The Arcade Restaurant celebrates its 100th anniversary with a "100 Cents for 100 Years" block party this Saturday.
The restaurant, one of Memphis’ oldest cafes, was opened in 1919 by Greek immigrant Speros Zepatos.
“The meaning for ‘arcade’ is a gathering place of entertainment,” says Kelcie Zepatos, who runs the Arcade alongside her husband, Jeffery, Speros’ great-grandson. “So, with that idea in mind, he built a corner of retail where people could go shopping, eat, drink, and socialize all in one place.”
Since the Arcade’s inception, the restaurant has continued to be a pinnacle of entertainment, attracting well-known figures like Elvis Presley and Justin Timberlake, and serving as a film site for acclaimed movies that include Great Balls of Fire, Elizabethtown, and Walk the Line. The Arcade has also resiliently withstood the test of time, undergoing renovations to become the 1950s-era diner we know and love today, and standing tall during Downtown Memphis’ decline in the 1960s and ’70s and the area’s resurgence in the late 1980s.
The new addition to the Arcade. All photographs courtesy of the Arcade Restaurant.
Owners of the Arcade Restaurant began anniversary celebrations earlier this year by introducing additions and renovations to the building.
“On May 1st, we opened a whole new area of the restaurant that includes a liquor bar, espresso bar, and a waiting area,” says Zepatos.
Now, to showcase these changes and to further celebrate 100 years of operation, the owners are inviting the public out to Saturday’s anniversary celebrations. The block party begins at 7 a.m. and goes on all day until 9 p.m., boasting food and drink specials, kids activities, live entertainment, and more.
“The owners have always wanted to try to bring the menu prices down to what they used to be back in the day,” says Zepatos. “So several of our meals will be available for a purchase of ‘100 cents.’”
Zepatos says some of the 100th anniversary menu items will include a variety of breakfast items, cheeseburgers, Elvis sandwiches, Greek salads, and chicken tenders. One hundred percent of the 100-cent meal proceeds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“We wanted to give back to the community,” says Zepatos. “We have a lot of patients and nurses that come in from St. Jude, and I know the hospital has given a lot of money to the city for building in the Pinch District. So we just feel like it would be a really good opportunity to work with them.”
The Arcade Restaurant will also offer some happy hour specials that include $2 off spiked milkshakes, $5.50 specialty cocktails, and wine discounts.
A section of South Main St. in front of the restaurant will be closed off to hold a main stage, which will showcase a variety of musical acts throughout the day. FreeWorld will headline the event, preceded by Delta Heart, The Handy Band, House in the MidSouth, and Christian Brothers High School’s band.
“Christian Brothers High School’s band is the oldest high school band in the country,” says Zepatos. “So that kind of dates back to the era when we opened.”
On South Main, guests will also be able to purchase beer and popsicles, and children and families can participate in photo opportunities and kids activities.
