Despite industry challenges, some restaurants find path to success
Manuel Martinez, owner of Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos, opened his third location in June at 3108 N. Germantown Pkwy. in Bartlett. A fourth restaurant is set to open in late August at 3397 Summer Ave. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
The restaurant industry has experienced seismic changes in the past four years, and Memphis has seen a surprisingly large number of notable restaurants close this summer.
But in the midst of the closure announcements, there have been some bright spots.
Cocozza, Ecco and Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos are three Memphis-owned restaurants that have announced expansions in the past month.
What are they doing differently? Or should the question be, what are they doing right?
The owners of these restaurants shared what they think has contributed to their current success during this challenging time to be a restaurateur.
Topics
Ecco on Overton Park Cocozza American Italian Maciel's Tortas and Tacos Tonica The Majestic Grille Libro Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Jennifer Chandler
A cookbook author and former restaurateur, Jennifer Chandler has been writing about food and dining for more than 25 years. In her role as the food and restaurant writer for The Daily Memphian, she covers food news, provides readers an inside look into their favorite restaurants and offers suggestions for what to order at eateries across the Memphis area.
Chandler’s stories and recipes have been featured in national publications such as Real Simple, HGTV Magazine and Woman’s World. She’s also appeared on a number of national broadcast cooking segments including Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible” and Ducks Unlimited TV. She also hosts a radio show “The Weekly Dish” on Memphis’s NPR station WKNO-FM.
She is the author of four cookbooks: “The Southern Pantry Cookbook,” “Simply Salads,” “Simply Suppers,” and “Simply Grilling.” While she boasts a degree from Le Cordon Bleu, this Memphis native is about making real food accessible for real families.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.