New Memphis restaurant The Archives opens Downtown: What to expect

Update: This story has been updated to reflect the historical significance of The Archives’ nomenclature and the building’s historical ties to Memphis.

Driving north on B.B. King Boulevard, the iconic architecture of the Memphis skyline looms ahead. In the twilight, a new jewel sparkles at the corner of Madison Avenue inside Hotel Napoleon, inviting passers-by to step inside a lively restaurant. And it was all by design, literally.

“We looked around to see what was missing in Memphis so we could become a destination in the city,” said Glennys Bryant, founder and lead designer of GCD Interiors, the interior design firm contracted to make the new restaurant stand out. “We wanted to tell the story of Memphis from the outside, in.”

Led by Memphis native and world-renowned Chef Phillip Dewayne, The Archives Bar & Bistro is the latest addition to the popular hotel.

The Archives Bar & Bistro at Hotel Napoleon in Downtown Memphis is led by Memphis native and world-renowned Chef Phillip Dewayne.

The restaurant, which officially opens Sept. 25, features a new menu from the chef who prides himself on sourcing local ingredients and preparing them in ways that fuel our bodies as much as they gratify the tongue. He calls it “body friendly” cooking. The elevated American fare is prepared sous vide style — a cooking technique where foods are vacuum sealed in a bag and cooked in a controlled, low-temperature liquid over a long period of time — before Dewayne and The Archives’ culinary team finish the dishes with varied cooking methods and presentations.

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“I pride myself on making food that is good for people and running a company that delivers that food with exceptional service,” Dewayne said.

Duck eggrolls are served with a sweet and savory sauce at The Archives' soft launch on Sept. 18, 2024. The new restaurant is located in Hotel Napoleon at 179 Madison Ave. in Downtown Memphis.

If Dewayne’s name sounds familiar, it’s likely because he’s been making a name for himself across the city — and the globe — for years. Locally, he is the brain and talent behind the Dixon Gallery & Gardens’ Park + Cherry restaurant, he owns and operates Recover, a meal plan subscription service, and he also caters dozens of public and private events.

Beyond the Bluff, Dewayne competed on the Food Network, catered events for internationally recognized brands, and worked as a personal chef for some of the world’s most elite artists, athletes and entertainers.

A team of talented people helped the chef bring his food fantasies to fruition. The Archives menu will feature unique twists on classic appetizers like egg rolls with duck instead of the traditional pork or chicken, meat skewers and these delicious little bites of caviar with cream cheese. Drop in to see what entrees the team is cooking up on any given week.

The restaurant and hotel are housed in the historic Scimitar building, which was originally constructed in 1902 for the Evening Scimitar, one of Memphis’ leading newspapers in the early 20th century, and was later home to the Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper. It was transformed into the Hotel Napoleon in the mid-2010s. The hotel restaurant’s name nods to the building’s journalistic legacy.

While the space is meant to be a chic and convenient dining option for guests of the Napoleon, hotel general manager Micki Stephens said she hopes any Memphian feels welcomed to drop in for drinks or a meal at the Downtown eatery.

“We’re so excited to have [Chef Phillip Dewayne] here. I feel like he could be my other child,” Stephens joked about her close relationship with Dewayne, saying she felt a kindred connection to the restaurateur soon after meeting him.

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Everything about Hotel Napoleon is meant to create a family atmosphere for all guests. From the personable valets who are personify Memphis charm and Southern hospitality to Rocky Goodwin, the hotel’s longtime concierge who has become somewhat of a celebrity himself (a quick Google search of his name with the hotel’s provides dozens of positive reviews of Goodwin’s kindness and thoughtfulness).

“We’re all about family here,” Goodwin said. “Micki and I are old [high school] classmates and I try to treat everyone like they’re special. Because they are.”

It’s a sentiment that is seemingly felt by all who work to make Hotel Napoleon and The Archives the next Memphis destination.

“When [co-owner Jatin Kumar] and I first saw the building, we fell in love with the architecture,” said hotel co-owner Snay Patel at the restaurant’s soft launch on Sept. 18. “We believe in a family philosophy, so we merged with people who believe the same things that we do so we could create that same kind of experience for all of our guests and employees.”

That welcoming spirit led to a chance conversation between Stephens and Dewayne one day as the hotel searched for its next executive chef. A friendly conversation led to the chef’s second concept in the city in less than a decade — not bad for a kid from Raleigh.

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