Dr. Amber R. Phipps has joined American Esoteric Laboratories, the Mid-South division of Sonic Healthcare USA, as vice president and chief operations officer. In her new role, Phipps will oversee all operations for AEL, which includes nine laboratories and more than 800 employees in six states. A captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, Phipps most recently served as a medical operations officer stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

2. Loeb Renews Leases for Two Upscale Restaurants - Friday, April 06, 2012

Two local restaurateurs and tenants of Loeb Properties Inc. have renewed leases.

Bill Latham, owner of Interim Restaurant, has renewed his lease for 4,957 square feet at Sanderlin Place, 5040 Sanderlin Ave. Carey White, Loeb senior vice president of asset management, brokered the deal.

3. Eating In - Monday, February 20, 2012

Before a restaurateur nails down a concept, builds a menu or begins the financing process, solidifying a location reigns supreme.

The rule of thumb is especially prominent within Downtown Memphis, where many eateries are tucked away into office buildings and operate within hours that capitalize on daytime traffic and repeat business.

4. Chef Contest Fiasco ‘Baffles’ MBJ - Wednesday, February 08, 2012

On Feb. 1, the Memphis Business Journal launched an online bracket competition designed to lead to readers’ selection of the city’s best chef.

Turns out that the “Best Chef in Memphis” competition generated as much bad public relations as a boll weevil in a micro-greens and roasted beet salad.

5. What’s in Store for Restaurant Biz in 2012? - Monday, January 02, 2012

New Year’s Eve! What a scary night! Not only because people have to stand around at midnight with a bunch of so-called friends and sing that dreary “Auld Lang Syne” and put each other’s eyes out with supersonically zooming champagne corks (see Memphis Grapevine for advice on avoiding this), but because this artificially imposed deadline for the ending of one year and the beginning of another sets the scene for trend-spotting galore.

6. Prime Time Dining - Friday, November 12, 2010

The week before Thanksgiving is a pretty quiet week in the restaurant business. People are gearing up for the holidays. They’re preparing for company or for travel – their minds aren’t on going out to eat.

7. No Set Rules for Delivering ‘On the House’ Food, Drinks - Monday, October 18, 2010

So, you’re a couple celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, and you go to a nice restaurant, sit at the bar, chat with the bartender and somehow it comes out that, oh, this is exactly where you were sitting two years ago when you got engaged. The bartender says, “Folks, congratulations, two glasses of champagne, on the house!”

8. Felicia Suzanne’s Signature Dish Sets Restaurant Apart - Monday, March 29, 2010

One in an occassional series on the signature dishes of local chefs.

The spaciousness and sensible layout of the kitchen at Felicia Suzanne’s is enough to make most restaurant chefs murderously envious. There's even an office and a window to the outside.

9. What You See Not Necessarily What You Get With Wine Prices - Monday, November 16, 2009

So, you’re dining at Chez Philippe, the opulent flagship restaurant in The Peabody, and in a celebratory mood – you weren’t indicted after all! – you order a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Non-Vintage Brut Champagne, one of the most familiar and highly marketed French Champagnes in the world.