Shelby Farms Park getting two new restaurants
Shelby Farms Park has two new restaurants taking over the locations initially run by The Kitchen.
Coastal Fish Company will take over the 4,792-square-foot restaurant space in the building that also houses the Fedex Event Center. The restaurant is the newest venture by Tom Powers and Russ Graham, who also own Flight and Southern Social.
Cheffie’s Café will move into the 950-square-foot café space in the park visitor center that was once The Kitchenette.
“Shelby Farms Park Conservancy had the opportunity to select a new partner for food service at the park, and we’re excited to welcome not one, but two new local restaurant partners to Shelby Farms Park,” said Jen Andrews, CEO, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy.
“Many park visitors told us they were interested in fast and fun family dining options for active park users, and many were also interested in special occasion and fine dining options capitalizing on the one-of-a-kind sunset views across Hyde Lake. We’re thrilled to be able to offer two distinct dining experiences that create a wide range of options for our visitors.”
Linda Brashear, Shelby Farms Park chief operating officer, said 16 different Memphis restaurateurs expressed interest in the spaces.
"We were so pleased at the local interest and the caliber of restaurants that wanted to be part of the park and serve our visitors," she said. "We are now excited to get these restaurants open as soon as possible."
Coastal Fish Company will serve dinner daily as well as brunch and lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant space is located on the east end of Hyde Lake next to the Fedex Event Center and features an additional 3,200 square feet of patio space, where guests enjoy the views and vibrancy of Shelby Farms Park. Opened in 2016 along with the $52 million “Heart of the Park” capital project, the restaurant is designed to generate revenue to help the nonprofit Shelby Farms Park Conservancy support park operations while enhancing the visitor experience.
“We immediately recognized the unique opportunity to provide an excellent dining experience in a signature Memphis setting at Shelby Farms Park,” said Graham, owner/operator of Flight and Southern Social. “The beautiful sunset views overlooking Hyde Lake will be the perfect complement to the exceptional hospitality, service and cuisine we will deliver to our guests.”
Powers added, "With such a beautiful view, we think it is a great place to enjoy seafood."
Powers said they will focus on the best seafood available. "We already get daily shipments of fresh seafood flown in from around the country for our other restaurants. This restaurant will be like those you can find only on the coast, serving only the freshest seafood."
Shelby Farms Park said Cheffie’s Cafe was chosen for its proven ability to deliver casual, fresh and approachable food with active park visitors in mind.
Cheffie’s Café owner Matt Wilson said, “We are excited to be going into Shelby Farms. We think that the park visitors are many of our customers. We will now have two locations on the Green Line.” The original Cheffie’s Café is on High Point Terrace, just one block from the Green Line.
Wilson said the new location will be a hybrid of the two current Cheffie’s Café restaurants. The second location is in Collierville near Schilling Farms.
“We will still be using all the same fresh ingredients we are known for, but instead of a full build-your-own salad and sandwich bar, we will be serving custom sandwiches and salads,” he said.
Wilson also said they plan to have an extensive grab-and-go section for customers who want to just grab a bite to take out into the park with them rather than dining inside. Beer and wine service is also in their plan, dependent on permits for that space.
Cheffie’s Café should be open within the next 60 days. They plan to be open seven days a week during the peak season and will re-evaluate hours of operation once the winter comes.
Cheffie's Cafe is a sister company to Swanky's Taco Shop, which has three locations in Memphis.
Coastal Fish Cafe will open later this fall. The Kitchen American Bistro at Shelby Farms Park closed Dec. 30. It was the original tenant for the two restaurant spaces in the park, opening in early fall 2016. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant opened as part of the renovation of the park.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer. chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.