Good morning, Memphians. You know what today is? Today is Friday, July 24, and it’s National Drive-Thru Day. Geoff Calkins is celebrating the holiday with stories from real fast-food workers and talking about how essential the drive-thru truly is, especially now.

We’ve also got the Grizz playing their first Orlando bubble scrimmage against the 76ers and the Tennessee Board of Education reviewing hundreds of waiver applications from school districts all over the state, perhaps making this one of the board’s most interesting meetings in … ever?

THE NEED TO KNOW

Ben Brock, owner of Char and Amerigo, says all they can do is take the names and numbers diners give them. (Jennifer Biggs/Daily Memphian)

OK, Jiminy Cricket: Despite a Health Department directive requiring restaurants to keep contact information and seating charts on clientele, some diners are balking — or giving obviously fake names. Jennifer Biggs has that story today and feedback from already stressed restaurants. I personally don’t get it; are these “Jiminy Crickets” and “Dan Marinos” embarrassed for restaurants to know they’re eating at their establishments? Are they not giving them their credit cards? Wouldn’t they want someone to call them if the “Abe Froman,” sausage king of Chicago, at the table next to them turned out to be positive for COVID-19?

Redefining the word ‘crowd’: As the area’s overall coronavirus positivity rate continues to inch up toward 10% — a threshold we’ve been above in our daily numbers for some time — the area is both looking for a testing czar and to re-establish the long-forgotten “Board of Health.” That board, disbanded in 1911, would be reconfigured with medical professionals and give recommendations to the Health Department. Given all this news, the local COVID-19 task force is asking us to wear masks, natch, and avoid large crowds. But maybe at this point, we should also be asking ourselves what truly constitutes a large crowd in this scenario: 100? 15? 8?

Winter is coming: You might remember when people were saying the coronavirus would disappear over the summer. Since that hasn’t really happened, I’ve been wondering what may occur when we hit a time more ideal for the virus. Say, October or November. And “Behind the Headlines” has an answer. Sort of. Local health experts are recommending that almost everybody get a flu shot, to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. 

MEET MEMPHIS

Rooziman Shah and his wife Nighat stand outside of their convenience store located on Germantown Road. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

With a master’s in political science, Rooziman Shah immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 and found work as a gas station cashier in Atlanta. Two years later, he moved with his new wife to Memphis and they both got jobs at a rundown convenience store/gas station at the corner of Knight Arnold and Ridgeway roads. They were able to double the store’s inside sales, and the owner gave them a 30% share in the business. These days, the Shahs own or control more than 100 convenience stores in a three-state area and a business associate says they are the definition of the American dream. 

THE NICE TO KNOW

Grind City Brewing owner Hopper Seely stands next to the pole that’s holding everything up. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian)

How MLGW is blocking a new Downtown taproom from opening: Well, it’s doing it literally, with a pole. Grind City Brewing Co.’s taproom has been ready to open for months, but there is one tall problem: a wood pole near the middle of the drive leading to the brewery’s parking lot. The pole was initially scheduled to be removed last November, but well, it’s still there — and Grind City’s owners are wondering what’s going on. Also, they want to open their taproom.

Back to college: Christian Brothers University has revealed a hybrid plan for the fall that includes open, on-campus dormitories. Each room will be single occupancy, much like at LeMoyne-Owen, but first priority for CBU’s 500 beds will go to international students and others with extenuating circumstances. It does mean that not all CBU students who want to live on campus will be able to, and the university is trying to find nearby apartments for those students. 

Dave Brown, Don DeWeese and Jerry Lawler want answers from Houston’s. (Photo courtesy of Don DeWeese)

A tender moment: Y’all, we all have a lot to deal with right now. And, maybe that’s why this story is a story: because with this pandemic, people just can’t take anymore. And that includes having their favorite restaurant dishes taken off the menu. Certain members of the Liar’s Luncheon, including wrestler Jerry Lawler, Gibson’s Donuts’ Don DeWeese and retired weatherman Dave Brown, are upset that Houston’s has removed chicken tenders from its menu. They’re even planning to mount a campaign to get the tenders back — and that’s the truth.

A change of course: The World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational will now allow some spectators into the event, but there is an emphasis on some. Think, like, 30. Really, if you are one of those allowed, you probably know who you are. Despite not being able to see the whole affair in person, Dan Conaway reminds us that the tournament brings an international affair to Memphis. He also talks about earlier incarnations of the event, when spectators were allowed: “If one were so inclined, one could have cut class, crossed the railroad tracks on Southern ... slip under the ropes, run across the 9th as Jack Nicklaus was teeing off, see Arnold Palmer drive the short 10th, and Ray Floyd play the whole round in the Memphis heat in a pair of black leather pants. I was so inclined, and I did.” 

WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Why did no one tell me the Try Guys were in Memphis? Because they were. 

If you don’t know who the Try Guys are, you didn’t click on BuzzFeed enough a few years ago. But, suffice it to say, they try stuff. Like virtual reality or “sexy cocktails.”

Anyway, in this particular experiment, they were trying everything on the menu at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. 

Bonus points if someone can tell me what Memphis hotel they are eating their chicken in. Because they are definitely in a hotel room, eating Gus’s, and they definitely did not tell the hotel they were doing it. And it definitely looks … well, you can see for yourself. Seriously, someone tell me what hotel this is, I want to know. There is a closeup of the carpet that may help. (I’m on twitter @marycash)

It’s Friday; what can I say? I’ll see you back here, bright and early, after the weekend. 

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