Eatery re-enters Downtown market

By Stacey Wiedower
January 6, 2003

The doors are open, the awnings are almost up and the buffet is hot, full and ready to go. But, the walls are bare.

“We don’t have that many wall hangings and pictures until our own celebrities come in here,” said local restaurateur Bill Shanle about his new Downtown digs – Leonard’s BBQ Buffet at 103 N. Main St .

The lunchtime eatery near Adams Avenue on Main Street Mall might be waiting to adorn its walls with its own history, but it actually has a strong legacy in the city – the first Leonard’s barbecue restaurant opened in 1922, also in Downtown Memphis.

Today, Leonard’s has one other location in the city, 5465 Fox Plaza Drive in East Memphis . For nearly two decades, it has served up a medley of barbecued fare, along with a helping of Memphis history and a little nostalgia on the side – pictures and paraphernalia of celebrities and musicians grace the walls, with, of course, plenty of Elvis in the mix.

“There are a lot of pictures of local musicians when they were young and even now,” Shanle said. “It’s not just celebrities, it’s also landmarks and pictures of the Leonard’s buildings. We’ll be adding some of that (to the new restaurant) down the road.

Until then, Shanle is focusing on what he knows best – the food.

The 25-year veteran of the Memphis food scene opened the buffet-only restaurant last month on the ground floor of the Claridge House Apartments building to cater to a Downtown crowd he believes is hungry for more options.

“The people who live and work down here – they’re just really good people,” Shanle said. “It’s a pleasure seeing customers who are happy for you, who want to you succeed, who brag about you and who tell other people about you.”

He said all his barbecue is served buffet-style, with take-out available, to meet the needs of his customer base – business people, sightseers, government officials and other Downtowners – who want good food fast.

“There are a lot of sandwich places around where people can run in and get a quick sandwich and go, and that’s the reason I did a buffet, so the lunchtime people can get in and get out quickly,” he said.

Leonard’s, open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, offers five meat items on its daily buffet – barbecue pork shoulder, barbecue beef brisket, peachwood-smoked chicken, smoked spare ribs and barbecue pizza, both chicken and pork.