Tom Bailey

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

A Cordova restaurant, which appears close to opening, blends two Memphis icons: Barbecue and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler.

The new owners are not ready to comment, but a peek through the front glass revealed an interior-decor theme with signature moves.

Two, un-boxed red metal folding chairs, like the make-do weapons bad guys use to pound opponents, rested atop a stack of boxes.

A string of wrestling-ring ropes near the counter may guide the line of customers.

A full wall of wallpaper graphics replicating old promotional flyers scream "Memphis Mania: Battle for the Belt'' and "Inter-Continental Title Match'' and "Home of the King.''

Customers taking the hallway to visit the restroom will walk beneath an image of Lawler wearing the royal crown.

Jerry Lawler's Memphis BBQ Company appears almost ready to open in Cordova's The Pointe strip center at 465 N. Germantown Parkway. It will occupy the former Starbucks space in front of the Super Target and Walmart near Shelby Farms.

"A great group of restaurateurs put the concept together; this is their flagship,'' said landlord Michael Lightman Jr., vice president of Michael Lightman Realty Co. It's his understanding that while Lawler has been heavily involved, he's not an owner.

"Sounds like their cooks are trophy winners from barbecue competitions. ... Sounds like the food will be good, a fun place to be. Wrestling memorabilia. And with a Memphis-style barbecue theme to it,'' Lightman said.

At about 2,300 square feet, the restaurant will be larger than the old Starbucks; space was borrowed from the adjacent retail bay.