Columbus
Memphis Business Journal
Workers with learning disabilities face stigmas in the workplace
There remains a big stigma facing workers seeking workplace accommodations for certain disabilities — and those employees worry asking for help will hurt their careers. <\p> A new survey by The Harris Poll on behalf of nonprofit Understood.org, which works with people who have learning and thinking differences such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, found while 69% of workers know their employers must provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities, about 60% said there is still a stigma around asking their employer for support.<\p>
Gourmet soul food spot seeks window to renewed brand success
After Christopher Beavers graduated culinary school, he worked as a chef at the Harrah's Entertainment corporate office on Cherry Road. Later, he became a private chef and then went on to FedExForum — a tenure that spanned from Pau Gasol to Marc Gasol. <\p> Beavers is now bringing back his restaurant, the Grilled Asparagus, to a new location at 3270 Elvis Presley Blvd. in Whitehaven.<\p>
How two teams picked between competing Memphis BBQ contests
Over the weekend, Memphis hosted nearly 200 barbecue cooking teams across two contests happening at the same time.<\p> Memphis in May’s annual World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC) took place at Liberty Park from May 15-18, while Forward Momentum’s new SmokeSlam barbecue festival at Tom Lee Park was held May 16-18. <\p>
Meet the Next Gen: Hutchison School's Bailey Wiener
MBJ's Next Gen program was created to recognize and connect the leaders of tomorrow — brilliant high school students from around the Mid-South community — with the leaders of today.<\p> In the beginning, our primary goal was to recognize high school students already demonstrating incredible tenacity for leadership in their own community. That grew into wanting to create a program that would help educate students about the people, programs, and organizations making up our Memphis business community — and to do so before they potentially step away from Memphis and into positions of power and influence elsewhere.<\p>
South Main game bar/retail project shows signs of life with new filing
Developers are gearing up to get moving on the transformation of a former Family Dollar Downtown into a mixed-use concept with a game bar.<\p> Property owner Nat Newburger received a 10-year PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) from the Center City Revenue Finance Corp. (CCRFC) in November 2022. Now, he and his team, represented by architecture and development consultant firm cnct. design PLLC, are seeking to renew a previously granted Certificate of Appropriateness.<\p>
Are investors re-entering the housing market after two-year retreat?
Investors could be launching a bit of a comeback in the U.S. housing market — although the reversal of fortunes comes amid a strategy shift for many investors in the face of low inventory. <\p> Purchases by investors grew 0.5% on a year-over-year basis in Q1, according to analysis by Redfin Corp. (Nasdaq: RDFN). Redfin defines an investor as any buyer whose name includes LLC, Inc., Trust, Corp. or Homes, or any buyer whose ownership code on a purchasing deed includes association, corporate trustee, company, joint venture or corporate trust.<\p>
Here are the 'Best Places to Raise a Family' in Memphis, per Niche
When it comes to raising a family, a recent ranking of the "Best Places to Raise a Family" highlighted three Memphis-area suburbs as rising above the rest locally. <\p> In the Memphis metro, the two cities that placed the highest on the "Best Places to Live" list also top the list (see below) of the metro's "Best Places to Raise a Family" ranking. <\p>
Downtown initiative facilitates retailer's brick-and-mortar relaunch
When Jeremee DeMoir first opened DeMoir Books & Things — the first Black-owned bookstore in the city — at the Cloverleaf shopping center in 2021, business was booming. The second year, not so much. So, in January 2023, he closed up and took the business online, where, again, it flourished. <\p> Now, DeMoir Books is back in a brick-and-mortar at 55 S. Main St., as part of the Downtown Memphis Commission's Open on Main initiative. And, he's taken on a partner, local poet Diana Townsend.<\p>
100 N. Main general contractor seeks core and shell subcontractors
Ohio-based Cleveland Construction, the general contractor working to restore 100 N. Main, is co-hosting a trade contractor outreach event for subcontractors to work on the revitalization of Memphis' tallest tower. <\p> The event is scheduled to take place Wednesday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to noon at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown at 85 W. Court Ave. The event is being co-hosted by the development team, 100 North Main LLC, the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE) and the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC).<\p>
Some employers are weighing a six-day workweek
Editor's Note: Welcome to The Playbook Edition, a look at stories, trends and changes that could affect your business and career. Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up for The Playbook newsletter. <\p> Given how some hiring managers view them and the unique pandemic-fueled hurdles they've faced, Generation Z's debut in the workplace has certainly come with some challenges. <\p>
Popular fast food chain set to construct location near Downtown
A Chick-fil-A location near Downtown looks to be officially getting underway. <\p> Brentwood, Tennessee-based E+H Architects recently filed an $800,000 construction permit with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development to build a new Chick-fil-A restaurant site at 550 Uptown St.<\p>
Here are the winners of FedEx's annual small business grants
FedEx Corp. announced on Thursday, May 16, the winners of its 12th annual FedEx Small Business Grants Program, which included one $50,000 recipient and nine $20,000 recipients. <\p> FedEx chose the 10 U.S.-based businesses out of more than 3,900 applications this year. <\p>
The best and worst industries for finding a job right now
Workers in the market for a new job are finding quick success if they're targeting a select few industries — and, perhaps surprisingly, if they're hunting without the aid of artificial intelligence.<\p> A new survey from Resume Builder of workers hired into new jobs within the last six months paints a picture of workers in food and hospitality, retail, and construction being been able to find jobs quickly. Prospective employees in business and finance, education, and software are having a harder time landing a new job.<\p>
Regional 'culinary destinations' gain new executive chef
Robert Franklin has been named executive chef of Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi.<\p> Franklin will run Gold Strike's restaurants, including Sweet Tea, Chicago Steakhouse, Buffet Americana, and the new Rise Coffee and Bakery. <\p>
Memphis Marathon Weekend has a corporate champion, per St. Jude
Varsity Spirit president Bill Seely is set to be St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend’s first corporate champion.<\p> As corporate champion, Seely’s role involves multiple duties. Those include talking to business leaders about potentially becoming sponsors, creating corporate fundraising teams, and bringing in new donors to bolster fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. <\p>
CEO of top Memphis financial institution set to retire
The top executive at Memphis' largest credit union plans to retire at the end of the year. <\p> Orion Federal Credit Union announced on Thursday, May 16, the impending retirement of president and CEO Daniel Weickenand. Orion's board of directors plans to name his successor "in the coming weeks."<\p>
AI's latest casualty? Entry-level jobs
Welcome to The National Observer, a roundup of top business news and actionable insights from across The Business Journals. We'll take a look today at how artificial intelligence is taking roles that used to act as entry-level positions; Frontier Airline's strategy targeting business travelers; and how you can buy everything in a Red Lobster restaurant. But we'll start with what higher-for-longer rates mean for those in the real estate business.<\p> Get more stories like these every day in your inbox by subscribing to The National Observer newsletter.<\p>
Authority considers options for 400 acres near Ford's BlueOval City
The Megasite Authority of West Tennessee's board is considering potential uses for 400 unused acres that are adjacent to Ford Motor Co.’s sprawling West Tennessee EV campus. <\p> BlueOval City sits on 3,600 acres at the West Tennessee Megasite in Haywood County. The megasite's remaining 500 acres are mostly untouched, and the Megasite Authority discussed possible uses for a contiguous 400-acre site on the eastern side of the 4,100-acre megasite at its latest meeting on Wednesday, May 15. <\p>
Memphis Business Journal
4K+
Posts
512K+
Views
The Memphis region's source for local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking. An American City Business Journals publication.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.