Hi there. It’s Thursday, Feb. 26, and if you’re on the May county primary ballot and having second thoughts about public service, today is the last day to withdraw. 

This afternoon, you can learn some hot business tips from Memphis professionals in our Women & Business seminar. It’ll feature TV host Gina Neely, restaurateur Karen Carrier and marketing exec Shannon Briggs.

There’s also a Memphis Tigers men’s basketball game against Wichita State, and they really can’t afford to lose this game if they want to make it to the American Conference Tournament. 

THE NEED TO KNOW

This rendering shows the corner view of a planned building in the East Memphis White Oak development. (Courtesy John Galbraith)

Retail’s not dead: New retail space is coming to East Memphis. Gill Properties is planning to build a $10 million mixed-use project near its existing White Oak Shopping Center that’s currently home to Rotolo’s Craft and Crust and Nothing Bundt Cakes. Brown Gill with Gill Properties envisions the new building attracting medical offices, restaurants and maybe even a fitness center. “I think that inside the loop ... there is still demand for well-located ... experiential retail,” Gill said.

A look inside of Swamp Lounge, located in the former Second Line space at 2144 Monroe Ave. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Up to our necks in alligators: If you love the $5 spicy margs at Swamp Bar, there’s good news; more Swamp is coming. Chef Kelly English will open Swamp Lounge in the former Second Line space next door to the cocktail bar this weekend. It’ll have more TVs, event space and a food-and-drink menu that’s similar to Swamp Bar’s menu. You can hear about all of that and more — like the next life for Second Line — on our Sound Bites podcast. In other fancy food news, we’ve got tips on where to get the best girl dinner (aka charcuterie) in Table Talk.

John DeBerry

Shelby County is ‘not an island’: That’s the platform of John DeBerry, one of only two Republican contenders for Shelby County mayor. DeBerry says local politicians could do a better job working with “the people in Nashville” and “the people in Washington” rather than treating the county like a blue island in a red sea. And he’s only got one competitor in the Republican primary: former TV Judge Joe Brown. The Daily Memphian’s Bill Dries talked to DeBerry about his platform — and the political office he really wanted. 

QUOTED

“I just hope [the Grizzlies] keep playing the right way ... I don’t want to watch bad basketball for 20-something games.”

— Pat Spencer, Golden State Warriors guard
Pat Spencer is the older brother of Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer, and though his team handily beat the Grizzlies last night, 133-112, he’s hoping they’re not tanking on purpose. Pat and Cam Spencer watch each other’s games, and Pat worries a Grizz rebuild will be hard on his competitive little brother.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The Board of Adjustment cleared the way for the Midtown Back Yard Burgers to become a Cook Out. (Andy Ashby/The Daily Memphian)

Cook Out in the Back Yard: The long-vacant Midtown Back Yard Burgers is about to be “temporarily closed” no more. North Carolina-based burger chain Cook Out is moving into the drive-thru-only restaurant that Back Yard Burgers closed years ago (with a “temporarily closed” sign that’s still up). Cook Out CEO Jeremy Reaves said he’s looking to make Memphis a new HQ. In other fast-food news, a Shelby County judge has ordered Collierville leaders to let Chick-fil-A open a new location on the north side of Poplar Avenue. That’s after the landowner sued Collierville for originally denying the new spot over traffic concerns.

Sip and hit: There’s a new way to burn off all that energy from the sugar and caffeine you drank in your dirty soda at Sips Bartlett. The owners of Sips are opening a 24/7 baseball practice space behind the soda shop. Sanctuary Hitting House will have batting cages, pitching lanes and more. And the owners must be hopped up on sugar, too, because they’re not stopping there: Sips will soon expand to a few other suburbs.

Takeru Kobayashi, left, and Joey Chesnut, right, battled during the 91st Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest on Wednesday, July, 4, 2007. (Shoun A. Hill/AP File)

Hot dog! The man who once ate 76 hot dogs (with buns!) in 10 minutes is coming to Memphis this summer. Superstar competitive eater Joey Chestnut, who has won 17 championships at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, is coming to AutoZone Park in July as a promo stop on his tour of minor-league ballparks.

Bill Hardgrave, president of the University of Memphis, fist-bumped an attendee during the groundbreaking of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics’ renovation. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Hammering on business: The University of Memphis had a sledgehammer party Wednesday. University leaders took ceremonial swings at the drywall inside the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics to mark the start of a $90 million revamp of the school’s business facilities. The renovation will grow Fogelman’s footprint by 50% and includes tech updates and replacement of the building’s 50-year-old HVAC system. All of the changes are expected to help the U of M meet its future enrollment goals.

FedEx St. Jude Championship director Joe Tomek is moving to Australia. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian file)

Par-tee down under: Joe Tomek, executive director of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, will step down at the end of February for a new job in Australia. Tomek led Memphis’ PGA playoff event since 2022 and oversaw an extensive renovation of the course.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

Remember the smell of warm plastic from the Memphis Zoo’s Mold-A-Rama machines? It’s back! The machines, which created plastic animal toys in front of your very eyes (like magic!), were removed in the 1990s, but the Zoo has reinstalled six machines.

Have a great day, y’all!

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