Longtime Cooper-Young restaurant closing in current form
Cafe Ole will reopen with a new concerpt at 959 Cooper St. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Big changes are in the works for Cafe Ole.
After three decades as a Mexican restaurant, the beloved Cooper-Young eatery will be reimagined.
Owner Kendall Robertson said he felt it was time to change the concept.
“There are around 17 Mexican places within one mile. The market is saturated,” Robertson said Thursday, March 6. “It is time for a whole new concept.”
The restaurant in its current form is set to close on Friday, March 7, after dinner service.
Renovations to the space, located at 959 Cooper St., will begin the next day.
Robertson said that while the plans for the new concept are still in the works, he can confirm that both the menu and the space will get a makeover.
Changes to the restaurant will be mostly cosmetic, with new paint, new tables and chairs and a patio refresh that includes outdoor games. A new addition to the dining room will be a stage for live entertainment.
Cafe Ole has been a mainstay for the Cooper-Young neighborhood since the early 1990s. Robertson, who also owns Alfred’s on Beale, Dyer’s Burgers and Automatic Slim’s, bought the restaurant in 2013.
Robertson said his goal is to reopen the new concept in a few weeks, depending on construction.
One thing will remain, however.
Fans of Cafe Ole’s Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp will be pleased to know that the appetizer will be on the menu of the new restaurant.
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Jennifer Chandler
A cookbook author and former restaurateur, Jennifer Chandler has been writing about food and dining for more than 25 years.
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.
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