03/19/2026
Shop update: Sunday Brunch coming soon!
1. Brunch on Sundays is coming soon. I do not want to give a specific date, but I think we are about three weeks out, hopefully sooner. With the hiring of a great chef, we are going to properly do a real brunch, allowing us to be open from 7:00 AM to 2:30 PM on Sundays. Eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, omelets, sweet potato skillet hash, French toast, and waffles are what we are currently working on, and we are loving them so far. We have been baking on Sundays for a long time now, and hearing our current customers having to settle when we are closed is something I am very motivated to fix.
2. We are getting fountain Coke products. The final decision is Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper, and Sprite. We will also have carbonated water so we can do tons of refreshers, and I have not gotten approval from Courtney yet, but obviously with having an Alani account and now fountain drinks, we may or may not diversify into different types of drinks.
3. The third building in our block is projected to open in mid April. That is Happy Mercantile. I am still hiring for that business now. Once again, we do not own that, but we are handling some of the management. So if you want to work there, I am actively hiring.
4. I am also opening up hiring again for the coffee shop. For baristas, line cooks, and honestly, we could use one more baker. Most people are cross trained in everything, but we are hiring again.
5. Jack Henry’s is investing in a grill, flat top, and fryer. This is going to come soon after we launch brunch, is what I predict. What is great about this is that with the growth of brunch, we will be able to start converting our kitchen and be able to do our dinner club for Jack Henry’s in the other space.
6. Yeah, so I do not have a timeline on 409. I want one. The good news is that we have a trusted team overseeing the project, and the engineer is working on safely opening the spaces into one another.
7. We are selling 228 S. Lindell. It is the space next to the infamous Woodfire Pizza. It is not being shown by a realtor, but we have been showing the space, and I am hoping that can happen so I can focus more on completing the current projects we have going on.
8. I have also been working in Kentucky on the consulting side. I have been very blessed to work with developers in West Tennessee to help open new shops. What I have come to understand is that I am not a developer, I am not in the real estate game, and I am not meant to scale what we have into multiple locations. What I am good at is taking a property and helping turn it into a real concept by building the menu, building the team, and overseeing the opening of the business. That work has been very rewarding lately, and there is a lot I cannot wait to share about this side of our business. I will say, focusing on what I am meant to do really allows Martin’s, and what will be Jack Henry’s, to be a true one of one.