Registration is officially open for one of the MRA’s most beloved traditions. The 19th Annual Thomas Boggs Memorial Golf Tournament brings our hospitality community together for a day of friendly competition, great food, and fellowship in honor of a Memphis restaurant legend.
Four-player teams are $800, and spots fill quickly. Not a golfer? There are plenty of ways to put your brand in front of the Memphis hospitality community:
Dinner Sponsor – $1,000
Par 3 Poker Sponsor – $750
Beverage Cart Sponsor – $600
Hole-In-One Contest Sponsor – $600
Lunch Sponsor – $600
Putting Contest Sponsor – $500
Hospitality Tent/Pavilion Sponsorships – $400
Long Drive Sponsor – $300
Closest-To-The-Pin Sponsor – $300
Hole Sponsorship – $250
Prefer to contribute product? We welcome in-kind donations, and we are also assembling player goody bags. Contributing an item is an easy, affordable way to get your brand into the hands of every player on the course.
21.October.2026 | Galloway
Questions about sponsorships or goody bag contributions? Email Ronna at ronna@memphisrestaurants.com
Register for our upcoming August Events
Associates Coffee Club at HighTee Wednesday, August 6 | HighTee, 4544 Poplar Ave. Start your morning with coffee and connections. Our Associates Coffee Club is a relaxed way to meet fellow members and build the relationships that make this industry work.
MRA Membership Happy Hour at Flyway Brewing Wednesday, August 12 | Flyway Brewing. Join us for an evening of great local beer and even better company. Bring a colleague who is not yet an MRA member; happy hours are the perfect introduction to who we are.
Community Spotlight: The Sow Project Is Growing the Next Generation of Memphis Hospitality
Memphis doesn’t lack culinary talent. What too many of our young people lack is a first door into this industry, and The Sow Project, founded by veteran restaurateur Ben Vaughn, is building that door.
The Sow Project connects education, healthy food, workforce development, and employment into a single pathway. A student might first pick up a knife at a school culinary experience, keep learning at the organization’s Frayser Teaching Kitchen, gain real-world experience at its student-led restaurant on South Main, and ultimately step into a hospitality career with a Memphis employer. It is exactly the kind of talent pipeline our industry has been asking for.
This school year, the program comes to life through the GrizzFuel Kitchen Experience, a series of monthly culinary events inside Memphis-Shelby County Schools in partnership with the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation and Kroger. Over ten months, more than 800 middle and high school students will learn food safety, knife skills, and nutrition while preparing a recipe from scratch and taking home everything they need to recreate it with their families. Students earn their invitations through leadership, attendance, and personal growth, so each event doubles as recognition for young people making good choices.
The MRA is proud to stand behind work that plants the seeds of our industry’s future. Members who want to learn more about The Sow Project or explore ways to get involved, from volunteering to future employment partnerships, can reach out to the MRA office.
Compliance Alert: Hemp-Derived Beverages Now Require a TABC License
If your establishment sells THC seltzers, hemp-derived beverages, or any hemp-derived cannabinoid products, the rules changed on July 1, and this affects you directly.
What happened: Regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products (HDCPs) moved from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The old Department of Agriculture licenses expired June 30, 2026, and are no longer issued or renewed. Any business selling these products now needs an HDCP license from the TABC.
What you need to know:
This is a separate license. Your beer permit or liquor-by-the-drink license does not cover hemp-derived products. If you sell them, you need the TABC HDCP license in addition to your existing licenses.
On-premise consumption only. Bars, restaurants, and hotels may only sell hemp-derived products for consumption on the premises. No to-go sales. Treat an HDC beverage like an open container: guests cannot leave with it.
Card every guest. Sales are restricted to customers 21 and older, and failing to card for an HDC sale can result in a citation.
Enforcement is active. The TABC inspected thousands of businesses this year and cited hundreds for selling without proper licensing. If you are still operating on an expired Department of Agriculture license, the safest move is to pause hemp product sales until your TABC license is in place.
Applications are filed through the TABC. For questions, contact the TABC at 615-741-1602 or TABC.Info@tn.gov. The MRA will continue monitoring this transition and keeping members informed.
Shape the Future of the MRA: Board Nominations Now Open
Nominations are officially open for the 2026-27 MRA Board of Directors. Any regular member in good standing may be nominated, and self-nominations are welcome and encouraged. Each nomination requires the signatures of two current members, which can be completed virtually through the form. All nominations must be submitted by September 30th to appear on the ballot.
Not ready to serve on the Board? The form also lets you raise your hand for committee involvement, from special events and membership recruitment to communications and the MRAPAC Clay Shoot.
Rendezvous at the zoo: vendor registration available
Zoo Rendezvous is your opportunity to showcase your signature dishes, connect with new customers, and stand alongside some of Memphis’ top culinary talent at the Zoo’s largest fundraiser of the year. Spots are limited, and this event is expected to SELL OUT – so we encourage you to reserve your space early!
Suit up for Zoo Rendezvous as the Memphis Zoo transforms into a comic book world filled with heroes, villains, and larger-than-life adventures for one super-powered evening.
This action-packed event will bring together more than 3,000 guests for an evening of incredible food, entertainment, and unforgettable experiences and we hope your restaurant will join the league of culinary heroes.
What Restaurants Provide
• Sample-size servings for approximately 3,000 guests • Staff members (must be 21+; IDs checked upon arrival) • Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming Memphis Zoo as certificate holder and due by September 3. (example attached) • Food Trucks: Please let us know if you are part of the Memphis Food Truck Alliance • Extension cords (if needed), and tent (if needed for rain plan and also for shade)
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this legendary Memphis tradition to directly engage with thousands of enthusiastic food lovers from all over the area and showcase your culinary creativity in front of one of the city’s biggest crowds of the year.
Answer the call and join us for a night of heroes, villains, flavor, and adventure at Zoo Rendezvous 2026.
MRA x Old Dominick: tHE MOST MEMPHIS OF COLLABORATIONS
The MRA and Old Dominick Distillery have been working on something special, and it finally has a name: Heard, Memphis. This exclusive collaboration bottle celebrates the people and places that make our hospitality community what it is. We’re planning a launch party at Gussied Up, one of Memphis’s most anticipated new spots, so this will be a first look at both the bottle and the venue. Full details coming soon. Trust us, you’ll want to be there.
A house pour worth talking about
Old Dominick Distillery is preparing to release Canale Club House Whiskey, a straight bourbon designed specifically for house pour programs. Selected from aged barrels for quality rather than cost, it promises a consistent profile bottle to bottle with notes of caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak. Built for house Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and signature cocktails, it will be available in 1-liter 6-packs. Keep an eye out for launch details, and watch this space for how to get it behind your bar.
GOVCON 2026: Gatlinburg
The annual Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism (Gov Con) brings together representatives of the state’s travel and tourism industry for the year’s premier event!
Conference registration includes access to early arrival experiences, meals, educational seminars, Stars of the Industry, and all receptions. Lodging is not included. Your name badge will be your ticket to early arrival experiences.
Decisions made in Nashville and at City Hall directly affect your bottom line, from liquor laws and labor regulations to taxes and permitting. The MRAPAC exists to make sure the hospitality industry has a seat at the table when those decisions are made.
When you join the MRAPAC, you strengthen our collective voice and help support candidates who understand what it takes to run a restaurant in Memphis. Every contribution, no matter the size, adds to the influence our industry carries with elected officials at the local and state level.
Don’t leave your business’s future to chance. Join the MRAPAC today and stand with your fellow operators in protecting and advancing Memphis hospitality.
It may feel early, but now is the perfect time to take membership renewal off your to-do list. Renewals for 2027 are officially open, and locking yours in now means uninterrupted access to everything the MRA offers: advocacy at City Hall and beyond, member events, promotional opportunities, and a network of nearly 400 Memphis hospitality businesses.
While you’re at it, take a moment to confirm your 2026 dues are current. If you’re not sure where your account stands, just reply to this email or reach out to Ronna at ronna@memphisrestaurants.com and we’ll check for you.
Membership rates: $240 for restaurant members, $300 for associate members, $100 for education and nonprofit members, and $50 per additional restaurant location.
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