Midtown Diner to Reopen Under New Ownership with Renovations and Tribute to Longtime Owner

In early June, a fire broke out in the kitchen of longstanding Midtown greasy spoon diner Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant , leading to its temporary closure.

Initially, owner Beth Henry planned to repair and reopen the 237 Cooper St diner herself, but she has since decided to sell the establishment to Ryan Glosson and husband-and-wife duo Bryant and Heather Bain , the owners of neighboring eatery Bain Barbecue .

“The idea is to be able to bring Barksdale’s back,” Glosson told The Daily Memphian . “It’s a Memphis institution. I remember going with my parents growing up.”

The new owners have offered positions to the Barksdale staff who were displaced by the fire, ensuring familiar faces for returning customers. And while they plan to preserve much of the diner’s original charm, some updates are on the horizon.

According to The Daily Memphian , the kitchen and bathrooms will undergo complete renovations. The menu will also expand to include liquor and beer, allowing guests to enjoy mimosas and Bloody Marys with breakfast.

The restaurant’s name, which has evolved over the years since its opening in the early 1950s, will be shortened to simply “Barksdale’s.”

The new owners will honor the memory of Bob Henry, who took over the restaurant in 2001 and ran it for a decade before his passing in 2014, after which his wife Beth took over. Bob’s love for the University of Tennessee is evident in the diner’s orange-and-white exterior, with UT and Memphis memorabilia adorning the walls.

“What we’re going to do to honor Bob is a booth inside the restaurant. It’ll be Bob’s Booth,” Glosson explained. “It’ll be orange and white like the building. We’ll have memorabilia to honor him and his legacy.”

The sale is expected to close on October 11, 2024, with renovations beginning shortly thereafter. Barksdale’s hopes to reopen by February 2025.

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