A popular Memphis bar is spreading its roots and bringing even more Creole cool to the neighborhood. Swamp Bar is moving into the space next door to create what owner Chef Kelly English refers to as a “casual side of Swamp Bar.”
Swamp Bar’s expansion is precipitated by the departure of Second Line, another English concept. The latter restaurant is relocating to a new location at 4550 Poplar Avenue, leaving a vacancy at 2144 Monroe Avenue. A certificate of occupancy filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development shows that Swamp Bar will be inheriting a 1,000 square foot space with an occupancy load of 75.
Chef English offered some hints as to what is in store on an episode of the Daily Memphian podcast, Sound Bites. Swamp Bar’s entrance into Second Line’s space won’t be strictly an expansion-the space will be both a continuation of the Swamp Bar brand and its own entity with a separate, swamp related name.
The newer iteration of the brand is certain to delight existing fans and future enthusiasts alike; it will continue the casual and hip environment the concept has always cultivated, drawing in a diverse, welcoming, and uniquely Memphis crowd. An exact opening date is not yet available, but Chef English assures locals they won’t have to wait much longer to check out the next chapter of Swamp Bar’s story; work is underway and it should be ready for customers soon.
