Big Bad Breakfast looks poised to land in Cooper‑Young, potentially taking over a longtime neighborhood spot that shut down after a kitchen fire last year. City filings and visible renovations suggest the chain is gearing up for a full‑service breakfast and brunch restaurant in the heart of Midtown. If the plan moves ahead, the opening would bring a regional, chef‑driven brunch name to a strip that has already seen several independent cafés and bars reshuffle in recent months.
Permit Filings And Construction Activity
Applications filed with the city list plans for a Big Bad Breakfast at the Cooper‑Young address, and crews have been renovating a roughly 5,000‑square‑foot space, as reported by WREG. The paperwork and construction work point to a substantial interior build‑out rather than a small, low‑key takeout operation.
From Mulan's Fire To A New Tenant
The building previously housed Mulan Asian Bistro, which the Memphis Fire Department said was damaged in a kitchen fire in September 2025 and later closed permanently, according to Action News 5. Fresh Hospitality, which owns the property, has told local business outlets it is weighing repair costs and possible future uses for the space, per reporting from What Now Memphis.
What The Brand Brings
Big Bad Breakfast was founded in 2008 by James Beard Award‑winning chef John Currence and has since expanded into multiple Southeastern markets, according to Big Bad Breakfast. The company already runs a Memphis location on Poplar Avenue and lists several other nearby spots on its site, per Big Bad Breakfast. Local coverage shows Cooper‑Young was on the group’s radar as early as 2022, when outlets reported plans for a second Memphis outpost, according to The Daily Memphian.
Neighborhood Context
The possible arrival comes after a noticeable wave of turnover in Cooper‑Young. Longtime fixtures have closed or relocated, reshaping the restaurant mix and sparking conversations about what kind of concepts are moving in next. That pattern drew extra attention after the recent closure of Tsunami, which shut its doors after 27 years in the district, as covered in Tsunami shutters after 27 years. The churn has made the strip more tempting for growing brands and larger operators looking for a reliable neighborhood customer base.
No public opening date has been announced. The chain’s own channels and city records show no confirmed timeline yet, according to WREG. For now, breakfast fans will have to keep an eye on permits and company announcements for the next sign that the griddles are getting ready to fire up.
