Celebrity restaurateur and former Big Brother contestant, Memphis Garrett, is set to bring his Ya Mas Taverna concept to his childhood city when it opens sometime next year in what will be a new Heartbreak Hotel at 633 Monroe Blvd, not to be confused with the now-shuttered hotel of the same name along Elvis Presley Blvd.
“Ya Mas is going to be in the Edge District…It’s a historic building – a couple of my buddies ended up buying the building and they’re renovating it now, and when that space is ready we’ll start doing construction on the restaurant side,” Garrett tells What Now Memphis. “It’s right across the street from Sun Studios, it’s right next to the Medical District, so a very up-and-coming area.”
Garrett currently operates two Ya Mas locations in his adopted home state of Florida – one in Fort Lauderdale and another in West Palm Beach. The restaurant, which prides itself on going beyond fine dining and into “fun dining,” specializes in Mediterranean small plates such as kebabs, lamb meatballs, octopus, and a mezze platter, as well as cocktails that are nothing short of ambitious.
“The level of service, and the elevation of the food and the drinks and the mixology, it’s all there, but our goal is to make it a fun experience for everyone. So when you come and dine with us, it’s a big deal,” says Garrett.
Aside from its food, the focal point of Ya Mas is its large-format cocktails, including an upside-down crystal chandelier that dispenses a bottle of Prosecco and spritzes and mules that are made table-side.
“Our goal is to make it a good time,” says Garrett. “You might end up on the table, breaking a plate, throwing napkins. So it’s a whole experience.”
