Pottery Studio to Open On Highland Strip

Belltower Artisans, a pottery studio and coffee shop founded in 2016 by college students Micah Dempsey and Christopher Galbreath, has inked a deal to move into a 2,788-square-foot space in the Highland Strip.

Aaron Petree represented landlord Loeb Properties in the deal.

Belltower Artisans offers a full range of pottery classes, from “Date Night” classes to multi-week beginner, intermediate and advanced level courses.

Dempsey and Galbreath first met in art class while attending Harding Academy, where they were studying pottery making. Eventually the pair relocated to Memphis and opened their first location in Minglewood Hall, before deciding to relocate to the Highland Strip to be nearer to the University of Memphis.

The new location will serve as a wholesale production facility for several local businesses and will include a retail/gallery space. Meanwhile, the coffee house portion of the venue will host live events, gatherings and will serve light snacks and locally sourced coffee.

Construction is expected to begin soon and wrap up before the end of the year.

– Patrick Lantrip

First of 4 Potbelly Shops To Open in Olive Branch

Potbelly Sandwich Shop has signed an agreement to bring four shops to Memphis and the surrounding area, with the first shop set to open in Olive Branch by the end of 2017.

The restaurant chain, which started in Chicago in 1977, features toasted sandwiches, salads and soups, along with hand-dipped milkshakes and live music.

Fabian Nelson, who is franchising the four Memphis-area locations, says he was first intrigued by how Potbelly stood out from other sandwich concepts with its distinctive atmosphere and commitment to the local neighborhood. He adds that he plans to make his Potbelly shops reflective of the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” with local style and live music from Memphis musicians.

“I wanted to bring a restaurant here that complements the local Memphis vibe, and it was clear Potbelly is the perfect match for the funky qualities that make the area so unique,” Nelson said in a release.

With the newly signed agreement, Nelson plans to open his first sandwich shop by the end of the year at 5400 Goodman Road, in Olive Branch, Mississippi, with three more to follow in Memphis, Shelby County and the surrounding areas over the next three years.

Potbelly operates more than 400 shops across the United States. In addition, franchisees operate more than 35 shops in the U.S. and abroad, with more franchise growth planned. Currently, the closest Potbelly location is in Little Rock.

– Daily News staff

Study: Memphis Cellulose Has $50M Annual Impact

A new economic impact analysis conducted by the University of Memphis’ Sparks Bureau of Business and Economic Research shows Memphis Cellulose, one of six Georgia-Pacific Cellulose manufacturing facilities, contributes nearly $50 million to the local economy annually.

The company directly and indirectly employs about 300 people locally to support its Memphis Cellulose mill and Technology & Innovation Center, both of which were owned by Buckeye Technologies Inc. before being acquired by Georgia-Pacific in 2013.

Since 2013, Memphis Cellulose has given more than $2 million in monetary and in-kind donations to local charitable organizations through the GP Foundation, which has four community investment priorities – education, enrichment, entrepreneurship and environment. This includes the donation of the former Buckeye Technologies headquarters building to United Way of the Mid-South.

The Memphis Cellulose mill produces cellulose-based pulp from cotton linter. The pulp is used to make a variety of products, including LED displays, technical papers, paints, currency papers and filtration, among other products. The Memphis Technology & Innovation Center, meanwhile, delivers research and development support to all GP Cellulose facilities.

The Greater Memphis Chamber says the economic impact analysis underscores the value of a robust manufacturing sector in Memphis. In 2014, Memphis’ gross metro product – a monetary measure of the value of all final goods and services produced within a metropolitan statistical area during a specified period – topped nearly $8 billion with 900 manufacturing firms employing more than 44,000 people, according to the chamber.

– Daily News staff

Emancipation Exhibition Coming to Chucalissa

A traveling exhibition that opens at the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa on Sept. 10 examines the relationship between two great people’s movements that resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the March on Washington in 1963.

One hundred years separate the two events, yet they are linked in a larger story of liberty and the American experience – one that has had a profound impact on the generations that followed.

The exhibition, “Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963” is presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History, in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office.

The exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities and is part of NEH’s Bridging Cultures initiative. That initiative, “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” (createdequal.neh.gov), is bringing four films on the civil rights movement to communities across the United States and encourages communities to revisit and reflect on the long history of civil rights in America.

The exhibition will travel to 50 venues across the nation, accompanied by public programming that will help audiences understand and discuss the relationship between the two movements.

The museum is sponsoring free programs in connection with the exhibition, which will be on display through Oct. 20. For more information, visit www.memphis.edu/chucalissa, call 901-785-3560 or email chucalissa@memphis.edu.

– Daily News staff

Elite Runners Expected At Ed Murphey Mile Event

Christian Brothers High School is set to host elite runners from across the nation at its inaugural Ed Murphey Mile event Saturday, Aug. 26.

The one-mile race, held in honor of the late University of Tennessee track standout and Memphian Ed Murphey, will host some of the country’s most well-known athletes, from Olympic medalists to SEC all-stars. Some of these competitors will include: Olympic Trials 1500m finalist and former Ole Miss runner Craig Engels; World Championship runner Sara Vaughan; and Hoka One One athlete Eric Avila.

“We could not think of a better way to remember our friend and former University of Tennessee track standout Ed Murphey than to invite elite milers from around North America right here in the Bluff City,” Nick Dwyer, event director for the Murphey Mile, said in a written statement.

The Ed Murphey Memphis Mile will be run during the same weekend as Hoka’s Postal National Flagship events, in which state, regional and local high school runners will come together to compete over the 3200m distance in preparation for their cross-country seasons.

Races start at 6 pm at the CBHS track stadium, and admission is free. Visit edmurpheymile.racesonline.com to learn more.

– Daily News staff

AT&T Fiber Expands In Memphis Area

AT&T is now offering a 1-gigabit connection on its 100 percent fiber network powered by AT&T Fiber to customers in the Memphis area, including in parts of Lakeland and surrounding areas.

With a 1-gigabit connection, customers can download 25 songs in 1 second or a 90-minute high-definition movie in less than 34 seconds, according to AT&T.

The company previously announced ultra-fast internet speeds available in parts of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Memphis and surrounding communities.

The Memphis area is one of 57 metros nationwide where AT&T’s ultra-fast internet service is currently available, and it plans to reach at least 75 metros with its fastest internet service.

AT&T has invested more than $225 million in its wireless and wireline networks in Memphis from 2014 through 2016. That investment, the company said, drives upgrades to reliability, coverage, speed and performance for residents and business customers.

– Andy Meek