New York City restaurant Forsythia is opening a Downtown Memphis location. What we know.
A taste of New York City is coming to Memphis.
On Friday, New York City-based restaurant Forsythia announced it will be opening a location in Memphis at 107 S. Main in the coming year. It will be the second location for the 3-year-old eatery.
The announcement on Instagram read: “We are growing and heading to Memphis, TN! In partnership with 18 Main, we're opening a second Forsythia as well as a coffee shop, an Italian bistro, and a bar, all in one historic building in downtown Memphis over the course of the next year and change.”
Described as "a Roman trattoria planted in New York City," the Lower East Side restaurant is known for its handmade pastas, suppli and maritozzi, offering the choice of an á la carte menu and prix-fixe option nightly.
Why Forsythia is coming to Memphis
Owner and chef Jacob Siwak said he is excited to be opening his second location in Memphis.
"I am originally from St. Louis — not from New York City. We have a lot of family friends from Memphis," he said. "So when I was asked to be part of this evolving redevelopment in Memphis, it was an opportunity I knew I could not say no to."
The building at 107 S. Main is owned by developer Tom Intrator and being redeveloped by his company 18 Main.
Siwak first met Intrator at his New York restaurant.
"In late 2022, Tom came in for a meal. As an owner, I do everything in my restaurant, including serving tables. I was Tom's server when he came in, and my restaurant and the meal struck a chord with him," recalled Siwak, explaining he traveled to Memphis several times and fell in love with the city.
In addition to a second location of his Forsythia concept, Siwak will also have three additional dining concepts at 107 S. Main — an espresso bar, an Italian bistro and a bar concept.
"I love spending time in Memphis — everyone is absurdly friendly and kind," Siwak said. "I really want to be part of the Memphis community, not just an outsider from New York."
What are Tom Intrator's plans for Downtown Memphis?
Intrator is a New York-based developer.
He has purchased several Downtown Memphis properties including the 107 S. Main building. The developer has six properties along Main Street and Front Street including 18 S. Main St., 316-324 S. Front St., 311 S. Main St., 386 S. Main St., 390 S. Main St., and 122 S. Main St.
The Dream Hotel project will be located at 122 S. Main St. in the former Royal Furniture Co. building. The hotel project will now include a restaurant space on the ground floor, three floors of apartments and a new 14-story tower on the eastern portion of the property. In July 2022, the Design Review Board, an affiliate board of the Downtown Memphis Commission, approved the new design plans for the Dream Hotel. (In November 2022 the Hyatt Hotel Corp. acquired the Dream Hotel brand in a $300 million merger.)
Additionally, Intrator’s proposed mixed-use development in the Pinch District includes 21 parcels of property along Front and Main Streets and will extend toward Shadyac Avenue to the north and Jackson Avenue on the southern edge of the proposed development site. In June 2022, the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment approved a height variance for the $604 million project that would allow for two buildings to match a 420-foot height limit. In comparison, 100 N. Main, the city’s tallest building, is 430 feet tall.
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Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: New York restaurant Forsythia coming to Memphis: Here's what we know
