Tag: Thomas Boggs

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Zoo Rendezoo Postponed Until Next Year

Al Kapone and Oona Bean at a rainy 2018 Zoo Rendezvous (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Memphis Zoo’s Rendezoo (formerly Zoo Rendezvous), which was supposed to take place September 11th, is being postponed until June 4, 2022.

“It was postponed this year just with the increased risk of Covid and the climate that we’re in,” says Memphis Zoo communications specialist Jessica Faulk. “Our leadership team came together with our board members and decided it was in the best interest of our guests to stay safe and not be that hot spot for an increase in cases.”

There is “an increase in number of cases and it’s spreading,” says Memphis Zoo chief marketing officer Nick Harmeier. “If you’re still vaccinated, you can still spread it.”

Postponing a big fall event in 2021 isn’t something taken lightly. “It’s scary. We’re the first event to do that. But it’s the biggest party in Memphis annually. It’s not a situation we want to put ourselves in. It was a very difficult decision because this is the biggest fundraiser for us. But at the same time, this is a huge party. This isn’t a game where you go sit in an assigned seat. You’re face to face with tens to hundreds of people during the night.

“It’s a very sociable event. And masks are on and off. We know who this is. This is Memphis’ biggest party and we’d rather just play it safe. And that’s the thing, too. We want to be able to continue to be open at the zoo. So, if there’s something that we’re hosting that is a potential threat, then we’re going to pull back on that.”

To make Covid vaccines “more accessible to the community,” the Memphis Zoo “teamed up with  Shelby County. And they have a van they pull out on here on Tuesdays to vaccinate people. It’s from 2 to 6 p.m.”

This was the first year the name was changed from “Rendezvous” to “Rendezoo,” Faulk says. It was going to be a “rebranding year, as we’re coming back from last year and the Covid season.”

Zoo Rendezvous was not held last year due to the pandemic.

The event was to have an ’80s theme. It also was going to be a tribute to the late Nick Vergos and Thomas Boggs, two of the founders of Zoo Rendezvous in 1983, Harmeier says. “So, the whole ’80s theme was kind of a hat tip to both of them.”

The ’80s theme and the tributes will carry over to the June 4th event, Harmeier says.

The late Nick Vergos, left, and his dad, Charlie Vergos, with Michael Donahue at an early Zoo Rendezvous.
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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 & Wine Food & Drink

Huey’s at 45

In 1970, Alan Gary opened the original Huey’s on Madison as a bar for his friends to hang out in. His childhood nickname was Huey. Thomas Boggs took over in 1976. He had seen the future while working at TGI Fridays and it was family-friendly. Indeed, this colorful graffiti-covered, frill-pick-strewn Memphis mainstay is a place for everybody — for kids and their parents, for late-nighters and sports fans, for those seeking the simple comforts of a burger and a beer.

Huey’s first menu had two burger options: burger and cheeseburger. Today, it offers more than a dozen. As the menu has expanded, so too has Huey’s, with eight restaurants and some 450 employees.

On Sunday, April 26th, 2 p.m. to midnight, Huey’s is holding a 45th birthday party at Huey’s Midtown. The block will be closed from Rembert to Barksdale, and there will be bands both in and out, plus burger stands, beer tents, children’s activities, and more. A portion of the proceeds from all Huey’s locations on Sunday will go to Restore Corps, which works to eradicate human trafficking.

World Famous Huey’s Burger

Burgers are 5.3 ounces of beef, ground fresh six days a week from Charlie’s Market. The formula goes: bun, mustard, onion, pickle, burger, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo, sesame bun — all secured with a frill pick.

Frill Pick

The toothpicks were already being shot into the ceiling when Boggs bought Huey’s. Each morning he would take them down. Then, one day, a customer suggested he hold a contest, where once a year, the picks are removed from the ceiling and customers would pay $1 to guess the number (anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000), with the money going to the Memphis Zoo. To date, the contest has raised $70,000.

When Boggs passed away in 2008, a heart made from the frill picks was put in the ceilings of each restaurant.

Frill picks and crutch in the ceiling

Crutch

A Huey’s regular had been on a crutch for about a year, and when she was done with it, she declared she was going to throw it in the river. Instead, it was stuck in the restaurant’s ceiling. Today, every Huey’s has a crutch in the ceiling.

The crutch is but one item to be seen from location to location. All Huey’s have the red-and-white checkerboard tablecloths, the chalkboard, the prescription sign and mirror with the Huey’s logo above the bar, and the “Thomas says smile” sign in the kitchen.

In fact, there is a storage space where all matter of items have been stockpiled for new locations.

Wall graffiti

Graffiti

It’s unknown how this started. Walls are repainted each year.

Homemade Lemon Ice Box Pie

Homemade Lemon Ice Box Pie

The pie is from a family recipe of Boggs’ first wife Charlotte. She used to take the pie to all family functions.

The prospector

Prospector

The prospector, with his tagline of “Huey’s or Bust!,” was created by the staff of the University of Memphis’ Tiger Rag (now The Daily Helmsman) to use in an ad sometime in the late ’70s, early ’80s.

Fries and Onion Rings

Huey’s is one of the largest consumer of Idaho potatoes in the Southeast. The cheese fries is one its most popular items. Another popular menu item are the onion rings — hand-battered purple onions.

The late Thomas Boggs’ children, who are Huey’s co-owners

Family Legacy

Today, Boggs’ five children are co-owners of Huey’s: Ashley Boggs Robilio, vice president of operations; Lauren Boggs McHugh, president/CEO; Fulton Boggs, Huey’s employee; Alex Boggs, general manager of Lafayette’s Music Room (Thomas Boggs was general manager at the original Lafayette’s); and Samantha Boggs Dean, special projects coordinator. They are shown above with a picture of Boggs.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Thomas Boggs, a Giver

Thomas Boggs, CEO of Huey’s, partner in the Half Shell, Tsunami, and Folk’s Folly and tireless community activist, died on May 5th. He was 63.

“I essentially grew up at Huey’s. I had my first legal drink there,” says Ben Smith, chef/owner of Tsunami. “So, in a way I’ve always known of Thomas, but I first met him after Windsor’s went out of business.”

Smith remembers that shortly after he lost his job, he encountered Boggs walking down Avalon. Boggs had heard of Smith and stopped to talk. “He wanted me to run the kitchen at the Half Shell,” Smith remembers. “I told him that I had made a promise to myself to not work for anyone else anymore and that I had my own ideas for a restaurant. He said, ‘Why don’t you come to my office and we’ll talk?'”

Smith says that he probably wouldn’t be in business today if it weren’t for Boggs. “He was my friend, my mentor, and my business partner,” Smith says. “I thought I knew the restaurant business, but what I really knew was the kitchen. Thomas knew the business. He walked me through every step of opening a restaurant. He was the guy I called for advice many, many times.”

“Aside from being a powerful force in the local restaurant industry and the Memphis Restaurant Association, Thomas was always big on community involvement,” says Jeff Dunham, chef/owner of the Grove Grill and MRA past president. “Thomas always put Memphis first.”

In an interview with the Flyer two years ago, Boggs acknowledged that it was Charlie Vergos who one day “ordered” him to the Rendezvous and “wore him out” about the importance of giving back to the community and how the young generation of restaurateurs, counting Boggs, didn’t do its part. Boggs took Vergos’ concerns to heart and became involved in countless community organizations and projects, such as the Memphis Restaurant Association, of which he was a past president, the Memphis Zoo, the Food Bank, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Blues Ball.

“Thomas was a really giving person,” Dunham says. “Not just on a big scale but to pretty much anybody who approached him for help, be it a group who wanted to hold a church fund-raiser or a fellow restaurateur.”

“Thomas always believed that you have to take care of other people and the community and that they, in turn, will take care of you,” Smith says. “What I will miss most, however, is his optimism. With Thomas, there was always a positive side to a bad situation.”

Originally from Wynne, Arkansas, Boggs moved to Memphis with his family when he was 7 years old. He graduated from Central High School and the University of Memphis and was first exposed to the restaurant industry when he waited tables at the now-defunct T.G.I. Friday’s on Overton Square. He later began working in Friday’s corporate offices, traveling across the U.S. to open new outlets for the restaurant chain. He eventually returned to Memphis and began working as a bartender at Huey’s at 1927 Madison.

Huey’s was opened by Alan Gray and sold to John C. “Jay” Sheffield III and Don Wood in 1973. Because of his experience at Friday’s, Boggs soon moved into a management position and later became a partner in the business, taking Huey’s from a Midtown bar to a popular neighborhood restaurant — famous for its burgers and toothpick-spiked ceilings — with seven locations in the Memphis area.

Roustica will host a 4 Bears wine dinner on Thursday, May 15th. “4 Bears with 4 Courses” features Sean Minor’s Napa Valley wines. Menu items include lobster salad with golden beets, asparagus, baby artichoke hearts and lime passion-fruit vinaigrette, grilled petite veal rack with chèvre-whipped potatoes, and blackberry demi glace and white-chocolate strawberry tart.

The dinner starts at 7 p.m., and the cost is $45 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Roustica, 1545 Overton Park (726-6228)

Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar, the Gulf Coast-inspired Cooper-Young eatery, has recently opened for lunch, serving seaside favorites such as crab bisque, seafood gumbo, oyster, shrimp, and fried-fish po’boys, shrimp and grits, and Prince Edward Island mussels, along with a few meat and vegetarian options. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 21st, Blue Fish will host a wine dinner, featuring the organic wines of Lolonis Vineyards with Maureen Lolonis. The five-course, mostly seafood dinner starts at 7 p.m., and the cost is $65 per person plus tax and gratuity. The restaurant will also offer meat-free menu options for vegetarian guests.

Blue Fish, 2149 Young (725-0230)

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Editorial Opinion

Thomas Boggs

“Thomas Boggs’ life was a remarkable Horatio Alger story, but his business success only hinted at the real reasons that it is our opinion that his life was marked by greatness. More to the point, it was his unshakable humanitarian, compassionate, and loving attitude toward his

hometown and the people in it.”

We begin our eulogy to a dear friend, Thomas Boggs, with this borrowed encomium from an equally dear friend, Tom Jones of the Smart City Memphis blog. We do not intend this as plagiarism — merely as a necessary part of our homage to Boggs, the owner of the greatly successful Huey’s restaurants, the partner in other food franchises, and, as Jones suggests in this passage from his own eulogy, one of the city’s preeminent humanitarians.

And we might add that words coming from Boggs’ friend and neighbor Jones, who tragically lost a daughter himself this past week to cancer, the same ailment which felled Boggs, carry special weight. For Thomas Boggs, like Emily Jones Schrader, left this world too soon.

His fellow restaurateurs presented Boggs, a former president of the Memphis Restaurant Association, with the MRA’s Civic and Community Leadership Award last year in tribute to his numerous civic and charitable endeavors. We remember him, too, already ravaged by cancer but almost obscuring the fact by his ever-resilient energy and by the enduring charm of his smile, lending himself, for the most selfless of reasons, to this or that activist cause during these last two years.

Boggs was a musician early on, with the Box Tops and other popular groups, and, all the way to the end, his spirit never stopped rocking. In the telling of his many friends, a group in which we proudly include ourselves, it never will.

Frist the Healer

Former Senate majority leader Bill Frist was in town this week, addressing the East Memphis Rotary Club on the theme of health care. Frist described himself as “much more egalitarian than the typical Republican,” and, for the most part, he sounded like it. Speaking no longer as a mouthpiece for the Bush administration, the onetime heart surgeon said the nation faced a crisis in providing health care to some 47 million uninsured, and that there had been a lack of leadership “at the presidential level” in resolving the crisis. Asked to compare the health plans advocated by the three leading candidates for the presidency, Frist did so fairly, summing up the advantages of each, and seemed to our ears to tilt toward the semi-voluntary plan advocated by Democrat Barack Obama. “He counts in the costs,” Frist said approvingly.

The former senator spoke more about his recent health missions to Africa than he did politics, though he found time to issue a condemnation of what he called “bi-modal” government (that which most of us refer to as excessive partisanship). The sentiments Frist uttered on Tuesday were unexceptionable, though we wonder if his own sponsorship of the Medicare drug bill of some years back hadn’t contributed more than a tad to the $35 trillion unfunded liability of Medicare now. Even so, this native son made sense in much of his diagnosis, and we’ll be listening close to such remedies as he may want to propose.