Photo courtesy of Black Enterprise
The reverent funeral for Tyre Nichols ended with a heartfelt repast at a local Memphis restaurant.
The February 1 procession concluded with the grieving community coming together at the Underground Cafe, run by Chef Tamra Patterson, to celebrate the memory of the 29-year-old father, son, photographer, and skater. Located at 668 Union Avenue, the Underground Cafe fed the family and friends with the help of other nearby restaurants.
Chef Tam said it was an honor to provide a bit of love for those who needed it. She said, “
It’s an honor to serve them. The greatest form of love is service. I have a 19-year-old son who is in his second year of college, so when I hugged Mrs. Wells, it was as if I was hugging myself,” she expressed.“The family needs space to progress through such a massive loss. Let’s continue to pray for their peace, their hearts and their strength to navigate.”
The restauranteur decided with Nichols’ family to use some of Tyre’s photography on canvasses in the restaurant to uplift the man’s creative endeavors and make him feel present at the repast.
Chef Tam provided comforting soul food, and the list of the food supplied by dozens of different restaurants in the community is extensive.
“Felicia Suzanne’s provided the deviled eggs; McEwen’s who provided cheese grits; Rendevous provided sausage and cheese platters; Red Iris Restaurant and The Second Line donated red beans and rice; Tsunami donated chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce; Muddy’s Bake Shop contributed cookies and brownies; Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen provided Italian Meat Balls and Polenta; Cocozza donated lasagna; Acre Restaurant provided sweet potato and sausage hash; Ecco donated tiramisu dessert; Sunrise contributed assorted biscuits; and Beauty Shop Restaurant donated turkey and gravy with cranberry chutney.”
Chef Tam opened her restaurant in 2018, and the Memphis restaurant scene isn’t the only one that’s come out to support Nichols’ family. As reported by News Onyx, the GoFundMe fundraiser was set up to help cover the expense of necessities and funeral costs for the Nichols family after Tyre was brutally beaten to death by 5 Memphis police officers during a traffic stop, has raised almost $1.5 million.