Mo’Bay beignet shop opening in Midtown
Mo’Bay Beignets is set to open at 585 S. Cooper St. in April. (Holly Whitfield/The Daily Memphian)
A beignet shop is planned for the former Muddy’s Bake Shop space in Midtown.
Mo’Bay Beignet Co. is set to open at 585 S. Cooper St. in April.
Memphis will be the eighth location of the franchise, which has locations in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and several shops in its home state of Alabama.
The dessert shop first opened its doors in downtown Mobile, Alabama, in 2020.
Mo’Bay began with a fundraiser for the daughter of founder Jaclyn Bailey Robinson.
Mobile, Alabama franchise Mo’Bay Beignet Co. is coming to Memphis in April. (Courtesy Theresa Monteleone)
Robinson started selling her beignets as a way to send her daughter to college in California. Within a few months, Robinson’s sweet treats were sold in nearly a dozen stores in Alabama.
Owners of the Memphis franchise, John and Theresa Monteleone, moved to Memphis in 2021 after leaving their hometown of Mobile.
Theresa said her family ate at Mo’Bay’s in Mobile often when the first location opened.
Theresa added that she and John always wanted to open a business and leave a legacy to their five children.
The couple began scouting for the Bluff City location last August.
“We looked everywhere (around Memphis) and things that we thought were going be a for sure thing didn’t work out,” Theresa said.
And then they heard about Muddy’s old space, which was originally built in 1912.
“We immediately fell in love with it,” Theresa said.
The newly painted building will open with two bar seating areas containing charging stations, a community room with couches as well as a seating area outside.
The pet friendly shop will also have a full espresso bar.
The daily menu will include assortments of beignets and mini beignets along with a selection of various cold and warm flavored syrups such as cinnamon, lemon and buttercream.
Customers can also purchase Mo’Bay products in store, which includes merchandise, beignet mix and fresh syrup.
Midtown’s Mo’Bay will be open seven days a week.
Theresa said that she and John plan to open more stores across Tennessee.
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Mo’Bay Beignet Co. Muddy's Grind Shop Muddy's Bake ShopJasmine McCraven
Jasmine McCraven considers herself to be a music enthusiast and believes that she makes the best playlists ever. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State, but couldn’t wait to move back home to Memphis for the best food and culture in Tennessee.
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