Love Fuels Crosstown Concourse

At Crosstown Concourse, love isn’t just in the air — it’s in the kitchens, behind the counters, and at the heart of the businesses that make this place feel like home. From life partners to teams of sisters, these entrepreneurs pour care, history, and connection into everything they do.

What do two restaurants, a deli, and a popsicle shop have in common? Just like Crosstown Concourse, they’re fueled by love.

Mad Grocer & Deli

Partners in life, partners in flavor

Mad Grocer & Deli is more than a market — it’s a love story with really good snacks. Owned by Josie and Chef Max, this thoughtfully curated grocery and deli is rooted in their shared passion for food and hospitality.

Max and Josie met in New Orleans in the early 2000s, bonding over their lifelong connection to the restaurant world. In 2014, they brought that passion (and a whole lot of experience) to Memphis. When their son Mads arrived in 2015, it sealed the deal: Memphis was home. Eight years later, their next adventure began when they officially became business partners on August 11, 2023.

“When we heard that a small group of incredible people had the foresight and vision to not only save a beautiful old building from a destiny of rubble, but to turn it into the living, working, thriving community it is today, we knew we had to be a part of it,” said Josie.

Today, Mad Grocer & Deli offers quality food, gifts, groceries, and wine. Stop by for one of their delicious specials, stock up on ingredients, or find something special for someone you love (including yourself). Love fuels Crosstown Concourse, and you can taste it here.

 

Mempops

Built on love, laughter, and a little hustle

At Crosstown Concourse, Mempops is powered by more than something sweet — it’s powered by a 24-year love story. Owned by Chris and Emily Taylor, who met through mutual friends and have been together ever since, Mempops has been part of the Concourse community since the building first opened.

Long before that, they lived in the Crosstown neighborhood for the past 20 years, often saying to each other, “I hope they do something with that abandoned building.” When renovations began, they knew their next chapter belonged inside those walls.

Chris had always dreamed of owning a restaurant after years in the food industry. Emily said “no restaurant,” and popsicles became the perfect compromise. After all, as they like to say, “No one ever complains when they have a popsicle in their hand.”

Together, they play to their strengths — Emily leads social media, emails, and event coordination, while Chris runs the day-to-day operations of the shop. Their secret ingredient? The hustle.

“The hustle is what keeps us going. We always know that, no matter what, it’ll get done.”

At Mempops, love fuels Crosstown Concourse in the sweetest way possible.

 

Bao Toan Kitchen & Bar

A family legacy, preserved and shared

Bao Toan Kitchen & Bar is built on generations of love, resilience, and community. What began as a mother-daughter passion project has grown into a powerful expression of sisters coming together to share family history and bold creativity.

The name Bao Toan means “to preserve” or “complete protection,” and it reflects a remarkable journey. After fleeing Vietnam during the war, their family found refuge in Memphis in 1978. Their grandmother opened the first Asian grocery store in the area, offering other immigrants access to familiar ingredients and a sense of home. Together with their grandfather, she later helped establish the region’s first Buddhist temple in 1985, and it’s still serving the community today.

Growing up in a big Vietnamese family, the sisters say, was “chaotic, and when we say big, we mean big big.” Family extended far beyond siblings and parents. “Everyone is an auntie or uncle,” said Diana Pham-Crain. “Everyone in our community is family.”

Even with long work hours at nail salons and the family market, their parents and grandparents always made time to gather around the table.

“Our family’s way of saying ‘I love you’ is ‘Con ăn chưa?’ which means, ‘Did you eat yet, child?’” Diana said. “Feeding each other is how we show love.”

That philosophy shapes everything at Bao Toan. When guests walk through the doors, they aren’t just customers. “We don’t just see ourselves as tenants, we see ourselves as part of a larger community,” Diana said. “A family.”

 

Briza

A power couple bringing the coast to Midtown

At Briza, love shows up as partnership, precision, and hospitality done right. Led by Chef Moisés Hernandez and his wife Maggie Murphy-Hernandez, Briza is a celebration of food, service, and togetherness.

Moisés’ culinary journey began when he came to the U.S. at just 18 years old — and he jokes that he couldn’t even boil water at the time. After landing a job in a restaurant, he quickly discovered a natural passion for cooking, one that would go on to shape his life and career.

Drawing from his roots and global inspiration, he creates dishes that are both refined and deeply personal. Briza’s menu is built around land, sushi, and sea, bringing coastal flavors to the heart of Midtown — from inventive sushi rolls to wood-fired seafood and prime steaks.

Maggie brings more than a decade of fine-dining hospitality experience, and together they’ve built a space where guests feel genuinely welcomed and celebrated.

“At the end of the day, we genuinely enjoy working together. We laugh, we joke, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re always grounded in a shared commitment to doing what’s best for the restaurant and the people who make it what it is,” said Maggie.

Love fuels Crosstown Concourse, and at Briza, it’s the secret ingredient.

 

At Crosstown Concourse, these businesses remind us that when people build together — out of love, family, and shared purpose — the whole community thrives.

Whether you’re grabbing groceries, sharing a meal, or discovering new flavors, you’re supporting stories rooted in connection. Stop in this week, show these businesses some love, and celebrate the people who make Crosstown feel like home.

And that’s something worth celebrating. 💛