New owners to take over Knifebird, The Public Bistro locations
Mary Oglesby, left, and Paul Gilliam, the creators of Cameo cocktail bar in Midtown, opened Mary's B.O.T.E. in April 2024. Now, they plan on bringing two more concepts to Midtown. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian file)
The owners of Cameo and Mary’s B.O.T.E. are bringing their “Fancy Drinks/Party Time” flair to two more concepts in Midtown Memphis.
Paul Gilliam and Mary Oglesby are taking over the spaces that were most recently home to Knifebird and The Public Bistro.
Wine bar Knifebird closed last Saturday, Dec. 14; its sister restaurant, The Public Bistro, closes Dec. 20.
Gilliam and Oglesby said their two new concepts should open sometime in the spring of next year.
Jonathan Aur of Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate helped facilitate the deal.
“We worked with Kate (Ashby) on the original Knifebird lease, and we were also investors in The Public Bistro,” said Aur. “When she called me to say she was closing, there were a lot of emotions. But I knew we could find someone to take over the spaces since a huge portion of our business is with restaurants.”
Aur immediately gave Gilliam and Oglesby a call, and the two of them jumped on the opportunity.
Topics
Cameo Mary's B.O.T.E. Paul Gilliam Mary Oglesby Jones Aur Commercial Real Estate Jonathan Aur Knifebird Wine Bar The Public Bistro Subscriber Only2025 is almost over. Now is the time to support your trusted local news source.
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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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