‘We can get through this:’ Memphis restaurants prepare for impact as National Guard set to patrol city streets
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Tennessee National Guard is set to begin patrols in Memphis on Friday, October 9. Some restaurant owners downtown are wondering how the deployment will affect business, but not everyone is expecting a downturn.
According to restaurant reservation platform OpenTable, Washington D.C. saw a 25 percent drop in online reservations during a similar National Guard deployment last year.
Shawn Danko, owner of Kooky Canuck in downtown Memphis, believes the increased military presence could actually boost confidence and bring people back to the city’s core.
“I don’t see this as being a negative, I don’t. It’s a positive. I think it allows people to feel a little bit better in this space. It allows businesses to feel better in this space,” Danko said.
Danko said the downtown restaurant industry has struggled over the past two years, but his business has stayed afloat by diversifying the menu and capitalizing on large events that draw crowds to the Mid-South. He told ABC24 he recalled a similar National Guard presence during the city’s major flood 12 years ago, a period that brought an uptick in foot traffic.
“On the surface, you think, oh gosh, everyone’s gonna be running away, but in fact it drew more people in because they were curious and wanted to see what was going on,” Danko said. “I’m anticipating people will be curious and see what’s happening. It’s still very quiet in downtown, no action, no feet on the ground.”
While some Memphis business owners are hopeful, not everyone shares that optimism. Tourists visiting Beale Street, one of the city’s most iconic attractions, expressed mixed feelings about the Guard’s arrival.
Payton Streetman told ABC24 she traveled from Texas to visit Memphis for her birthday. She said she expects some travelers might think twice before visiting.
“I think it might hold some people back from coming out, just because you never know what’s gonna happen,” Streetman said. “We say it whenever we come out here, like head on a swivel, because you don’t know. We’ve already talked about it, thought about it, and we for sure are on the lookout.”
Longtime Memphian Roosevelt Fox, Jr., however, said the deployment won’t keep locals from living their lives.
“It may with some people help them to feel more comfortable, but us Memphians, that ain’t what we need,” Fox said.
Despite the uncertainty, Danko said he’s confident Memphis restaurants will weather this challenge just like they have in years past.
“We’ve gotten through COVID, we’ve gotten through economic downturns,” he said. “I truly believe we can get through this. This is no worse than what we have seen and challenges in years previous.”
For now, downtown business owners said they’re focused on staying open and staying ready as the city prepares for the National Guard’s arrival.