The Early Word: Rum Boogie owner’s run ends; JoJo’s gets a latte more space
Good morning, and happy birthday to Trash Cat! It’s Tuesday, Nov. 19, and the Hi-Tone’s famous bar cat turns four today — and they’re having a big paw-ty. You may remember that Trash Cat disappeared from the Midtown bar during January’s snowstorm, only to be found in Collierville 33 days later.
We’re also in “I Love Whitehaven” Week, which features all kinds of events, including a stock-market for newbies workshop today. Later this week, Graceland will kick off Christmas with a holiday lighting event at Elvis Presley’s Whitehaven mansion.
In basketball news, the Memphis Grizzlies, fresh off Sunday’s win over the Denver Nuggets, will get another chance to beat them tonight at FedExForum as part of a two-game set. But they’ll be without rookie Zach Edey and star Ja Morant. And the Memphis Tigers women’s team plays Southeastern Louisiana at home tonight, too.
“I am going to miss the action — the music, the vibe, the people, the dancing, the glasses clinking, the laughter, the sound of people having a good time,” said Rum Boogie Cafe’s longtime owner Preston Lamm.
Lamm is retiring after 40 years of operating one of the city’s longest-running live music venues. He never intended to be a proprietor of a blues club, but real estate developer and Beale Street visionary John Elkington persuaded Lamm to do just that. And now, Lamm is passing the torch to longtime employee Jim Losapio.
JoJo’s Espresso in Germantown is growing — by, like, fivefold. The locally owned coffee shop is moving from its current 850-square-foot in Thornwood to the former Newk’s spot just down the block. That means the shop will grow from seating only 18 people to 100 people. With the expansion will also come an expanded food menu with breakfast, lunch and soon-to-be-baked-in-house pastries and breads from Palmer House.
Plus, Tyre Nichols’ family attorneys say the city is poisoning the jury, a Germantown school board member resigns and Sam’s Deli has served its last muffuletta.
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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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