The Early Word: Say adios to Cafe Ole and happy birthday to Memphis Pom
Hope you’re ready to take care of some business. It’s Friday, March 7, and a whole lotta hips will be gyrating as the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend kicks off at Graceland. If you see a sideburned, jumpsuited man walking Beale tonight, it does not mean the real Elvis lives.
Alright, how about a little less conversation, a little more action? As in basketball action! The Memphis Tigers play South Florida tonight, and if they win, they’ll be the American Athletic Conference regular-season champs. The Memphis Grizzlies also play tonight, against the Dallas Mavericks. (Thoughts and prayers.) There’s another Grizz game, versus the New Orleans Pelicans, on Sunday.
Saturday is the fifth anniversary of Shelby County’s first COVID-19 case. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since we all learned to bake sourdough.
Daylight Saving Time ends in the wee hours of Sunday morning, so go ahead and bank some extra sleep tonight. Or don’t. There’s plenty going on around town to do instead.
If you want a margarita from Cafe Ole, you’d better go today. The longtime Cooper-Young Tex-Mex staple is closing after dinner service, and it’ll be rebranded as a new concept. No word yet on what that will be, but fans of a certain bacon-wrapped app shouldn’t worry.
The University of Memphis’ dance team is 50 years old. The team is widely regarded as one of the most talented dance teams in the country, with 16 titles under their belts. (Er, well, tucked into their pom poms?) Over the years, the team has performed at a Chicago Bulls game, a Japanese amusement park and on opening night of Monday Night Football with Hank Williams Jr. But tonight, they’ll be performing at halftime during the Memphis Tigers-South Florida Bulls game. And The Daily Memphian’s Geoff Calkins says this performance will feature some dancers from the team’s early days.
Plus, Edmund Ford Jr. has his first day in court, a domestic-violence crisis center abruptly closes and the old Happy Mexican will still be a happy place.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
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