The Peanut Shoppe will hold the grand opening for its new Downtown location at 121 South Main Street at 11a.m. Saturday, March 12th and Sunday, March 13th.
“We’re giving popcorn all day long,” says owner Rida AbuZaineh. “Complimentary bags of popcorn.”
The original store at 24 South Main Street closed Christmas Eve, 2021.
AbuZaineh says he wasn’t told until a few months before the sale that the building was going to be sold and turned into apartments and condos.
The new store has the same space as the old business, but it’s in a different shape, he says. It’s more rectangular, more spacious in the front.
While it’s in a different design, everything about The Peanut Shoppe’s new location gives it the feel of the old location.
The wallpaper with the peanut design is back because AbuZaineh used some extra leftover rolls.
The same cabinets are back. “We just laid them down in a horseshoe shape. We just gave it a new look. We cleaned them.
“We added some new cabinets to help us during Christmastime for the gift items. And also for storage.”
“The Peanut Shoppe” sign on the south wall originally was on the front of the old location. “‘The Peanut Shoppe’ is the old awning. And we salvaged it. We wanted it to be a curtain to divide the store. To hide the back from the front. The storage area. Unfortunately, I couldn’t clean it well because of the elements.
“We cut the name ‘The Peanut Shoppe’ and we trimmed it and we supported it.”
And, he says, “We painted the corners and we put it up above the frying area on the south wall. There are future plans to add to that, but I’m going to keep it a secret. A surprise.”
The most iconic piece from the old location also stands in front of the south wall. That’s the roaster with the life-size – or maybe bigger – Mr. Peanut straddling it like he’s riding a horse. “I gave it a little bit of a clean-up look. And greased it and oiled it. And I already tested it twice and it’s working perfectly.”
AbuZaineh will include the equally-iconic sign that accompanies the roaster: “Hi there! I’m Mr. Peanut! I was born in 1947 & my roaster was born in 1929! Please don’t hurt us; WE’RE FRAGILE!”
The Mr. Peanut roaster is “the life and the soul of The Peanut Shoppe. Without it we are nothing. The Peanut Shoppe is the roaster. The roaster is The Peanut Shoppe itself.”
Customers might think the large red “Peanuts” letters on the center wall were on view somewhere in the old location, but they weren’t. “No, it was stored.”
The sign dates “probably from either the early ‘50s or late ‘40s. Or maybe longer. Nobody told me about it. I inherited that with the store when we bought it years ago.”
The letters originally were neon, but AbuZaineh covered it with LED lights.
The shiny new floor is the color of peanuts.
The Peanut Shoppe’s previous location, which opened in 1949, was the second store opened by Planters in Memphis, AbuZaineh says. He heard it originally was on Madison before moving to Main Street in 1951, but he’s not sure.
The Abuzaineh and Lauck families became owners and partners of the establishment on January 8th, 1993.
Some new additions to the shop are the photos and memorabilia of Memphis and The Peanut Shoppe. “Little by little we’re adding more stuff to it. It will be related to Memphis.”
The center wall also is dotted with colorful tins of candy and nuts. “This is part of our job, marketing and advertising. We do gift items. So, we had different designers. Different sizes.”
Asked how he felt now that The Peanut Shoppe is about to reopen, AbuZaineh says, “I feel optimistic. A little bit tired.”
But AbuZaineh is ready to get behind the counter and start selling candy, nuts, and popcorn again.
And making memories for a new generation of children, who will think of the new location of “The Peanut Shoppe” as their own Downtown treasure.
