SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Dozens of Downtown Memphis restaurants are taking part in Downtown Dining Week once again. Until Nov 12, Downtown will feature reduced parking rates and special menu discounts, but as always, issues of crime and safety are top of mind for restaurateurs and other downtown denizens.
Over the weekend, not far from several of the restaurants participating in Downtown Dining Week, a man was shot and hospitalized in critical condition on South Main.
“Really, all we can do is control what we can control internally. Meaning employees leaving two at a time, three at a time. Luckily, we haven’t had any incidents in the past few weeks,” said restaurant owner Ed Cabigao.
Cabigao’s restaurant SOB, or South of Beale, has been in Memphis since 2009. Cabigao is part of the Memphis Restaurants Association. The MRA sent a letter out making their concerns known in no uncertain terms.
“Every corner of our community has been affected by rampant crime. If we continue to ignore the problem, we all lose ... it is time for Memphis to take back the city we love," the MRA said.
"Post-COVID crime has just gotten worse everywhere in the nation and we’re no different. I do think the types of petty crime, breaking into cars, has gotten a lot worse," Cabigao said.
The city’s downtown safety plan, which has been in operation since August, is only in place Thursday to Sunday. Memphis Police said there is an ‘increased presence’ with both the dining week and COGIC convention happening at the same time.