by Lawson Bae

Welcome to Table 204, the first seat at the table for the stories of Owen Brennan’s Restaurant in Memphis, TN since 1990. While this first story doesn’t take place at Table 204, you’ll hear more about its place in our restaurant’s legacy in the stories to come.

Thirty-five years ago James “Jim” Austin Baker Jr., my father, was in the middle of preparing for opening day and a fundraiser. 

It was February 15, 1990, in Memphis, Tennessee, and he was 39 years old, about to open the doors to Owen Brennan’s Restaurant.

Burt Wolf, a celebrity TV chef, developed the concept with the backing of the three children of the founder of Brennan’s Restaurant on Royal Street in New Orleans. My father’s role? Investment banker.

The following is a historical account of how Owen Brennan’s came to be—not just as a restaurant, but as a place where people from all over the world gather, celebrate, and give back.

A Memphis native, Jim grew up a farm boy on thirty acres in Cordova, Tennessee. Arriving at Germantown High School on his Harley took a lot of winding roads through the sticks where he mostly avoided hitting cows. His best friend in those early days? Another farm boy, Paul Summers, who later became Attorney General of Tennessee. Together, they did their best to fit in with the city kids.

In college, Jim stayed five years—four for the books, one for the stories. He broke curves in chemistry classes while breaking curfews as a cheerleader at Memphis State basketball and football games, which, at the time, were competing for national titles. Somewhere in between, he spent nights hanging out with Elvis Presley and cheering from the sidelines with the Memphis State Cheerleading squad.

After college, he married my mom, Judy Spiotta Baker, and planned to become a chemist—until he found out how much chemists got paid. That’s when he turned to investment banking. Spreads were good in the 1980’s. So good Memphis’ Main Street had a little jewelry shop (now Flight Restaurant) that, for a brief moment, became the #1 Rolex retailer in the world.

But my father never fit into a system he didn’t believe in. After a boss asked him to push a bad stock to good clients, he quit— working only for himself ever since.

With his own investment bank, Sunbelt Financial Securities, Jim had raised money for real estate projects when Burt Wolf approached him to fundraise for a new concept restaurant that would license its name from the Brennan family.

The idea? Memphis would be the flagship location for a franchise called Owen Brennan’s Louisiana Restaurants.

Jim personally invested and raised $2.5 million of the $3 million needed (roughly $6.7 million in today’s dollars) to open the restaurant. Burt Wolf would be the General Partner, with Memphis investors like Jim, Dr. Shea, Burton Weil, and other local investors as Limited Partners. The Brennan family would advise.

The investors had “Owner’s Cards”—a golden ticket that granted them special perks when they dined. Exciting? Absolutely. Profitable? Not quite. But that’s a story for another post.

I was almost four years old when Owen Brennan’s opened, but I imagine it was grand.

Over $1.5 million was spent on interior design—crafted by Morris Nathanson, the architect who built up the loft scene in lower Manhattan to many famous restaurants all over the world. Walk through our doors today, and you’ll still feel it—the sculpted bodies on gold coins to your left, the crown’s horse perched over the bar to your right, the 20-foot jester perched at the back. Memphis walks in, and their eyes still wander.

Jim turned the opening celebrations into a fundraiser. He and Burt raised $14,000 (over $34,000 today) for the Cordova Civic Center, a place we all grew up.

If you know my father, you know he’s fundraised and donated to Memphis causes for decades. Make-a-Wish, autism and special needs programs, crime prevention, mental health— he’s given in the millions at this point.

And today? He still lives minutes from what is now called the Cordova Community Center, now restoring Cordova Farms & Fellowship he plans to donate it to the Greenline.

Last year was tough.

A childhood health issue resurfaced for my father, and in January 2024, my sister, Becky, stepped in as General Manager. By July, he asked me to support Becky with legal and financial management while my brother, Austin continued providing team building and strategic support.

So here we are—six months into the next generation’s leadership.

And I humbly say: we are getting back to the basics.

We’re focused on great food, great experiences, and great people. We’re in a growth mindset. And we’re digital first, embracing new tools and new ways to connect with you.

Owen Brennan’s mission is simple:

To create consistent experiences that feed the moment—continuing a legacy of comfort and wows per minute.

We’re focused on three things:

1. Back to Basics – Elevating the fundamentals of our food, our service, and our experience.

2. Growth Mindset – Setting goals for ourselves, our team, and our community—because if we’re not growing, we’re shrinking.

3. Digital First – Modernizing our tools, our brand, and our connection to you, ensuring that we stay relevant and continue to evolve.

So follow us, like us, and subscribe.

Come see us. Book a room for your next dinner party.

We’re just getting started. Old dishes are getting refreshed. New leaders are rising. And, we’re hiring chefs, bartenders, and kitchen staff.

Most importantly—new memories are being made for the next generation.

Here’s to the next 35 years.