Can’t get enough food news? Here’s a roundup of notable bites from around the Mid-South. Got a juicy tip for us about something new? Send it to ssurrett@dailymemphian.com.

Shroomlicious Meals 

Shroomlicious Meals is moving out of its commercial kitchen space into its own storefront at 472 N. Watkins St. this spring. 

The vegan “mushroom-centric” restaurant announced its location at 394 N. Watkins St. would close Jan. 31 to prepare for its new bigger location.

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Shroomlicious Meals’ owner Daishu McGriff said they felt it was “time to branch out” after they’ve shared a kitchen space for the last few years. 

She said they decided to take a pause and “get ready for what’s next” instead of keeping the original location open.

“We’re trying to really focus on what we’re good at,” McGriff said. “We’re good at being creative and experiences, and we just can’t do that in this capacity.” 

“While we are down, we are focusing on building the experience,” she said. “It’s a deep focus of figuring out what it is we want to offer and how we can communicate that through our service, through our aesthetics.”

After the restaurant closes, McGriff said they will be hosting monthly pop-ups, events, participating in festivals and still offering their food online — they ship their from-scratch mushroom meat nationwide.

“The processing mushroom meat and shipping out has been wildly successful for us,” McGriff said. “That’s another reason why I decided to pause, too, because I can focus on building e-commerce.” 

The events will offer “a very unique mushroom experience,” from learning about the mushrooms and the dishes to tasting them. 

The monthly three-course tasting, Shroomtopia Tasting, will continue while they prepare the new location. The one for Feb. 1 is sold out, but they have another coming in March. 

On Feb. 8, Shroomlicious Meals is hosting with Cxffeeblack a “BRB” (be right back) party to celebrate the past location and also the future venture.

She said everyone is invited to the party and can try the mushroom meat and other popular items to have a “good farewell until we can meet again.”

In the new spot, smaller events will be held under different theme nights with cooking and tasting elements. 

“I’m really excited about coming back and being able to expose people to different experiences,” McGriff said. “I want them to experience it in a very unique way, something that’s not the bare minimum. There’s going to be a lot of thought put into that.” 

Referred to as the “mushroom queen” by her 12,000 social media followers, McGriff said the new place will be a “mushroom haven.” 

She wants to be “true and authentic” about her interests in being creative with her mushroom “art.” 

“My artistry is very genuine and authentic,” McGriff said. “I don’t look at mushrooms as what it is, I look at it as art, like a canvas. How can I recreate this in so many different ways? Social media definitely gave us a lot of awareness.”

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McGriff said many confuse their Instagram username @veganpimpsofmemphis as the restaurant’s name. But the original Shroomlicious Meals tag kept getting taken down, and “the vegan pimps” is how many people reference the mushroom restaurant. 

“Vegan pimps of Memphis has been really successful, but people think that’s our name. But it’s only on Instagram,” McGriff said. “That tells you the power of social media.” 

Pretty Taco

The Pretty Taco Downtown has announced its temporary closure. 

The closure was announced through a social media post, saying the restaurant at 265 S. Front St. has “temporarily closed” with a promise to keep their customers updated.

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Pretty Taco also served as a night venue Thursday through Saturday, featuring DJs, karaoke nights and more. 

The taco restaurant opened in May 2023 and is managed by Halsey Werlein. Werlein did not respond to requests for comment. 

The Ready Room closes after two years 

Hook Point Brewing’s brewpub The Ready Room has closed. 

The Ready Room announced its last day on Sunday, Jan. 19, in a social media post.

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The closing comes exactly two years after it opened Jan. 19, 2023, at 715 W. Brookhaven Circle. 

“After (two) incredible years of pouring beers, sharing meals, and creating memories, it is with a heavy heart we announce the closure of The Ready Room,” the post said. 

The post thanked customers for their unwavering support, citing extenuating and unresolved circumstances as the reason for closure. 

“Every dish served, every laugh shared and every celebration hosted has been a testament to the magic we created together,” the post said. “We built something truly special, but even more importantly, we built relationships that will last a lifetime.” 

Although there weren’t any hints of future plans, the post ended with, “this isn’t a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later.’” 

Jersey Mike’s Subs in Germantown Station 

Jersey Mike’s Subs is poised to open at Germantown Station at 750 N. Germantown Parkway.

The sandwich chain will be in a 1,427-square-foot space and spend $575,000 converting the suite into a Jersey Mike’s, according to a permit filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Developing on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

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The improvements will apply to the restrooms, roof unit, electrical, kitchen equipment, new ceilings, lights, seating area, finishes and more to “bring it up to Jersey Mike’s standards,” the permit filed said. 

This will be the seventh Jersey Mike’s location in the Memphis area.