The “best little neighborhood bar in the universe” recently closed to make some changes.
According to The Daily Memphian, Zinnie’s, located at 1688 Madison Ave, is undergoing renovations and minor repairs. The updates include reconfiguring the kitchen to accommodate new menu prep, painting touch-ups, remodeling restrooms, and adding new furniture and decor.
Founded in 1973, the Midtown dive bar changed hands in 2019 and is currently owned by Tony Westmoreland, Stephanie Westmoreland, and Cullen Kent of TANDEM Restaurant Group (known for Uncle Red’s, Front Street Deli, and Carolina Watershed, among other ventures).
In addition to the renovations, Chef Duncan Aiken will curate a new food menu, bringing back some original favorites like the “famous Memphis original gangsta fried chicken.” Tony told The Daily Memphian that he’s considering making the bar nonsmoking when Zinnie’s reopens, allowing customers to enjoy the new food menu in a smoke-free environment.
“We saw it as a great time to take a minute and get some things done we had been thinking about through the years and decided to take it now while sales were down across the city anyways,” Tony said of the renovations. “Hopefully things will turn around for the industry soon but for now we’re all trying to hang on to the restaurant rollercoaster.”
Zinnie’s is slated to reopen after the renovations are complete in July or August of 2024.
