and what have you. They brought in those folks and they were here for several years and actually trained some of the people that are here now.”

And, he says, “It’s my understanding that when the place opened we had French bread, croissants, and the full selection of both cold pastries and breakfast pastries.”

They began serving lunch at the old Erin Drive location sometime in the late 1970s, he says.



“I’m very excited about the future of La Baguette,” Amagliani says. “These are great business people. I was impressed with their other businesses and the longevity of their employees. And we have a very similar situation at La Baguette. We have folks who have been there 20-, 30-plus years. That made the whole transaction much easier.”

Tashie Restaurant Group has been busy. They’re planning to move Ciao Bella Italian Grill from its present location at 565 Erin Drive to the the old Craft Republic (formerly Fox & Hound) at 5101 Sanderlin Avenue Suite 100 in the Sanderlin Centre. “It’s a much better facility. A much better shopping center. Better parking. Better patio.”

And, Judd says, “Of course, we had to get my old man’s — Paul Tashie of Ciao Bella notoriety — consent and support, which was resounding.”

Tashie Restaurant Group recently bought the old Bryant’s Breakfast at 3965 Summer Avenue.

But owning La Baguette Bakery is a dream come true for Judd. “I’ve always loved bakeries. I’m a morning person. I always wanted one. And I told my cousin, David, years ago, ‘I would really love to have something like that if we can make it work.’ And he called me and said, ‘I’ve got a gift for you. Something you’ve wanted for a long time.’

“We went up there two nights ago at midnight when the night crew goes in and makes the baguettes. I got to tell you, to be in there with those guys with them doing their thing and the amount of pride they take in it, it was heart-warming. It really was.”

So, what is Judd’s favorite La Baguette bakery item? “I’m super jacked up about the almond croissant. Without a doubt, I think it’s the most impressive thing they do.”