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A former East Memphis staple is set for demolition.
On Nov. 18, a demolition permit was filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development for razing the former Houston’s restaurant site at 5000 Poplar Ave.
The estimated cost of demolition for the building is $54,000, according to the permit application.
The Poplar Avenue property recently changed ownership. On Nov. 7, Cordova-based 5000 Poplar LLC purchased the former Houston’s site for $2.1 million, according to the Shelby County Register of Deeds.
Despite the ownership change, no confirmed plans for the future of the site have been announced.
Arizona-based Hillstone Restaurant Group Inc. opened Houston’s in 1983, with the restaurant becoming a local favorite in the more than 40 years that it operated in the city. Hillstone permanently closed the restaurant in December 2024.
Neil Strebig is a journalist with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at neil.strebig@commercialappeal.com, 901-426-0679 or via X/Twitter: @neilStrebig



