Hold the tamale: Larrys is staying open for now

Tell someone they can't have what they want and they'll try to get it all. That's what happened at Larrys Tamales on Saturday, on what was to be the last day of business.

"We felt the love so much that we basically sold out of tamales in 45 minutes," Larry Turner.

"I talked to the landlord, and we're going to stay here through May and see what happens."

Larrys Tamales opened in October, a few months after Larry's Tamales closed in Clarksdale after a five-year run. In Memphis it's owned by Turner and Larry Hall, while in Clarksdale it was just Turner. It was met by throngs of tamale lovers wanting a true Delta tamale without having to make the drive. Not long after opening, Turner added barbecue to the menu.

It was popular, but Turner said he had several strikes against him at 1621 Getwell.

"First, it's sort of out of the way for most people who want the tamales, and it's hard to get in and out of," he said. It's in a small strip center with little parking and near the intersection of Getwell and Elliston, which slows traffic.

He planned to pack it all up after Saturday, but after word got out Friday, folks started calling in orders — a dozen here, two dozen there, one for 12 dozen. On Saturday, they came in to say goodbye and get a last bite, only to be told that he was reconsidering.

So at least through May, Larrys will remain open at the current location, but he's changing the days. Now he'll operate 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and he hopes to have a trailer at Agricenter Farmers Market starting in June.

"I'm closed Sunday and Monday anyway, and Tuesday and Wednesday are slow," he said. "I'm going to try it for the three days and see how it goes. It'll save me the cost of being open on slow days and also two days of driving in from Clarksdale."

When he does make the move to a trailer business, he'll continue to sell barbecue as well as his tamales, and plans to expand a little.

"I want to make some chicken tamales, and I also want to make one from smoked Boston butt," he said. "I have plenty of good ideas, but now I have to get it all together."

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