A Downtown mainstay has tripled its footprint.
Five years after opening
City Market Grocery & Deli Downtown, Hamida and Sunny Mahadi are prepping for the imminent opening of the Midtown version. The 2,400-square foot store at Cooper St. and Evelyn Ave. will be identical to the original store with a deli, juice bar, full kitchen, organic produce, farmers market products, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, craft beer and high-end grocery items.
City Market Midtown will employ ten people and open within the next two weeks.
When she's not putting the finishing touches on the Midtown store, Hamida Mahadi is busy at the newly-opened Quench Wine and Spirits. On June 27, the 3,000-square foot liquor store opened on 99 Second St. across from the Peabody Hotel. Over 400 supporters and regulars from City Market Downtown were present, Mahadi said.
The couple was inspired to open a boutique liquor store after Memphis passed a referendum to allow wine in grocery stores. As soon as the measure was approved late last year, City Market Downtown's regular customers were inquiring about getting booze from their favorite corner store.
"With the law recently passed about grocery stores being able to carry wine, we were thinking about how we could put it into place. Customers have been asking when we're going to start carrying wine and if we're going to have a separate room for wine selection," Mahadi said. "How can we expand? We don't have any room for a wine selection." The answer was a new location dedicated to wines just around the corner.
At the moment, Quench carries fine wines, but Hamadi hopes to also sell cheese and seasonal flower bouquets.
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