MEMPHIS, Tenn. — UPDATE 8/17/2021 - RP Tracks has reopened but has new COVID-19 protocols in place. In a Facebook post, the restaurant steps from the University of Memphis said that people will have to bring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test result that's less than 48 hours old.
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UPDATE 8/13/2021 - Rendezvous announced Friday it would reopen at 11:00 a.m., for the first time since closing July 31st.
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8/12/2021 - COVID-19 continues to impact many aspects of everyday life, and the restaurant industry is no exception.
Thursday, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, one of Memphis’ best known barbecue restaurants, announced it will remain closed because employees have tested positive for the disease. Originally, Rendezvous announced that they would be closed August 1-11, but in a Facebook post Thursday, they said they would remain closed August 12.
Their post said, “Well, we thought we were opening back today. Unfortunately, we’ve had two vaccinated employees test positive for COVID. Fortunately, so far, both are doing fine. We are working on contact tracing now - all contacts are also vaccinated - but out of an abundance of caution, we are going to be closed today. This is tough - we are just restaurant folks trying to make medical decisions - while also trying to keep our livelihoods going. If you were planning on coming down tonight, we hope you can support one of our fellow local restaurants.”
R.P. Tracks, a restaurant near the University of Memphis, also is closed because an employee tested positive for COVID-19. In a post to Facebook, they said they closed Tuesday and hope to reopen Saturday.
Their Facebook post said, “Due to an employee testing positive, RP Tracks will be closing so that all of our employees can be tested. We are in the hopes that we will be open by Saturday. We will keep you all posted as we get more information regarding the health of our staff. Please stay safe and mask up!”