Welcome to About Town, where we take a deeper dive into one neighborhood each week while also highlighting the latest news, developments and back stories from Memphis’ neighborhoods. This week’s focus: Midtown.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on businesses, especially in Memphis, is well-documented.
Many struggled and some went out of business altogether, whether it was due to lack of staff, supply shortages or other reasons. The story of 901 Comics is a little different.
Daily Memphian reporter Rob Moore recently wrote a feature story on 901 Comics’ successes over the past year and a half.
The Midtown-based comic store closed for two months at the pandemic’s onset in the spring of 2020. The store adjusted to its new reality and began offering services such as curbside pickup, which helped turn around its fortunes.
That culminated in 901 Comics co-owner Shannon Merritt and his business partner, Jamie Wright, opening a second location in Cordova this summer.
Merritt and Wright credit their extensive knowledge of the industry to help them build a strong, loyal customer base since they opened their first location in 2016.
Even as the U.S. seemingly trends away from traditional brick-and-mortar stores toward online retail, 901 Comics has found a formula to not only fight that trend but build a stronger community.
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A group of his friends created the “Herman Strickland Random Act of Kindness Day,” a day-long event where individuals perform a good deed for someone they don’t know, a common trait associated with Strickland by those who knew him best.
The 100 North Main Building (with its revolving, round rooftop restaurant) is seen on a model of Downtown Memphis at the Downtown Memphis Commission offices. (Brad Vest/Special to the Daily Memphian file)
Proposals include known names like Chance Carlisle and Tom Intrator, as well as ones new to Memphis like Aaron Mesner of Block Real Estate Services.
The council delayed a decision on a retail strip center including gas pumps at 2977 Broad Ave. at Tillman in Binghampton.
One of Southwest’s biggest challenges in future years is increasing enrollment at its Gill Center in Frayser. There are only 17 students taking classes at the Frayser campus
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