Suburbs

One thing we’ve learned in our existence at The Daily Memphian — readers like to know about restaurants across the area.

Whataburger comes back to town. People want to know.

Belly Acres having trouble. The story draws patrons and others to learn about the status.

In-N-Out Burger or Raising Cain’s moving into the market? Readers inquire about where and when to get in line.

The appetite for restaurant information is the reason the late-Jennifer Biggs was one of the first people hired even before The Daily Memphian found its way to your computer screen. After her untimely death, we brought in Jennifer Chandler, followed by your current restaurant writer — Ellen Chamberlain to make sure we continued our commitment to solid coverage on the subject.

And they aren’t alone in chasing such stories. Business writers and suburban scribes take their turns handling those matters, whether it is a new ethnic restaurant in Bartlett or even a bakery in DeSoto County.

In keeping with that approach, the past week’s suburban coverage touched on a trio of stories regarding such eateries.

Chamberlain told of how people can eat their way through Silo Square and never leave the district in Southaven. From bagels and coffee and pancakes in the morning, to places like Kyuramen, Central BBQ and Tekila for afternoon to evening meals and nighttime watering holes or pizza. There are a lot of options.

Speaking of Silo Square, Belly Acres is trying to rise like a phoenix from its troubles that led to the closing of the Regalia location and abandoning plans at Bartlett’s Union Depot.

But the Union Depot news led Bartlett reporter Michael Waddell to discover that a shift in leadership and Belly Acres’ existing location in Collierville are keeping hopes alive for the business. The newest location is slated to open next week at Silo Square.

“We’ve since injected over $2 million of our own capital to finish the buildout and ensure it opens debt-free and solvent,” Adam Leith, one of those leading the revival, said of the Silo Square location.

Meanwhile, Hattie B’s is working on expanding from Midtown to Germantown. The plan for plopping the hot chicken outlet in the Germantown Village Square parking lot, cleared the suburb’s Planning Commission this week.

If built, the spot northeast of the Germantown Road-Poplar Avenue junction, will be the company’s second, pairing with the Cooper Street space. While some may question whether the parking lot placement will contribute to congestion on that end of the shopping center, city staff and planning commissioners seem comfortable with the arrangement.

And, after all, there are several outbuildings in that parking lot.

But whether it is the name Hattie B’s, the arrival of In-N-Out or trying to resurrect Belly Acres of its problems, where people eat seems interesting to a lot of folks.

Whether it is opening, closing, moving or expanding. - Suburbs editor Clay Bailey

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