Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
Your Wednesday assignment: order the ribs, stretch for Saturday, and work like a dog (it's the official day for it).
Today:
a BBQ legend hangs up his tongs after 47 years
a matcha cart grows up and gets a storefront
and one month until Memphis' newest stage opens
Plus, Walmart wants to land groceries in your backyard.
Let's get into it.
Food & Drink
🍖 Memphis BBQ Legend Jim Neely Retires at 88
Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Q
After 47 years and a lifetime of smoke, Jim Neely, founder of Interstate Bar-B-Q on South Third, has sold his restaurant and retired at 88.
🔥 Low and slow since '79. Neely opened Interstate in an old grocery store in 1979 with zero restaurant experience, and built one of the most famous BBQ joints in America. His food has even been served on Air Force One.
🤝 Same name, same 'cue. He sold the restaurant this week, but the name and recipes aren't going anywhere. Neely says he still stops in every day to train the new crew and make sure it all tastes right.
Read his story here.
Food & Drink
🍵 Ouri Matcha Just Opened Its First Shop in Uptown
Ouri Matcha
The cart that made Memphis fall for matcha finally has a roof. Ouri Matcha celebrated the grand opening of its first storefront over the weekend.
🍃 Whisk it good. Owners Cameron and Dean Park grew Ouri from pop-up carts into a full shop. Cameron is a Memphis native who fell in love with matcha while living in Seoul, South Korea, then brought it home.
🏡 Green house. The new shop is at 606 N. Main St. in Uptown's Malone Park Commons, in the old Mane Wildling floral studio. Doors officially opened Saturday, Aug. 1.
Follow along and see the menu here.
Music
🛰️ One Month Until Satellite Music Hall Lands in Memphis
Satellite Music Hall
Memphis music is getting a big new home. Satellite Music Hall opens at Crosstown in exactly one month.
🚀 Cleared for launch. The 1,300-person Live Nation venue opens Sept. 4–5 with two nights of Memphis' own The Band Camino, then keeps rolling with Chance the Rapper (Sept. 8), ZZ Top (Sept. 30), Modest Mouse (Oct. 12) and Iron & Wine (Oct. 27).
💼 Good for the 901. The hall plans at least 100 shows a year, brings more than 150 jobs with pay starting at $20 an hour, and partners with Stax Music Academy to give students real live-music experience.
See the full fall lineup and ticket info here.
Events
🫧 The Bubble Run Foams Up Shelby Farms Saturday
Bubble Run
Imagine a 5K, but it runs through Willy Wonka's bubble bath. The Bubble Run hits Shelby Farms Park this Saturday, Aug. 8.
🌈 Suds up. It's an untimed, all-ages 5K through colorful foam bogs. Run it, walk it, dance it, or push a stroller through it. Check-in opens at 7 AM and the first wave goes at 8 AM, and everyone gets a finisher medal.
🎟️ Bubble bargain. Registration is currently free (yes, free!), and kids 4 and under always run free.
Grab your spot here.
Adoptable Pet of the Week
🐶 Meet Twyla
Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County
Today is National Work Like a Dog Day, so treat yourself like one: belly scratches, a nap in the sun, maybe a roll in the grass. Or go all in and meet Twyla at the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County.
💛 Loyal to the bone. Twyla is a 5-year-old, 41-pound tan mixed breed who's confident, curious, and forms deep bonds with her people. She'd love a calm, adult-only home where she can settle in at her own pace.
⏳ Waiting on her person. She's been at the shelter since March 2025 — nearly a year and a half of wagging at the front of her kennel. She does best with slow intros to other dogs, but once she trusts you, she's all in.
Apply to adopt Twyla (or any of the other wonderful pets) here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🚁 Cleared for takeoff. Walmart asked Memphis planners for permission to build drone "nests" at two stores — 6727 Raleigh LaGrange Rd. and 577 N. Germantown Pkwy. Once live, Wing drones will drop groceries in your yard in as little as 30 minutes.
🗳️ Tomorrow is Election Day. Shelby County votes Thursday, Aug. 6 for governor, county mayor, sheriff, and more. Not sure what's on your ballot? Our election guide covers every race in one place.
🚋 Back on track. MATA says the Downtown trolleys could return this fall. The cars just passed their brake safety tests, and the agency filed its required 180-day notice with the state. Service has been paused since 2024.
🏐 Serve's up. Memphis Tigers volleyball just dropped its 2026 promo schedule, and the theme nights go hard: a Back to School Bash (Aug. 22), 901 Women Night (Sept. 30), Dig Pink (Oct. 2), and Friday Night Frights (Oct. 30). Single-game tickets are just $5, and up to 2 kids (17 and under) get in free with each adult ticket.
🎸 Reminder: Deep Purple and Kansas play Live at the Garden tomorrow night (Thursday, Aug. 6) at Radians Amphitheater. Gates at 5:30 PM, show at 7:30 PM. Bring chairs, blankets, and your cooler (BYOB is allowed).
🥒 Kind of a big dill. It's official: Arlington approved the construction contract for the Arlington Tennis Center pickleball expansion at Monday night's board meeting. The new courts could open by next summer.
✈️ MEM on the move. Airport CEO Terry Blue shared new details on MEM's $800 million modernization at yesterday's Memphis Rotary lunch.
🌀 Time flies. Baron Von Opperbean and the River of Time — Mud Island's new walk-through multiverse — has drawn 10,000 visitors in its first 3 months. Phase One covers 8,000 square feet, with the full 33,000-square-foot world set for 2027.
🎬 Roll credits. A Memphis-made indie film just picked up its 5th award along with an international festival acceptance. Check it out here.
💈 A cut above. ALPHA Haircuts for Men officially cut the ribbon at its new Bartlett home yesterday morning. Owner Chad received a Key to the City, and the Bartlett High basketball teams gave him a plaque for supporting their programs.
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That's it for today!
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Have a great Wednesday, Memphis. We'll see you tomorrow.
— 901 Today
