After a year on life support, restaurants start to ‘see some light’
Huey’s employees Chris Featherstone (left) and Jake Hamsley decipher orders April 2, 2020, at their Midtown location. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
Caritas volunteer Emmy Miller takes an order in Midtown on March 23, 2020. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
Brittaney Gulley (left) practices the infrared temprature gun on fellow Half Shell employee Terra Sullivan May 4, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)
Zoom events, like this dinner hosted by Restaurant Iris and Joe’s Wine’s & Liquors, have helped pay the bills and give people a safe way to socialize. (Jennifer Biggs/Daily Memphian)
Tsunami patrons enjoy dinner on the Cooper-Young restaurant’s outdoor seat in their parking on Thursday, July 23, 2020. The fine dining establishment is only providing outside service due to the pandemic. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
Southall Cafe co-owner Mark Pender discusses the new breakfast and lunch restaurant on Friday, July 10, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
Patrons at the soft opening of Little Bettie inside the Wiseacre Brewing location Downtown on Dec. 17, 2020. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
Amanda Krog helps in the kitchen at Dory on Jan. 22, 2021. Dory is a new restaurant in East Memphis owned by Amanda Krog and her husband, chef Dave Krog. (Brad Vest/Special to Daily Memphian file)
Rob Norcross (from right), Breen Bland and Barney Rolfes have a conversation during lunch at Rendezvous Dec. 1, 2020. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian file)
Flight chef March Gates carves elk tenderloin and does other prepwork for dinner takeout orders on April 24, 2020. (Daily Memphian file)
DJ Naylor, owner of Celtic Crossing Irish Pub & Restaurant, leads a whiskey tasting Sept. 3, 2020. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)
Patrons of The Beauty Shop dine in the new air-conditioned dome seating at Back Do, part of Carrier’s Cooper-Young compound. (Greg Campbell/Special to Daily Memphian file)
It’s been a year since Memphis restaurants were told to close their dining rooms. As a second year of the ‘hustle and pivot’ begins, the vaccines and Health Directive 19 offer relief. Still, as one restaurateur says, ‘I go to bed every night stressed.’
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Chef Kelly English recalls a dark year: ‘My industry will never be the same'
Topics
Restaurants and COVID-19 Bert Smythe Patrice Bates Thompson DJ Naylor Kelly English Nick ScottJennifer Biggs
Jennifer Biggs is a native Memphian and veteran food writer and journalist who covers all things food, dining and spirits related for The Daily Memphian.