Chef Flavas Expands Downtown Memphis With Happy Memphis Restaurant Collaboration
Chef Flavas soul food expands Downtown Memphis through a collaboration with Happy Memphis bar and grill on South 2nd Street. Get the full story here. Read more.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 8, 2026 — Chef Flavas, the Memphis soul food operation founded by co-owners Chris and Regina Moore, has expanded into Downtown Memphis through a collaboration with Happy Memphis, the bar and grill at 385 S. Second St. marking a significant step for the brand as it rebuilds and repositions following the total loss of its Bartlett location to fire less than two weeks ago.
The downtown partnership arrives at a pivotal moment. On May 25, an electrical fire broke out at Chef Flavas' Stage Road location in Bartlett after closing hours, causing extensive damage to the 2,000-square-foot restaurant. While co-owner Chris Moore said the Bartlett location could reopen by late 2026, the downtown presence originally planned to launch mid-June was accelerated, with to-go orders made available almost immediately after the Bartlett fire, keeping the brand operational and in front of its loyal customer base.
Chef Flavas Soul Food Brings Bold Flavors to Downtown Memphis Through Happy Memphis Collab
Happy Memphis operates at 385 S. Second St., steps from Beale Street in the heart of downtown. The bar and grill describes itself as a venue built around good food, live entertainment and the energy of Memphis running lunch and dinner service Wednesday through Sunday and hosting weekly live music events at its South Second Street location. The addition of Chef Flavas' soul food menu to the collaboration gives the downtown venue a culinary dimension rooted in one of Memphis's most recognized homegrown restaurant brands.
Happy Memphis positions itself as a vibrant social dining destination that fosters community and connection among guests, combining great food with live entertainment in an atmosphere designed to bring adults together for a full evening out. Chef Flavas' community following built over years of serving soul food from its Bartlett and Midtown locations adds a well-established local brand identity to that proposition.
Chef Flavas Menu Brings Soul Food Staples With a Modern Twist to a New Downtown Audience
Chef Flavas has built its reputation on a menu that draws from classic Southern soul food traditions while incorporating elevated preparations and contemporary touches. Standout dishes include Catfish and Grits a Southern classic pairing crispy, seasoned catfish with creamy, savory grits — alongside Stuffed Eggrolls filled with spinach artichoke dip and chicken, a Salmon BLT with grilled salmon, crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato, and Shrimp and Grits.
The brand's menu travels well into a downtown bar-and-grill setting, where the combination of comfort food execution and creative formats suits both a dining and entertainment-focused crowd. Happy Memphis' own menu featuring wings, Philly sandwiches, smash burgers, pasta, nachos and quesadillas shares a bold, approachable flavor philosophy that aligns naturally with Chef Flavas' Southern cooking style. For context on the culinary traditions that underpin soul food classics like catfish and grits, HCP Good Food's recipe collection covers the broader Southern food tradition.
Bartlett Fire Reshapes Chef Flavas' Near-Term Expansion Plans
The timing of the downtown collaboration takes on added significance given the Bartlett fire. Chef Flavas confirmed that no one was hurt in the blaze and expressed gratitude for community support in the immediate aftermath, while confirming its Downtown Memphis location remained open and operational. The Bartlett Fire Department's response was credited with containing the fire and preventing damage to surrounding businesses.
Co-owner Chris Moore told the Daily Memphian that the fire originated from an electrical outlet in the front of the Bartlett restaurant. While the scale of the damage classified the Stage Road location as a total loss by city officials, the downtown foothold accelerated by the fire's timing gives Chef Flavas a functioning public presence as the brand works toward the Bartlett rebuild.
Downtown Memphis Restaurant Scene Gains a Locally Rooted Soul Food Option
Downtown Memphis' dining corridor along and around South Second Street has long concentrated hospitality activity near Beale Street, drawing both local residents and the city's significant tourism base. The Chef Flavas and Happy Memphis collaboration adds a soul food dimension to that mix one that carries genuine local credibility rather than the tourist-facing positioning that defines much of the area's hospitality offer.
Chef Flavas has expanded beyond its restaurant operations in recent years, with its Spinach Artichoke Dip stocked at Walmart and Kroger locations a CPG extension that signals the brand's reach beyond its physical dining rooms. The downtown collaboration with Happy Memphis represents the next phase of that growth, placing Chef Flavas' cooking in a live-music entertainment environment that mirrors the soul of Memphis itself. Further information and online ordering for the downtown location is available at chefflavas.com and happymemphis.com.
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