Lucky the cockatoo moved to a sanctuary for exotic birds in April, but Hurricane Sally drove him back to Memphis. 

During the past six months, business at Waffle Mania on Peres Avenue has continued to remain strong and for the co-franchisee, that’s a “blessing.”

As early as Wednesday, some limited-service restaurants will reopen, but all restaurants still must close at 10 p.m.

Shelby County will offer grants up to $10,000 for limited-service restaurants closed during COVID-19; the application process begins Tuesday.

Miles Tamboli opened a restaurant just four months before COVID closed his dining room. With a degree in public health, he knows enough to know he’s not reopening it just yet.

New outdoor seating off South Main beside Puck Food Hall will be for dining, working or just gathering to enjoy a little distanced socializing and music.

A Summer Avenue taco truck scene has bloomed through the summer, with at least eight regular trucks around the wider neighborhood and several others that seem to pop up more infrequently. If you live near Summer or Macon avenues between Highland and White Station, there’s a good chance you can walk to a taco truck. 

A few limited-service restaurants have reopened under a new TABC rule, but most remain closed two months after they were shut down by the Health Department.

East Memphis will get two new restaurants this week as SOBEast and Southall Café both open on Tuesday; Curfew will delay its opening until next week.

Molly’s La Casita has been around for almost half a century, but COVID has hit it just as hard as newer restaurants. On the bright side, "it could be worse."

Basma and Tony Lucchesi will take over the space occupied by Raffe’s Deli, which was opened and owned by her parents for many years.

Jim Neely is 83, the last of his generation of local barbecue legends. He never really intended to be in the restaurant business, but he succeeds in whatever he does.

901 Day will still go on Tuesday, but there won’t be a large public event. Some local restaurants are celebrating with $9.01 menu items; on Thursday, your choice is Irish and Scotch whiskey or Spanish food and wine.

Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Covington this fall will launch a new Digital Agronomy Assistant training program developed in collaboration with Indigo Ag and state agencies.

Ed and Brittany Cabigao permanently closed two restaurants because of COVID, but they’re expanding SOB with SOBEast, coming to the former Interim space in a few weeks.

FedEx chief Frederick W. Smith and Indigo Ag CEO and director David Perry will discuss Memphis and innovation during the Food Is Health Forum presented by Crusonia on the Delta.

Walhburgers will be in Memphis after all: Wahlburgers Wild, a new concept, is coming to Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid.

Veteran restaurateur Karen Carrier has a new place opening in a couple of weeks. She’s going to her roots, opening a Jewish deli and naming it after her mother.

Three upcoming television shows feature Memphians, two this week and a Netflix series with Melissa Cookston coming up in September; Feed the Front Lines continues; and we even have upcoming events.

Restaurateur is juggling a diner, a steakhouse and a neighborhood restaurant. One will likely make it through COVID; the fate of the others is uncertain.

Alex Grisanti is keeping his food truck but is headed back to the kitchen. He’s opening Elfo’s, the first Grisanti restaurant in DeSoto County, next month.

Kelly English turns to one of his favorites for a series of ‘pop-ups’ at Restaurant Iris, when he changes the menu to Catalan cuisine for a few weeks.

The neighborhood grocery in East Memphis is open and the High Point neighborhood is so happy to see it that it planted a sign.

Spencer and Kristin McMillin continue their volunteerism with their latest venture, the Restaurant Phoenix Project — and there’s a cookbook in the bag from their year at Caritas.