The Kitchen Table to open by February in Arlington
Brad and Alicia Glover, with their children (left to right) Gemma, Maren and Dylan on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. The couple will soon open The Kitchen Table, at the old Vinegar Jim's Restaurant in Arlington. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
New restaurant owners Alicia and Brad Glover aren’t going to waste any time in bringing a popular Arlington restaurant spot back to life.
The couple recently bought the former Vinegar Jim’s Restaurant property at 12062 Forrest St. off Arlington’s historic Depot Square, and they plan to open a new restaurant, The Kitchen Table, in less than two months.
Vinegar Jim’s was built and opened in 1989, making it the oldest restaurant in the town. It served its final meal Dec. 14 after previous owners Jaclyn Miller and Brandon Nelson decided to sell the building and close the restaurant.
Brad Glover most recently worked as general manager and executive chef at Babalu’s in East Memphis, and his experience in the industry dates to the late 1990s.
“Owning a restaurant has been a dream of mine forever,” he said. “I started at Macaroni Grill years and years ago and worked my way up from being a dishwasher.”
Vinegar Jim's, Arlington's oldest restaurant, will become The Kitchen Table by February. (Courtesy Vinegar Jim's)
Since then, he has spent 13 years working on Beale Street, including as general manager at Alfred’s, and six-plus years at Babalu in Overton Square and East Memphis.
He and Alicia found out about the Arlington property being for sale from a Realtor friend, Natalie Murphy.
“The stars just aligned,” Brad said. “It took a while, about a year, to get everything done.”
The plan for The Kitchen Table is to make it family-friendly indoors and out. The rustic building sits adjacent to Forrest Street Park and The Crossings Amphitheater.
“We have 1.3 acres out there, which is awesome,” Brad said. “You’ll be able to do outdoor games like horseshoes or corn hole. We hope to see lots of kids running around.”
The existing front deck will be expanded to around the side of the building, and as many as 10 tables will be added outside on the lawn. The building was built from a variety of salvaged materials, including ceilings and floors made from reclaimed wood and a bar from the original Peabody Hotel.
Menu-wise, the Glovers will create “elevated Southern cuisine” with items like Hickory Smoked Meatloaf, Louisiana Crawfish Lasagna and Caesar’s salads made table-side.
“It’s Southern food, but I’m pumping it up,” Glover said.
He hopes to be open by Feb. 1, but realistically he thinks it could be closer to Valentine’s Day.
While Vinegar Jim’s had given patrons the choice to bring their own wine, The Kitchen Table will get a liquor license in order to serve alcohol.
Much like the previous owners and their children, the Glover’s oldest son, Dylan, 18, will work at the new restaurant.
Arlington Chamber of Commerce Director Tonia Howell is happy to be the closest neighbor to the new eatery.
“While Arlington residents are sad to see the end of an era with Vinegar Jim’s closing, there is genuine excitement for the new restaurant opening on the Square,” Howell said.
“The Kitchen Table will carry on the tradition of a family sit-down establishment, but more than that, by opening soon the restaurant will help Depot Square continue to grow and attract new traffic to the historic part of our community.”
The Glovers, who live in Collierville, are looking forward to meeting and getting to know people in Arlington and growing their new business.
“The outpouring of comments and people wanting to help has been overwhelming,” Brad said. “It shows that Arlington is just such a good place.”
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Michael Waddell
Michael Waddell is a native Memphian with more than 20 years of professional writing and editorial experience, working most recently with The Daily News and High Ground News.
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