Foodies got a chance to try Gussied Up’s fare at a media night soft opening on October 15th. The new restaurant in the Edge District is slated to open October 24th.

The new nighttime bar/restaurant is the other half of Hard Times Deli, a sandwich shop at 655 Marshall Avenue. The two establishments, both owned by Harrison Downing, Cole Jeanes, and Schuyler O’Brien, are in the same building. They’ll share the same kitchen, but will be open at different hours.

Guests entered through a door beneath a glowing neon “Gussied Up” sign. They ordered items from an eclectic menu, with items that ranged from Smashburgers and a Hawaiian chicken sandwich to hot dogs and gummy bears.

Cocktails included the “Spaghett-A-Rita” frozen margarita and “Eiffel Sixty Five,” which includes an ingredient listed as “The Champagne of Beers.”

Max Braverman, the bar/general manager, created most of the cocktails. “Harry did the ‘Eiffel 65,’ ‘Spaghetti-a-Rita,” Braverman says. “And the Fernet and Coke was a collaboration between us. Otherwise, they’re from my weird brain.”

Frances Barry Moreno and Paul Moreno at Gussied Up soft opening. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Robert Van Cleef. (Credit: MIchael Donahue)
Patrick Brown. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Gracie Driver and Mara Daniele. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Harrison Downing, Max Braverman, Schuyler O’Brien, Cole Jeanes in a photo taken in July 2026. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Michael Donahue began his career in 1975 at the now-defunct Memphis Press-Scimitar and moved to The Commercial Appeal in 1984, where he wrote about food and dining, music, and covered social events until...