Cozy Corner BBQ | Sean Robinson

Tell me a little bit about yourself and the history of your business.

My name is Sean Robinson. I’m the grandson of the original owners. My grandmother and grandfather started it August 1977. Four generations have grown up in the business and we’ve owned it for 44 years. It’s been a blessing for it to last this long, especially through times like this one during the pandemic. Business has stayed constant or increased. Although it’s been a crazy past year and a half, business has still been good.

I’m assuming you all have repeat customers and people that are always here.

Absolutely, we definitely have our loyal customers. I have some come in every week. I know their name and order by hard. A lot of customers are from out of town. There are a lot of Memphians who, I feel like, don’t know about us. There are a lot of people who live here but have never been here before. We’re a word of mouth type of restaurant. We don’t do a lot of advertising. When you’re that good, word of mouth goes a long way!

What attracted Cozy Corner to this location? Tell me more about the building. Why here?

Before we had this building, my grandfather used to have parties almost every weekend at the house. His friends would tell him, “This food is good. You need to open up a restaurant!” After so many people kept telling him, he took it into consideration and he started looking for a restaurant. In 1977, he found this building, it was already named Cozy Corner and it already had a telephone number. It was also already a barbeque restaurant, but it didn’t get as big as it is now until we got it in 1977. My grandfather was cheap and when he bought the building he said, “We aren’t going to change the name or telephone number. We’re going to keep everything the same, but we’re going to use my recipes.” We’ve been using those recipes since 1977. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!

That’s really cool. I love the legacy and tradition. Does Cozy Corner have any signature items? What’s the most popular?

Our top two sellers are the ribs and wings. Of course, everything we do is barbeque, so the wings are whole chicken wings and the ribs are pork spare ribs St. Louis cut. We sell out of ribs and wings almost every day. We close at 8pm and we probably run out of ribs and wings around 7:00 or 7:30pm. We try to cook enough to make it until we close. The third top seller is the Cornish game hen. It’s a small bird, barbeque whole. Cornish hen is definitely another thing we’re known for.

Do you have any recurring special events that happen here?

Not really, but we usually participate in Memphis in May. We usually cater for the Mayor’s tent. We do cater events, and we normally have people pick up the order.

What’s the future vision for Cozy Corner?

The future vision is to open up at least one more location in Memphis. Somewhere on the other side of town, not too close to this location. A lot of mornings, I pass by Cozy Corner around 7:00 AM and it’s the best smell.

How long does the process of BBQ take?

Yes, somebody’s cooking! BBQ in general is very time consuming. We have two cooks. One cook comes in around 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning and leaves around 11 o’clock in the morning. The second cook comes in and leaves around 7 o’clock in the evening. For how long it takes, it really depends on how hot the pits we use to barbeque take. We don’t use thermometers or gauges. We barbeque with charcoal, so no gas or wood. That’s how we cook.

Neat, there’s a whole science to it!

Yes, you have to pay attention and check the food often, because we don’t want to burn anything up. We train our cooks to know what they are doing. The time can vary and depends on how hot it is.

What’s the best way for customers to follow you all?

A lot of it is word of mouth. Cozy Corner also has an Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can follow Cozy Corner on all three social media platforms. I created it for us, being the youngest grandchild. You have you evolve with time.

The food will not change, but the technology will! If you weren’t cooking BBQ, what other things would you be doing or cooking in your free time?

I love the Green Bay Packers. My favorite basketball team is the Lakers. I enjoy watching and playing sports, going to the movies, bowling, and hanging out with friends. Other times, I enjoy doing nothing. I can be a homebody.

Is there anything you’d like the Medical District and Memphis community to know?

Yes, through thick and thin, we are so thankful for every customer that walks through the door – loyal ones, new ones, ones that have stuck with us throughout the years. Although business is good, there have been some rough years in the past, where we sometimes didn't know if we were going to make it. Lo and behold, someway, somehow we still did. Definitely thankful for all the customers because if it wasn’t for them, we would not be here. Thank you to every customer.

Fresh Start Facility Services | Johnny Fayne

MMDC sat down with Johnny Fayne, president and CEO of Fresh Start Facility Services, to learn more about his story and experience participating in our Buy Local program.

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your business?

I started Fresh Start Facility Services in 2006 and it is a 100% minority owned full-service janitorial business. We’ve been working with several large logistical centers and currently work with a manufacturing company with over 2 million square feet. We’ve worked in the medical field on extensive projects in the Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi markets. Locally we’ve had partnerships with Methodist Le Bonheur Hospital and Regional One Health. We have also worked in the Nashville market for five years supporting Vanderbilt and in Mississippi with ABB, where we service their national distribution center. Right now, we are working with Rosemark, known across the national and international market offering chemicals for disinfection and sanitation. 

How did you get started in the janitorial industry?

I have an extensive background in management through my tenure at FedEx managing flight and truck operations, hazardous materials, and more. I started their hazardous materials program 20 years ago that is still in operation today. I retired from there managing their international freight operations, the largest operation in the entire company and biggest revenue driver at the time and as manager of the year. 

I got into this field almost by accident. I introduced a friend to this field but later joined the field working with our first customer in 2006, Hino Motors in Marion, Arkansas, a subsidiary of Toyota. They have almost a two million square foot facility and we are proud to still maintain their business today.

Why did you choose to locate your business in Memphis?

Our business has always been in the medical district. Our first office was at 1331 Union. At the time when we started, we were looking for a downtown or close business that would make it easier for customers and employees to reach us. It has worked out very well. 

What part of your business are you most proud of?

In the janitorial space that we operate in now, there is a 200% employee turnover rate. However, we have been able to keep our retention rate very low- with little turnover. We try to make it comfortable for our employees and find ways to help them access services around town. And we are working to increase our minimum wages to $15 an hour. It’s almost a ministry where we are helping our community thrive- no one can survive on $7-$8 an hour. And we are excited about helping our employees move from a $12 to $15 starting wage. 

Why is it important to support local businesses? I think what gives us an advantage over a national brand is that we know and use the local suppliers. We use the same equipment as the national brands that are well known. For example, when equipment breaks down, we have the same relationship or better with the local people that provide that service. The same people that they would reach out to we often have a better relationship with them and can get quicker, better service. I think when companies consider working with local businesses, this is important to consider- they have the connections to get the job done, unlike national companies who have to turn around and find and build new relationships. The employee base is also important to understand. A national company must hold a career fair to obtain employees.  At one time we were competing with a national company who had a career fair where less than 40 people showed up to meet them versus the 300 people who showed up to meet us. Who knows Memphis more than local businesses and can relate to our local worker base and their needs? This insight allows companies like ours to flourish and provide a higher level of professionalism to the market. 

How have you been working with Hire Local? 

As our contracts are growing in Memphis and with institutions partnered with MMDC, we have partnered with their Hire Local program to identify and fast-track local residents into a new career field. Hire Local is targeting residents who live in the 38103, 38104, 38105, 38106, 38107, 38112, 38114, 38127 zip codes who may be interested in learning a new skill, in full-time roles, close to home. The current training collaboration helps both Fresh Start Facility Services grow their talent team and supports MMDC’s strategic goal to increase the employment rate of residents in and close to the medical district. Get more information on the Hire Local training opportunity by visiting https://hirelocal901.com/job-seekers/training/. 

Is there anything else you’d like the public to know about yourself or your business?

We are a business with a proven track record that is ready to scale. We value relationships with both our clients, our employees and local suppliers. And we are committed to helping our community grow as we do.

Slim & Husky’s | Derrick Moore

Interview by:

Mariko Krause, Senior Program Associate 

What do pizza, the arts, and snacks have in common? Read more to find out! I had the opportunity to interview Derrick Moore, co-owner of Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria, where I learned about their mission, their drive to be part of the community, and more about their specialty items. Not only is there a dine-in and to-go option, but they also have walk-up windows for those that are on the go. Reader warning: you may be inclined to immediately crave pizza, cinnamon rolls, and head to Slim & Husky’s right after this!  

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the history of your business?

Yes, Memphis is the seventh location. From the beginning, my partners and I had a  moving company from 2010 until 2017. We grew it and sold the company. We started working on Slim & Husky’s in 2015, finalized the concept, and opened in March 2017. I  was one of the original founders. I’ve been in the thick of it from the beginning until now.  

What attracted Slim & Husky’s to the Medical District – Edge District?

Memphis was #1 because it’s down the street from Nashville and we have close ties to the city. My family is from Memphis – my mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins are from here. As a kid and adult, I spent time down here. Memphis is familiar and feels like home. The people are just awesome. The culture of Memphis is to really embrace small and local brands, and they do it better than any city I’ve seen. We knew we’d have success in Memphis. We wanted to pour more hope into the city and provide jobs for those in our community. The Edge District was the perfect location. It wasn’t all the way Downtown but wasn’t far away from neighborhoods. It was the perfect place for us to open up. The opportunity presented itself and we jumped on it.  

Have you ever received any business support from MMDC? 

Yes – tons of it. Not just grants but also they helped pay for some outdoor seating.  They have been a tremendous help with everything from top to bottom. Vonesha  [Mitchell] has been great. If we needed employees, they were willing to help find employees. Everything that they could help us with, they either did it, or they offered it. It’s a great organization with really good people. It’s been dope working with them. And they didn’t just leave us at the open; they still keep in touch. It’s a good relationship.  

Do you have any special or signature items? Most popular? 

[As far as,] special items, we’ve got signature pizzas, vegan options, the “Nothin but a  ‘V’ thang” – that’s a vegan option, all the way up to the “Cee no green” for the men and women who like to pile on the meats. We have specialty cinnamon rolls drizzles to die for. Everything is 100% authentic. We pour a lot into it and the reception has been awesome. Anything someone wants to put on a pizza, we got it – except for anchovies! We substituted anchovies with something with a little bit more taste. We’ve got salmon and shrimp for our pizzas.  

What’s your favorite pizza topping? 

I get the same pizza every single time. I do “Build my own” with red sauce, five cheese blend, my meats: beef, pepperoni, chicken sausage, and my vegetables are green olives, mushrooms, onion, and green peppers. I get that every single time.  

This is “The Derrick” Pizza! Slim & Husky’s has a really prominent social media account and website. What’s the best way people can stay in touch with S&H?

Probably Instagram [fun fact: S&H has over 73K followers on IG!]  

Do you have any recurring special events that happen here? 

Before Covid-19, we used to do a scholarship for kids and movie nights. As a business, you have to be careful because people are looking at you to set an example. We just haven’t been able to right now. We used to do so much. We are looking forward to  getting that back started; we don’t want to put people in danger so we’ll hold off [until  we can gather again.] 

 How do you see S&H growing within the Medical District community? 

We will grow within the Medical District for sure. We are looking forward to when things open up to produce events with the MMDC. Anything we can do with the community as a whole and our neighbors. I just love the Edge District, especially once  [the Ravine] comes up. The only way is up with the Medical District right now!    

I love the artwork and vibe in the space when you first walk in. Slim & Husky’s has worked with Quantavious “Toonky” Worship (@toonky_berry), Jamond Bullock (@alivepaint), and a couple of other Black artists that I saw are from Nashville. Why is that important, and can you speak about that experience?  

It’s always important for us. Our thing is Pizza. Art. Music. We highlight the creativity with the pizza, the creativity with the music – you come in and might hear R&B, some hip hop from the 90s, 2000s, we’ll play it. The arts are very important to us. We love the exposure and continue to expose our community to the arts. 

African Americans as a whole are very creative with the arts, music, food, and also business. Historically, to survive and make it in this country as a whole, we have to be creative. For the artists, we always want to tap into the local community and give exposure to them. It’s always fun [to work with those artists.] 

Is there anything else you’d like the Memphis/Medical District community to know about your business? 

I would like for people to know that we are a community-based business. If they don’t know, hopefully, we can show them based off by working with teachers, artists, and employing people from the community. When things really open back up, we can show them how we like to get our hands dirty and get involved with the community. I would  like people to know that we appreciate the community we go in and when you make  yourself part of the community, and not just move and say “Hey, I’m open, now come  support.” [Instead,] we believe in really getting in there and getting after it with the people in the community.  

I love it! That’s really inspiring and makes the business model so much more humanizing and engaging.  

If you weren’t eating pizza, what other things would you be working on or eating? When I’m not eating pizza, I’m snackin’ for real – I’m a chips and fruit snack type dude.  If I wasn’t working in the pizza sector, I’d like to be working on a bar or art gallery. I’m actually doing some of that stuff now in Nashville. I love it and we look forward to doing something like that in Memphis.  

Slim and Husky’s is located at 634 Union Ave. Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!

Oteka Technologies

MMDC sat down with Alandas Dobbins, owner of Oteka Technologies.

Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your business? How long have you been in business?

My name is Alandas Dobbins. I’m a second-generation entrepreneur doing this work. I started a company with my father 25 years ago, and we were an Avaya business partner, but we also started doing cabling with that business because with Avaya, our lead-in was telephone systems, so it was Southern Communications Systems. We soon found out that some clients needed cabling as well, so instead of contracting that out, we decided to develop our own cabling division. That started growing, and we ended up doing a lot of the e-rate for Memphis City Schools some 20 years ago My father passed about 14 years ago this year, and I left the industry for some time. I got back into it with Oteka Technolgoies. Oteka Technologies is officially four years old the month of March, so we focus primarily on cabling. The telecommunications industry has changed so much. A lot of the phone are in the cloud, the margins are low, and I didn’t really want to deal with the break-fix and all that comes with that, so we are focusing strictly on cabling and anything that has to do with cabling— security cameras, access control, the cabling to get to those types of devices— is what our primary sweet spot is.

 How long has your business been in Memphis?

We moved to our current space about two years ago, we have warehouses in the back and offices up front. We have space for our project managers in the back as well. It’s very centrally located. I grew up in Whitehaven and wanted to be back a part of what’s going on in Whitehaven. Memphis is my home. We are extremely excited to be growing in our home. We have so much happening now with construction. Being a part of the Memphis landscape is exciting. Also, as an owner, I’m able to make decisions. For instance, I can hire second chance citizens. I am looking to start a program that serves veterans. Even though I am not a veteran, I’d like offer opportunities to help hire veterans. That is exciting for me because I’ve heard stories about how when veterans get back home, they can’t find jobs. They’ve done a lot to protect the rest of us and make sure we’re okay. When they come back, we need to make sure they’re okay, too. I’m excited to be able to start researching, and I’m sure over time, we’ll be able to integrate that program.

 Why Memphis?

Why not Memphis? Memphis is a city that is on the move right now. It’s long overdue. Staying here is our way of keeping talented people here, keeping them employed— that’s important to me. I’ve got both of my children working at the company right now. They’re twenty-seven and twenty-four, so that’s exciting to me. They’re excited about what’s to come in Memphis. We’re getting more restaurants and spaces for people to hang out and be able to bond and network and meet other people, so it’s good to be a part of something sometimes and make sure you’re on that ground floor to help it grow. Then, you can say, “I’ve done something substantive in my life.”

 Do you have a training program those interested in joining the business?

I’ve just gotten exposed to a program that allows training, so we’re researching that. We’re working closely with WIN. We’ve been able to take our technicians through training via the programs that WIN offers. We’re big on training. We’ll eventually put together a formalized training program here.

 How did you get into the cabling industry?

When I was in the industry before, cabling usually came under the electricians and then, somehow, it changed and it’s with owners. Now, people are realizing that low-voltage cabling is critical. For instance, if you go to the grocery store, you’ve seen where if you close the refrigerated section, the light goes out. That’s the cable that has to come to make that happen. Well, these are the new things that are happening in the industry right now, so cabling is becoming more and more important. That’s part of the reason that I’m focusing on the cabling industry and utilizing the knowledge that I gained from working in the industry through my last business. 

 What does it mean to you to be a part of the BUY Local Marketplace? In what ways has this helped your business?

I’m a little biased. I think you guys are doing such a great job! The sentiment behind BUY Local is something unfortunate that we have to put organizations together to support and increase local minority and women-owned spend. That’s not part of our mindset in Memphis. We haven’t been historically pro local business, making sure that we take care of home. To now have our organization really focusing on that, it’s really critical. Memphis has not usually been that type of city where we make sure we take care of our homegrown— make sure they have jobs, contracts, and can sustain their businesses. It is critically important to our community to make sure we have organizations to really key in on that.

 You’ve recently given a presentation for our anchors at a BUY Local Council meeting. What was that experience like and what advice would you give other business owners who have the opportunity to do the same?

The anchors will listen to you intently. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an immediate response. Since then, I have gotten some callbacks for future opportunities. Don’t overthink your presentation and make sure to follow-up just like you’d do with any other call. Be diligent about following up with those particular clients because everybody is busy.

 What was your experience like at our recent BUY Local Connect event?

I was glad to present at the event. After presenting, I got comments from people who expressed that they were glad that I presented and that it gave them some thoughts on strategies that they can implement within their companies. The anchor institutions also gave positive feedback. It was a really great turnout with informative content. It was so nice to see so many diverse business-owners present, and I hope to share this opportunity with more business owners in the future. Y’all are doing a great job! We appreciate the support!

OTEKA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC is located at 3332 Winbrook Drive. They can be contacted at (901) 334-7304 or alandas@otekatech.com.

A Square Meal on Wheels + Aspiring School Meals Dining Services Trio

MMDC sat down with chefs Derrick and LaQuonta Clark, owners of A Square Meal on Wheels/A Square Meal Café and Chef Quan Anderson, owner of Aspiring School Meals Dining Services. The trio has teamed together to be the next food service provider for Southern College of Optometry.

Chef Derrick Clark

Chef Derrick: My name is Chef Derrick Clark. My wife is LaQuonta Clark. We started about 10 years ago with a food truck. I went to culinary school. Chef Quan just happened to be one of the chefs teaching classes at the school. At that time, my desire was to be a private chef for one of the Grizzlies. That was what I was going to do. One day, I was watching TV and “The Great Food Truck Race” just happened to come on TV. At this time, I was stricken with cancer. After I got over cancer and got through school, we decided to get a food truck. We paid $5,000 for it. We built it up and purchased parts from Facebook, eBay, everywhere. At this time, food trucks weren’t popular in Memphis. I was one of the chefs that started the food truck craze. We got our food truck at the right time and right place. We just blew up. We started the food truck serving fish tacos, fried green tomatoes, and lobster rolls. Those were our main dishes. Overnight, we just became really popular. We would go to different business complexes to serve from the food truck. At one of the complexes we went to, they told us they had an empty restaurant space. They said it would be really tough for us, that there was a tough crowd in that area. They had two restaurants come in that didn’t last six months. We told them we were interested in the restaurant space and we took the opportunity. We had already branded ourselves as “A Square Meal on Wheels” and decided to name the restaurant space “A Square Meal Café.” The café is located in the Lenox Park business complex. Every company that came in before us struggled to make it, but we’ve been there seven years and going strong.

Chef LaQuonta Clark

Once we opened, an MLGW employee came to the café and ate. They saw a post shouting us out when we were serving at Cooper Young Festival. We served a lot of customers at Cooper Young Festival. That’s how I ended up gaining exposure and teaching culinary classes at Arkansas State with the credentials that I received from L'école Culinaire. The customer that was working at MLGW let me know that they had a vacant restaurant space in their building and asked if I would be interested in it. The next thing we knew, we had two locations—one in East Memphis and one inside of MLGW. We gained more traction on Facebook and got contacted by someone at Swift Transportation that had an empty restaurant space. They asked if we’d like to come check it out. We did, and we expanded there as well. We starting to grow every 2-3 years. A lot of my culinary school classmates have been working for us ever since with our food truck. We treat our employees like we’d want to be treated. We look out for each other. If they’re down and out one week, we make sure to lift them up.

From that point on, people kept referring us to companies looking to occupy their restaurant space. Next thing I know, someone referred me to Southern College of Optometry (SCO) telling me they had an empty space. In one night, we prepared our RFP and we were determined. I called SCO and secured a meeting, then called my main man Chef Quan to let him know that I had a meeting set. Chef Quan told me that he had a meeting with SCO as well. I told him that we need to team up and tackle SCO. Chef Quan specializes in catering, and I knew that if we came together, our unified team would be that much stronger. We teamed up, and here we are today. My wife has been here with me from the beginning, and we thank God for everything. 

Chef Quan Anderson

Chef Quan: Latasha Harris, manager of the BUY Local Program at Memphis Medical District Collaborative sent out an email regarding the opportunity. I received her notice through another friend who passed the opportunity along to me. When Chef Derrick called letting me know that he had a meeting set, I said, “Let’s do this together!” For an opportunity of this magnitude, it works well to team together. Through my background in contract food service for the last ten years, Derrick and I have crossed paths many times. I used to be the Executive Chef/Catering Director in UT Health Science Center, then went to St. George’s, managing the catering at three schools in three different locations. We’re very well-rounded. We’ve got a lot of food service knowledge all together. I’ve done nine years at the Peabody as a Banquet Chef. I have served Presidents of the United States.

We will be serving good quality food. We look forward to this opportunity. We’ve known each other for quite a while. The brand name, “ASM— A Square Meal” came from our original idea to work with some of the charter schools to prepare meals for them. We’ve got a formula built for catering for schools as well as corporate events. We’re always looking to grow and give back to the community. That’s the whole plan.

Johnson Mechanical Services

MMDC sat down with Antonio Johnson, BUY Local business owner of Johnson Mechanical Services.

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your business?

My name is Antonio Johnson. I am a resident of Memphis and owner of Johnson Mechanical Services. We’ve been in business since 2008. We’re a family-owned and operated business. I have 22 years of experience in the business. I wanted to start my own company. The business was originally named Johnson Heating and Air when I started because I was a sole proprietor, but as I began to grow, I understood that I needed an LLC, so I changed the name to Johnson Mechanical Services LLC. I am a local, veteran, and minority-owned small business, certified by Shelby County and categorized as a Small Business Enterprise with the City of Memphis. My primary goal is to be recognized as one of the leading minority contractors in the mechanical services.

How did you get started in the mechanical industry?

I was in the military for 6 years and after I was honorably discharged from the US Army. I got an opportunity—God blessed me— I went to the unemployment office looking for a job, an opportunity opened up to be a forklift driver at a heat and air company, Jackson Supply. They sold all the materials and equipment needed for the mechanical services. I worked there for 6 years and gained a tremendous amount of hands-on experience and knowledge in the heating and air field. I met and talked to a lot of good people that helped me. One of the guys, Joe Johnson, told me that he could show me something that would change my life forever if I was willing to go back to school. I went to State Tech and learned the heating and air business and received my certification. I’ve been doing it for 22 years now.

Why did you choose to locate your business in Memphis?

I was born and raised in the City of Memphis. I grew up in South Memphis and graduated from South Side High School. I wanted to give back to the community that I love and show my family, especially my son and nephews, that you can be a successful black businessman in this city.

Do you offer any training programs for those who also want to learn about mechanical services?

Yes. In the past 22 years of business, I have trained 9 people that have become productive business owners in the industry. They have become mentors to other. I assisted them in doing their business the correct way— getting their licenses, getting insurance, and being bonded. If you’re out doing services or working in someone’s home, you always want to cover yourself. I have 2 people that I’m currently training in my program.

What has it meant for you to be a part of the BUY Local Marketplace?

It has been a great opportunity. I didn’t know about it at first, but once I was invited to a BUY Local event and was presented the information about your Anchor Partners, it has been great for me. It has opened my eyes to opportunities to expand and market my business and what I’m trying to do to the public. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this network. When I go to those meetings, I see a wide array of minority business owners in attendance. You guys are opening up the doors for people such as myself.

What was your experience like at the February Buy Local Connect Event?

I was able to get business cards for all those that I talked with. There were Medical District partners that had booths set up who gave me great feedback. Rory Thompson at Tennessee Small Business Development Center set me up with Dr. Branch, one of their consultants. They’re helping me create a business plan and capability statement. Event speaker Veronica Clark with UT Center for Industrial Services has followed up with me and helped me navigate the services they are offering and set me up to participate in the Turner Construction Management Program in Nashville. I’ve gotten positive feedback from everybody. You guys are pioneering opportunities for minority businesses to network with Anchor Partners representing major companies that we can later sub-contract to and work with in the future.

Is there anything else you’d like the public to know about yourself or your business?

I work for the City of Memphis Fire Department as an active duty firefighter for the past 17 years. I love this job, I love helping people, and I’m looking forward to being promoted in July as a Lieutenant and continuing to share my knowledge and experience with the young people hired on the job. I’m certified as an Advanced EMT by the state of Tennessee through the Fire Department and have various life-saving training certifications that I must continue to educate myself on an annual basis. I love what I do for the City of Memphis! It gives me great pride and joy!

 Johnson Mechanical Services, LLC is located at 5495 Winchester Suite 1 and can be contacted at (901) 650-0348.

Off the Walls Artist Collective

MMDC sat down with Artist Yvonne Bobo, owner of Off the Walls Arts located at Warehouse Studios.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business?

My name is Yvonne Bobo. I’m a sculptor. I’ve been doing public art—large-scale metal structures since about 2000. I’ve been renting studios over the years, and this is the first time I’ve been able to own the studio where I am. I was in Cooper Young and kind of got priced out of there, so everywhere I go as the neighborhood gets better, the rents go up, and then you have to move on. This [the Medical District] is the upcoming neighborhood now. This is our new arts district. And I won’t have to leave, because now I’m a building owner!

 How did you get into sculpting & metal work?

When I went to college, I really loved art, but I had a middle-class family and they really wanted me to do something more useful, so I tried business and I had no idea what they were talking about. Then, I quietly drifted to liberal arts, then went into fine arts. That’s where I found my real love was building things. I was mixed media at the time, so I was doing a little bit of everything. Woodworking was my first sort of real skillset, then when I came to Memphis, I met metal artists. I worked with Tyler French and James Summerhill, and I was just sort of surrounded by metal. I just sort of went in that direction. 

What attracted you to the Medical District?

I’m a midtowner, and I live just a few blocks up Peabody, so this is my neighborhood. We’re right at the border. I call us the Edge of the Edge because we’re right on the line. I like the feel. Friends of mine had studios at Marshall Arts for years, so I’d been going over to the Medical District for a long time.

Many artists are attracted to the Medical District due to the creative culture of the area. Can you speak a bit on the elements of creative culture that you notice within the District?

I think there’s an interesting thing about artists. We’re generally attracted to affordable rents because it’s hard to make a living as an artist. In the District, there are big spaces that are affordable, and that you can build in. That always drives artist because a lot of us don’t make a lot of money, so having an area where we can all be together, we can get a little synergy going. It’s interesting about the way neighborhoods change, too. A little but of what I’m trying to preserve here is having a group of artists together since an artist owns the building—that’ll never change, so the group of artists won’t change.

Have you received any supports from MMDC to assist in your move to the District?

Yes, I received a façade grant. We actually replaced some of our doors with bifold overhead doors and MMDC helped us with some of the exterior lighting also.

You’ll soon be opening your studio to the public. What can people expect from Off the Walls Arts (gallery showings, classes, events)?

We’ll be having our Grand Opening on March 28th from 11am-3pm. Christopher Reyes will be showcasing an immersive art experience and we’ll have about 4 new artists moved into the building and will have their work on display as well. We’ll have a fashion show, the band will play, there’ll be different elements of the Off the Walls Arts artist collective showcased during the event. This will be a free, family event.

Can you explain more about the Artist Collective that will be working in Warehouse Studios?

The Artist Collective will be a core group of people who rent studio space in the building. Those people will stay here as long as the space serves them. In the future, we hope to develop the nonprofit arm of Warehouse Studios, Off the Walls Artist Collaborative. Essentially, there’s three things that go on here. We have the Yvonne Bobo Studio, which is me. Then there’s Warehouse Studios, which owns the building and houses the Artist Collective. And people rent space here. Then, there’s Off the Walls Artist Collaborative, the nonprofit that supports Christopher Reyes building out the immersive art experience. We hope to have artists that come in to build out installation-style art, so we help to support that and provide them space to build weird art that they can’t really do anywhere else. Maybe later, we’ll have some changing studios for artist. People who are in the building have already made a financial commitment to their artwork. They have a dedicated space and community. We’ll have workshops where people can come learn and do things with us, and maybe we’ll have transitional space where people can submit something and get free studio for a period of time to kind of work around. We’d like to nurture artists at all levels, that’s the goal.

For artists who would like to be part of the Artist Collaborative, is there still space available for rent?

Yes, I think with the workshops and the changing installations space, that’ll be a nice way to bring people in to work with the artists in residence, work together, do shows, and get folks involved who aren’t in the building. There are a few studios left for rent, about four. If someone is interested in renting space, they can reach out to me on the website offthewallsarts.org or at yvonnebobostudio.com.

Memphis Medical District Collaborative is all about highlighting vital connections within the District. Your work is featured around the Medical District. Can you name a few of your pieces that people can spot around the area?

I have a piece at Methodist Le Bonheur hospital, “Under the Rainbow.” It’s a dichroic piece that’s kinetic. I also have a piece in the entrance of Methodist Le Bonheur’s Community Outreach Building at 600 Jefferson. I hope to do more work in the District! 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I am grateful. I think right now in Memphis, as an artist to by a building, I realized what a challenge it was financially to try to buy a commercial building. It’s difficult. Because there were a number of organizations in Memphis supporting people who are trying to do stuff to improve the neighborhoods. It was a really good time for me because MMDC helped us with the façade grant and EDGE did a matching grant with us for the work, and we also received support from DMC. We received a lot of support, which is great!

I think that speaks to you being connected with a lot of the various local community development organizations. For other folks who are looking to follow in your footsteps, can you describe that process and how you went about identifying those grant opportunities?

I actually reached out to Poplar Foundation because I knew someone there. They put me in touch with River City Capital. I already knew about MMDC. I didn’t know about EDGE, but started to investigate them. I started to see who was interested in supporting this type of work. A lot of community development organizations are interested in supporting artists because they realize how valuable supporting artists and their art is to an upcoming neighborhood. I think everyone wanted to support an artist-owned and artist-focused business because we’ll make sure to keep it that way. People are stopping by the building since we’ve installed the mural on our exterior. It’s interesting to watch people start to put up signs and start making improvements, too. I think other businesses are having a little encouragement. The work is definitely having an effect. 

Warehouse Studios is located at 358 Walnut Street. You can keep up with them at offthewallsarts.org or Facebook.

Chef Tam's Underground Café

MMDC sat down with Chef Tamra Patterson, owner of the  new Medical District restaurant, Chef Tam’s Underground Café.

Could you give a brief history of yourself and your business?

My name is Tamra Patterson, and I have been cooking professionally since 2010. I am not a native Memphian. I’m from Texas, but I’ve lived in Memphis since January of 2015. I was a food services provider for a charter school first. Once the charter was lost by Shelby County Schools pulling it, I opened my own restaurant in Cooper Young. I was there for three years and grew exponentially before moving to the Medical District. We’ve been open since the first of the year. We’ve seen a packed house every day, and it’s been phenomenal!

What inspired your move from Texas to Memphis?

A friend of mine was doing some ministry work here. He was relocating back here because his family was from here, and he asked if I would come and help him because I have a background in ministry. So, I came to Memphis to help him, even though I didn’t initially plan on staying. I ended up saying, “well, if I’m here, I might as well grow where I’m planted,” so that’s how I ended up staying.

How did you end up transitioning from ministry to the food industry?

By trade, I’m a hairstylist. I did hair until 2010, but I was always around really good food. My grandmother was a professional baker, my father owned a restaurant, and then my mom’s dad owned a barbecue restaurant. I spent my days washing dishes after my dad did a catering job or ironing linen. So, I never wanted to cook because of that side of it. It was always washing the dishes or cleaning up, and I didn’t want to have to deal with that even though I could cook really well, nobody ever taught me. Most kids have the opportunity to say, “oh, my Dad taught me how to make this.” My dad only taught me how to make about two things and that was it— even though he was a cooking fool. I only have sisters and he didn’t allow us to cook. He cooked all the time. I was in high school still taking a sacked lunch. Even with my stepmom there, I can never say I remember her cooking up until his passing. So, I always kind of knew I could cook, but I never thought that I would step out and do it and actually make money off of it. I felt like I would always be the person that was doing hair. I did hair and I kept all my nieces and nephews so after school, before school, and in the summers, they were with me while their parents were at work. I just knew that would be my lot. Then, all of a sudden, I started having these dreams of recipes. I’m the type of person that journals, so I would wake up and write down whatever I dreamt, but I would never cook them. I would just write down what I saw or heard. Finally, one day, I got up and actually made the stuff. When I made it, it was like, “This is really good! Wait a minute.” I ended up sending the pastry that I made to a coffee shop right outside of Dallas. When I sent it to them, they ordered it instantly. I would make them 24 pastries and before I could make it home, which was maybe 15 minutes away, they would say they were sold out. So I’d go back home and make some and take them back. I did that for like a month, month and a half. It was like, okay God I feel like you’re telling me to do something else, but I don’t understand it and I don’t want to be stupid or foolish taking a leap doing something that is not founded or secure. But, I did it, and here I am 10 years later really grateful for the opportunities that I’ve been given from feeding celebrities to being on Food Network five times. In fact, on February 5th, I’ll be back on Food Network.

My son who is 16 now just said to me yesterday, “Do you remember when the goal was for you to sell 10 plates at 10 dollars a plate so you could make 100 dollars a day?” He was like, “Mom, you made it. You’ve finally made it. I’m so proud of you.” So, for me, that was the one thing that I’ve always wanted to hear, and it put me in a different mind space and gave me a different perspective. Rather than just thinking it needs to be better, I need to work harder, I established an appreciation for the hard work that I’ve already put in and the humility of how much work I still need to do. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s a balance nonetheless that I’m really grateful for.

When you were moving to Memphis, did you already have in your mind that you were going to work towards building a restaurant?

No, I was going to do the ministry stuff, and I was going to sell a few plates on the side if I needed to, to make some cash. It was never in my mind to build a restaurant here or to accomplish any of this. It’s interesting— the Bible says that we make our plans, but God directs our path. I had so many plans to do so many things, but God directed the path that I was supposed to go. I stood in here in the restaurant last week and I fought back tears because the restaurant was packed. I’m not from here. I don’t have any family here other than my husband, my son, and my husband’s family. For me to have seen the amount of success— I don’t spend any money on marketing, I just go post food on social media. To have had that kind of success is amazing. 

What were the steps you took to start your first restaurant?

This was birthed out of obscurity. When I was working at the charter school, they ended up closing. The owner of the charter school said, “I’m going to open a restaurant.” I foolishly thought it would work and went to work for him for about 3 months at the restaurant until they ultimately had to close. A woman that used to come to that restaurant, Cristina McCarter of City Tasting Tours, told me about the space in Cooper Young. I said, “I don’t know what you’re telling me for. I don’t have any money.” Surprisingly enough, one of my friends called and said, “God told me to bless you because you’re supposed to open a restaurant,” and she gave me the money to get the restaurant started in Cooper Young. Literally, the building is 100 years old—it’s an old house. I went to Dollar Tree and bought putty to fill the cracks in the walls. I would Uber at night and sell plates during the day, just to make the money to get the construction done. When we first opened, we ended up with 125 people coming in the door with no advertising, no marketing, no anything. So, we’ve had that type of eerie, crazy success since we’ve opened, and it hasn’t stopped since we’ve moved.

What inspired you to move your business to the Medical District?

Interestingly enough, we had looked at this building several times because it had the sign out that said ‘restaurant space.’ When my husband called, they told him no. Another guy had already put a contract on it. I happened to call him myself maybe a day later or so, and the broker—Robert Taylor— was actually my broker for the building in Cooper Young. I told him I was really interested in the building and he told me someone already had the building. I asked, “Well, have they given you any money yet?” He said no, but they didn’t want to go back on their word. I was like, “Well, if they’re not giving you any money, why are we talking about them?” What ended up happening was I bothered him and bothered him until he finally said okay. I turned in all the paperwork we needed to turn in, and I got the building. My husband has a God sister that actually worked in the area and told me that if I could just find a building in the Medical District or Downtown, they’d help me. It seemed so far-fetched because the prices were so steep. This building, as large as it is, turned out to be only a few hundred dollars more than what I spending in Cooper Young. To kind of give you an idea, we have an upstairs dining room that we rent for private events— all the furniture from the old restaurant fits up there and there’s still space left over. That lets you know how small we were versus where we are now.

What kinds of supports have you received from the Memphis Medical District Collaborative?

I’ve received Predevelopment and Façade Grants from MMDC. The building itself already had really good bones, all we had to do was make it prettier. The organization has been extremely kind, willing to help, and very patient. I am very specific about things happening a certain way and for things to happen at a certain time, and they were very understanding of that.

What can people expect from Chef Tam’s in the Medical District (programming, ambience, environment)?

You can expect live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings starting at 6:30pm. We’re about to apply for our liquor license, so we’ll have a full bar, and we’re also going to host some amateur nights and karaoke. We have the private event space for booking. We also have, what I think is my favorite thing in the entire building—the store. That store has everything from vintage candy from when I was little, to vintage toys, to our aprons, spices, food products, and our newly-released item is my grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie dough. We are really trying to put a different spin on things, and I think this helps us do just that.

You speak a lot about the importance of family and honoring your family through your business & products. Can you speak more on how family is represented throughout your restaurant?

Throughout the restaurant, we don’t have much artwork on the walls. What’s on the walls are my grandmother’s hand-written recipes. I just got them blown up, my husband made frames for them, and that’s our artwork. I’ve got my family tree painted on the wall, dated back all the way to 1821. The pictures on the dining tables are various pictures of my family, original Chef Tam’s menus, and family recipes.

What are your signature/most popular items?

The most popular items have stayed the same, the Peach Cobbler Nachos and Bayou Fries, even since the move and additional items added to the menu.

Will you be having any promotions or specials?

We’re going to be having a Valentine’s Day special. Stay tuned to Chef Tam’s social media for the upcoming announcement!

You are nationally renowned. How are you able to market yourself on both a local and national scale, and how did the special appearance opportunities come about for you?

When I ended up being on Food Network, they actually reached out to me.  What I do is work my social media over and over and over. In me working it, that allows whomever is scouting for those outlets to find me. It wasn’t a hashtag thing, it was just pretty food.

Do you have a most memorable event or most memorable interaction with someone through your business/catering?

I think the most memorable moment was the first time I went on Food Network and I actually won. It was so surreal. I had watched Guy Fieri when he first went on Food Network. I had been saying for years, “I’m gonna go on there one day!” and I had no idea that it would really happen. That would probably be one of the highs in my career.

You can contact Chef Tam’s Underground Café by messaging, following, and liking them on Facebook and Instagram and calling them at (901) 207-2598. You can also view their website and send them a message at www.thecheftam.com!