☕️ What's the Best Coffee in Memphis?

Happy Friday Memphis! The eclipse is this Monday, and we couldn’t be more excited for this once-in-a-generation event.

In this week’s newsletter:

• Memphis has the largest seller of eclipse glasses in the US 🤯 

• What’s happening in Memphis this weekend 🤸 

• Best Coffee in Memphis (AND a chance to win a gift card to your favorite cafe!) ☕️ 

• Ja and his agent break up 💔 

Let’s get to it.

-Jonah Baer & Reuben Skahill

(oh and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already!)

🗞️ The Rundown

The largest seller of eclipse glasses is outside Memphis 🔭 

Getting excited for the eclipse this Monday? Well, so is American Paper Optics, based in Bartlett, TN, who is reportedly the largest producer of eclipse glasses in the country.

For this eclipse, they sold 70 million glasses and expect to sell another 5 million before Monday (around 30 million more glasses than they sold in the last major eclipse in 2017 alone!).

Talk about capitalizing on the opportunity of a lifetime 🤯.

And a reminder: the solar eclipse is happening at 1:57 PM CST in Memphis!

Memphis isn’t in the path of totality, so if you want the total eclipse, you will need to drive over to Little Rock, Jonesboro, or Cape Girardeau.

Ja and his agent break up 💔 

According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski, Ja Morant and his longtime agent Jim Tanner of Tandem Sports ended their working relationship. They’ve been working together since Ja was drafted in 2019. He’s also Desmond Bane’s agent.

People are not sure of the implications of this, but it’s a notable development for the Grizzlies as we approach the end of the season.

Front St. Deli Reopens 🥪 

Front Street Deli, a Memphis downtown staple, reopened last month after being closed since 2020. Originally opened in 1976, Front St. Deli served some of the best subs in the city for over 40 years before shutting doors during their pandemic.

Now, after being purchased by Tony and Stephanie Westmoreland of Tandem Restaurant, they reopened in the same location at the corner of Union Ave. and Front Street.

Read more about the reopening here.

🐥 Sponsored by Memphis Moms

Want to reach thousands of Memphis Families?

Memphis Moms is the premier parenting resource for all things Memphis.

They connect Mid-South families to resources, local businesses, can’t miss events, and local guides (like this Memphis Coffee Guide), so that every family can enjoy the best Memphis has to offer.

Check out their content (and their thriving community), and consider working with Memphis Moms to reach thousands of Memphians every week.

Learn more on their blog! 🤱 

🎨 Artwork of the Week

🎨 by @matthewhasty | Eclipse in Memphis

DM or tag us @This_Is_Memphis_ for the chance to be featured next week!

〽️ This Week in Memphis History

While we typically share the positive history in this city, it’s important to recognize the negative of our past as well (so we can learn from it). 56 years ago on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in front of the Lorraine Motel in Downtown Memphis.

Even though this was one of the darkest of moments for our community (and the entire world), it’s led to absolutely essential institutions like the Civil Rights Museum, continuing to educate the world on peace, justice, equity, and inclusion.

Yesterday, MLK III (MLK Jr.’s son) came to the Civil Rights Museum to speak on the future of democracy and honor his dad (only his second time ever to visit the site). He said it best on why we need to continue to commemorate this day:

"In one sense it's a dark day," MLK III said in a press conference Thursday. "But the hope that we must continue to fuse is in this generation and generations yet unborn."

🤸 What’s Happening in Memphis This Weekend

Learn more about what you can do in Memphis this weekend below!

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Detroit Pistons | Friday, 7 PM | FedEx Forum

Grizzlies season is quickly coming to an end with 5 home games left. Get out there while you still can!

Alton Walker Standup | Friday, 7:30 PM | Chuckles Comedy House

Alton Walker is a versatile comedian, speaker, and social media influencer, renowned for his side-splitting content that has gone viral.

Click here to get tickets.

Cost: Starting at $20

Those Pretty Wrongs (Live with String Quartet) | Friday, 7 PM | The Green Room at Crosstown Arts

Check out the acclaimed duo of Jody Stephens and Luther Russell, performing songs from their 3rd LP, Holiday Camp.

Click here to get tickets.

Cost: $30.39

Eclipse Preview Weekend | Saturday & Sunday, All Day | Museum of Science & History

Go to MoSH April 6 & 7 to learn the science behind the eclipse and to grab your Eclipse glasses and other guides before the big day. After every show, the planetarium will focus on the eclipse.

Learn more here.

Cost: Free

Delta Groove Yoga Festival | Saturday, Sessions all day | The Tower Courtyard at Overton Square

There will be lots of excellent yoga all day, as Delta Groove Yoga celebrates their 11th anniversary, with live music, great company, crystals, and high vibe goodies for purchase.

Get your tickets here.

Cost: Starting at $11

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Saturday, 7 PM | FedEx Forum

Back-to-back home Grizz games this weekend? Count us in.

Tora Tora | Saturday, 8 PM | Minglewood Hall

Check out this concert on Saturday night

Get your tickets here.

Cost: Starting at $33

_{Have an event you want us to cover? Let us know!}

Best of Memphis

☕️ What’s the best coffee shop in the 901?

March may be over but we’re bringing the Madness again in April!

Brought to you by Memphis Moms, we’re running the next Best of Memphis bracket… this time on the best coffee shops in Memphis.

Memphis has some incredible coffee institutions across the city, and it was even a challenge to narrow down this list to just 16 cafes from the nominations you sent in.

Who do you think got snubbed? Who’s an underdog? Who’s going to win it all?

Make sure you go to our Instagram to vote in the first round.

And tell your friends to signup for the newsletter for a chance to win a $50 gift card to one of the cafes!

🌡️ Weather This Weekend

Friday

62 🌡️ 41 | ☀️ | 4%

Saturday

70 🌡️ 55 | 🌤️ | 4%

Sunday

76 🌡️ 60 | 🌦️ | 57%

THANK YOU MEMPHIS!

Thanks for reading the This is Memphis newsletter today. Please share it with someone who can’t stop talking about the eclipse.

And feel free to reply to this email with anything else you’d love to see us cover in the newsletter.

Let’s do this again next week!

This is Memphis Team

PS - Want to advertise to thousands of smart & curious Memphians? Let’s talk.