Contact:
Melinda Medlin or Kent Landers
Thompson & Baker
901/527-8000

or

Andrew Groveman
Belz Enterprises
901-260-7278

Miami meets Main Street as new shop opens at Peabody Place

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, May 12, 1999 – South Beach Sunglasses opened a 416-square-foot store Saturday, May 8, in the Pembroke Square development at 125 S. Main Street.

As the first upscale sunglass retailer to open in Memphis, South Beach offers a broad selection of designer brands, including Gucci, Alain Mikli, Blinde Optics, Kata, Revo, Persol, Oakley, Modo and Maui Jim.

"Our product line brings a unique concept to Memphis," said Johnna Popper, owner of South Beach Sunglasses. "We will offer the broadest line of designer sunglasses in the region, with the Blinde Optics label being exclusive to Memphis."

A Memphis native, Popper developed the concept for her store during a 10-year residency in Miami. She said the shop’s upscale brands and designs will bring a piece of Miami to downtown Memphis.

"As downtown continues to grow, the accessibility and attractiveness of Peabody Place makes it a strategic location for business," she said. "The increasing number of employees and residents downtown generates great visibility for Main Street retailers."

South Beach Sunglasses is the newest addition to Belz Enterprises’ Peabody Place development in downtown Memphis. When completed, Peabody Place will contain approximately two million square feet of space, with 762 hotel rooms, 201 apartments, 565,000 square feet of office space, 420,000 square feet of retail space, and 3,600 parking spaces.

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