Theresa and John Monteleone, owners of the first Mo’Bay Beignet to open in Tennessee, are working hard to get the café up and running this spring at 585 Cooper St. in Midtown.
Mo’Bay Beignet, taking its name from the popular Mobile Bay in Alabama where the flagship site was founded just three years ago, is soon to open its eighth location in its third state.
The site of the newest café is a 1912 building updated once in 2010, and currently undergoing more renovations. The new space will feature indoor seating, a covered patio with dropdown shades for cooler weather, and a small community room which will be available to rent for private parties of 15–20. The original, double-sided fireplace adds charm and beauty to the space.
Theresa and her husband, John, have always thought about starting their own business, and once even came close to buying a snowcone shop. A retired military family, the Monteleones have lived all across the U.S. They moved to Tennessee about three years ago, and that’s when Theresa decided it was time to move forward with a business venture.
“Our goal is to open in this community and serve them well, and then to branch out into other parts of Tennessee,” she tells What Now Memphis.
Once vetted and approved as franchisees, the hardest part was finding the right site. When a former bakery became available in Midtown, in an area they had already been considering for months, the Monteleones were relieved and excited.
The sweet menu will include coffee, tea and beignets, served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a selection of warm syrups. Buttercream and cinnamon are staples, with seasonal offerings like lemon, raspberry, apple spice and even Mardi Gras cream cheese on rotation. The new owners are a “coffee and tea family.” So although some locations do not offer espresso, the Monteleones certainly will.
“We’re looking forward to opening in this community as soon as possible and starting to get to know them,” says Theresa.
Its opening 4/23/2023, Can’t wait.