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Two New Hotels, Two New Bars, Exquisite Coffee and a Bakery in Memphis' South Main District
Two New Hotels, Two New Bars, Exquisite Coffee and a Bakery in Memphis' South Main District

Two New Hotels, Two New Bars, Exquisite Coffee and a Bakery in Memphis' South Main District

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I headed down to the South Main Arts District in Memphis in search of brunch. The old Central Station has been turned into a hotel, and I wanted to see if there was a restaurant in it. Ultimately, I found that the restaurants in the Central Station Hotel were not open yet, and would not open until later in November, but I wasn’t disappointed, as I got a chance to see the beautiful Eight and Sand Bar, whose theme is Memphis music. Record albums span the shelves from ceiling to floor, along with a number of books about Memphis music and blues, and a permanent DJ booth. The music theme continues throughout the hotel, including beautiful speakers worked into the walls of the lobby.

I had thought that Vice & Virtue Coffee had a coffee bar in the Central Station Hotel, but I was wrong—it turned out to be in a completely different hotel up the street called the Arrive, which I really wasn’t aware of at all. This hotel also has a music theme, with an old gramophone in the lobby, and a cool bakery called Hustle and Dough! A salted caramel cookie from the bakery went perfectly with a cup of Vice and Virtue coffee, and I enjoyed the lively, vibrant atmosphere of the hotel lobby and bar.

Unfortunately, a cookie and coffee is not brunch, and the old brunch spot at Earnestine and Hazel’s called The Five Spot is apparently closed for good, so I ended up at The Arcade for breakfast, a reasonable stand-by in the area. While it will take more than cool hotels, bars, coffee and bakeries to rejuvenate Memphis, I like the trends I am seeing.

Central Station Hotel and Eight & Sand Bar

545 S Main St

Memphis, TN 38103


(901) 524-5247

ARRIVE Hotel, Hustle and Dough and Vice & Virtue Coffee

477 S Main St

Memphis, TN 38103

(213) 415-1984

Vice & Virtue Coffee (901) 402-8002

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