Popular wisdom states that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, whenever a diner chooses to eat it. Luckily for Memphis locals, a popular chain helmed by an acclaimed chef is making sure that lauded meal is both delicious and fulfilling. Big Bad Breakfast, a passion project for Chef John Currence, is planning its second Memphis area location, set to open in Cooper-Young, reports Daily Memphian.
Cooper-Young diners will be able to say “good morning” to Big Bad Breakfast in the 2149 Young Avenue storefront that previously housed Mulan Asian Bistro. Mulan closed after a fire in September of 2025; the relatively extensive renovations required to rehabilitate the 5,000 square foot space and turn it into its next incarnation have already commenced.
While a precise opening date is not yet available, owner Currence anticipates Big Bad Breakfast’s Cooper-Young location being customer-ready in the final week of August, in anticipation of the University of Memphis’ opening game of the football season.
Big Bad Breakfast is already an East Memphis hit, and its 6450 Poplar Avenue storefront provides a peak at what’s in store for Cooper-Young. The website offers insight into the cuisine, describing it as: “staples such as custom-created meats, fresh biscuits and preserves, locally roasted coffee and some of the best cocktails you’ll find anywhere. We wear our ‘Big Bad’ name as a badge of honor and take special pride in serving all your Southern favorites with the creativity and technique that only a skilled, world-renowned chef can bring to the table.”
Health-conscious Cooper-Young foodies can also look forward to some more nutritious options.
Though Big Bad Breakfast may be the new kid on the block, Currence and his team want the restaurant to feel like an old friend. He sums up his hopes for the location, saying: “When we open a space, and this one will sort of be particularly this way, we want it to appear to have been there for quite some time. Like it has been there and been part of the neighborhood for years already.”
