The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission is set to decide Thursday whether to grant a liquor license to The Station, a proposed wine-and-liquor superstore planned for the old Bed Bath & Beyond site in East Memphis. The application has turned into a months-long flashpoint involving administrative denials, lawsuits, and appeals to city officials, and the commission's vote could determine when, or even if, the big new store ever opens its doors.
State board takes up the license
The commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., with The Station listed on the official agenda for review. Staff has recommended conditional approval of the retail package-store license, subject to an agent investigative review, inspection, and payment of the license fee, according to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission agenda (PDF).
Who’s behind The Station
The commission docket lists Grind Management LLC as the applicant, with Ethan and Traci Edwards as interest holders, and the proposal calls for taking over the former Bed Bath & Beyond space at White Station Plaza. Local reporting has described the plan as a roughly 25,000-square-foot wine-and-liquor store with tasting events and specialty offerings, and owner Ethan Edwards has said he followed city ordinances in planning the business, as reported by The Daily Memphian.
Previous action and the legal timeline
The Station is not new to the state board. Public commission records show the project appeared on an earlier agenda and drew action last fall before landing back on the docket. Commission minutes document those earlier proceedings and the administrative steps that followed, which is why the application has returned to the commission now, according to Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission minutes (October 2025).
Opponents appeal to City Council
Not everyone is raising a glass to the project. Neighbors and competing liquor-store owners, including Buster’s co-owner Josh Hammond, argue the location is too close to a nearby church and school and would undercut existing businesses. Hammond and two other licensees filed an appeal with the Memphis City Council seeking to overturn the local approval, according to reporting by The Daily Memphian.
What comes next
If the commission votes for conditional approval on Thursday, The Station would still have to clear inspections and pay its license fee before a final permit is issued. If the City Council takes up opponents' appeal, that review could stretch the timeline and add weeks or even months before the store can open to the public.
