The team at Huey’s wants to do something “a little bit different” for their 55th anniversary celebration. 

Huey’s area manager Alex Boggs talked about that event, burgers v. smashburgers and the return of a beloved sandwich in this week’s “Sound Bites” podcast. 

Boggs told me that his family’s burger chain throws a party with food and live music every five years. It’s held at the original location at 1927 Madison Ave. in Midtown. 

Their 50th anniversary party, set for spring 2020, was of course canceled. Rather than wait for the 60th, Boggs and crew decided to go big this year at a free festival Sunday, April 13. 

“We want to make this one a lot more about the city of Memphis as a whole,” Boggs said. “We’ve celebrated Huey’s, we’ve celebrated Midtown, but we figured we could expand.” 

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I interviewed Boggs about the event’s music lineup, including the Shell on Wheels, John Nemeth, Sons of Mudboy and Lucero, and the expanded food offerings for the day, which include Huey’s favorites along with outside food vendors for the first time: MEMPops, Hot ‘n’ Heavy Dogs and Pronto Pups. 

Mostly, though, we talk about the Huey’s menu and growing up in the restaurant industry with his father — longtime Huey’s owner and Memphis restaurateur Thomas Boggs — and his sisters Samantha Dean Boggs and Ashley Boggs Robilio. 

Boggs announces that a much-loved sandwich will return to the Huey’s menu soon. It’s in “the lab” right now.

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I ask a lot of questions and Boggs serves up stories as answers. How did his father end up owning part of Folk’s Folly? What was the one job his parents allowed the kids to do at the restaurant when they were young? What’s next for the 10-location chain? What’s up with the menu changes? 

We also get into his role on the Sweet Cheeks barbecue-competition team. He talks about the team’s evolution, starting at Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest as a casual Patio Porkers team to winning that contest in 2023 to moving back to the river with the SmokeSlam competition in 2024. Will they be back to SmokeSlam this year? We discuss.

I also mention the Behind The Headlines episode about the Memphis dining scene and Jennifer Chandler’s recent piece on how hard it is to open a restaurant. 

Huey’s 55th anniversary celebration is Sunday, April 13, from 1 to 8 p.m. on the street in front of the original location at 1927 Madison Ave. in Midtown. It’s free and an all-ages event.

There’s a lot to digest in this extended episode, so give it a listen.