One of East Memphis’ most familiar restaurant buildings is finally coming down, as demolition crews tear into the long-empty Houston’s at 5000 Poplar Avenue after its sale late last year.
Demolition Underway
Excavators and work crews were on site this week, pulling apart the structure and hauling debris off the lot, according to Action News 5. The station reports the building is actively being razed and that there is still no announced plan for what will replace the longtime restaurant.
Sale And Timeline
Property records show the 5000 Poplar Avenue parcel changed hands last fall, selling for about $2.1 million to a Cordova-based entity, 5000 Poplar LLC, according to The Daily Memphian. The paper reports that Houston’s, which first opened in East Memphis in the 1980s, abruptly ceased operations in December 2024, ending a decades-long run along the busy Poplar corridor.
Permit Filings Show Timeline
A key clue that the building’s days were numbered surfaced when a mid-November demolition permit was filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. Permit paperwork, which lists the estimated demolition cost at about $54,000, was later highlighted in reporting by Yahoo. Those filings came only weeks after the property was sold.
Who Might Move In
City planning documents reviewed earlier this year point to a possible local replacement for the national chain. A proposed tenant, Spell Restaurant Group, was identified in filings as exploring a new concept for the 5000 Poplar site, according to The Daily Memphian. No final plans have been submitted to the city, and neither the property owner nor a tenant has formally announced what might be built.
Local Reaction And Next Steps
Not everyone was ready to let Houston’s go without a fight. After the shutdown in December, a local investor publicly offered to lease the building and cover former employees’ pay through the holidays in an effort to keep the restaurant operating, Action News 5 reported. The effort ultimately fizzled, and the building has sat idle while the rest of the Poplar strip continues to churn, with longtime businesses moving out as new concepts trickle in.
For now, demolition crews are clearing the site, and the future of the corner will be decided on paper before it is rebuilt in concrete and steel. City planning records and building permits will show the next formal step, and this story will be updated as new filings appear and developers make their plans public.
