Memphis Business Journal

Oh, Canada! Kooky Canuck is ready to reopen in Downtown Memphis after a slight move.

Formerly located at 97 S. Second St., Kooky Canuck will make its debut at 87 S. Second St. on Friday, Nov. 18, following final building inspections.

“Essentially, it is the same great, fantastic food that people are used to, and it is a whole new beginning,” said Shawn Danko, president of Kooky Canuck.

It was revealed in August that Kooky Canuck would relocate, and a regional Mexican chain, Las Margaritas, would take its old spot.

Now, one day away from wrapping up a 17-day remodel on Kooky Canuck’s new 87 S. Second St. home, Danko said they were actually able to do more with less. The restaurant is 4,000 square feet, which is 1,000 square feet shy of what they previously had, but Graham Reese of Graham Reese Design Group was able to capitalize on the footprint.

“What we tried to do was reincorporate some of the icon items that [Danko] already had, [such as] the logs from the wall,” Reese said. “The other thing we were really doing is breaking down the space so that it has various layers.”

The restaurant has a seating capacity for 140 people, with seating available at the bar, booths or tables located in a side room that can accommodate large groups. The layout breaks the space into three different dining experiences.

“It is a woodsy look, but it also has this industrial feel with steel plates … so it is a mix of what Shawn had done in his last restaurant and the evaluation of that; taking a few items from what he did out in Cordova; and then bringing it over here but in a different application,” Reese said.

In addition to an expanded bar, customers can expect to see technology upgrades with 70-inch TVs, opposed to the 32-inch models at the previous location. A 12-tap draft system that will feature a wider selection of local beers was also added.

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Pavo Salon is about to debut its new “cutting-edge” Midtown location.

An Aveda Lifestyle Salon, Pavo will be housed at 2157 Central Ave. — in the same shopping strip as Urban Outfitters — and will open its doors Nov. 17.

“It was certainly time for us to expand our brand first and foremost,” said Scot Robinson, co-owner of Pavo. “But the other part is, with all the growth that is happening in Midtown, we felt like Midtown was lacking a high-end, very heavily service-oriented salon.”

Robinson and Shawn McGhee founded Pavo in 2000. Their first location was in the Laurelwood Shopping Center.

The new 2,400-square-foot Midtown salon features 15 stations. Facial waxing and mini spa services are offered, but no massages or nails. The Pavo in Laurelwood includes a full-service spa.

“We want our culture to transcend between both places, obviously, but we are also looking to elevate our service,” Robinson said. “So you will no longer see a front desk when you walk in. It will be more like Apple and AT&T, more of a concierge type service. So that is something new that we are bringing to the salon world.”

The salon features a minimalist design that utilizes products that are brand new to the market, like state-of-the-art metal cabinetry.

Graham Reese of Graham Reese Design Group handled the interior and said the design is very fashion forward.

“It is kind of that industrial chic that I think is a new look for salons,” Reese said. “It is not too prissy. It is going to have a great Midtown feel and what Midtown is about, which is not the mainstream.”

Robinson said the salon will have 11 employees to start with and plans to grow that number to roughly 20. Three new stylists were recruited from the Aveda Institute Nashville and two more came from other salons. The remaining employees are current Pavo workers.

The Midtown Pavo will be open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Monday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The energy and excitement that has been around it has certainly been nice,” Robinson said. “What more can you hope for when opening a business?”

The property is owned by Charlie Ryan via Central Cooper Gateway Inc.

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East Memphis is about to get a little cheesier — but in the best of ways.

Mac’s Burgers, located at 4698 Spottswood, is planning to serve what restaurant owner Lee Adams calls a “gourmet burger and mac-n-cheese bar.”

“We are trying to bring the Midtown food scene out East,” Adams said.

Adams, of Adams Restaurant Services LLC, also owns Dan McGuinness, TJ Mulligan’s and Last Burger on Earth (LBOE).

Graham Reese Design Group is handling the interior on Mac’s, and Brett Wyatt Construction is in charge of building. Adams did not want to give an exact figure but said renovation costs are around $300,000-$500,000.

Part of that renovation is for wooden garage doors that will allow the outdoor patio seating to flow into the restaurant. In total there should be dining space for around 140 customers. Mac’s menu items will range from $5.95-$12.95, and 10-12 draft beers will be available, with a focus on local brews.

“This place probably isn’t going to be the spot where you have 20 guys sitting around the bar drinking pitchers of beer watching ball games,” Adams said. “I see more of families dealing with this place.”

However, if you’d like to watch a game, Mac’s will have that covered. The restaurant plans to mount TVs throughout the space with the option for a larger projection screen that can come down in front of the bar.

For all the loyal Dan McGuinness patrons, don’t worry. Now located next door at 4694 Spottswood, the Irish pub trimmed down to accommodate its 4,200-square-foot Mac’s neighbor, but all the pool tables and games are still there. Customers who want to order food at McGuinness will be handed a Mac’s menu, and the food will be brought to them.

Mac’s will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Adams says people at McGuinness after the Mac’s kitchen closes are welcome to order takeout from any restaurant in the area and have it delivered.