Newby’s is open again on the Highland Strip, nearly nine months after the 50-year-old college bar shut its doors near the University of Memphis. The venue closed permanently on November 30, 2025, ending five decades as a campus-area hangout, before reopening this year under new ownership with a revamped menu and a sharper focus on Memphis sports.
The reopening is detailed in a report from The Daily Helmsman, which describes the bar’s new owner, University of Memphis alumnus Sam Stalnaker, working to reposition Newby’s as, in his words, the official University of Memphis sports bar. According to the outlet, Stalnaker wants the space to double as a low-key study spot during the day, telling the paper he wants students to use Newby’s as a relaxed place to bring laptops and do homework.
That daytime pitch is a notable shift for a bar that built its reputation as something rowdier. Newby’s was established in 1975 by David “Newby” Harsh, originally under the name The Bull Shotte before the rename that helped cement its local nickname as the college bar you never graduate from, according to The Commercial Appeal. Over its history, the venue built a regional reputation as a concert hall, hosting acts including John Mayer, Creed, Rufus Thomas, Funkadelic, Better Than Ezra and Kid Rock, and it once incorporated an adjacent 1950s movie theater for shows, as Hoodline previously reported.
A Simpler Menu and a Basketball Wall
Inside, the new Newby’s has revamped its menu around familiar sports-bar food rather than upscale dining, per the Helmsman’s report. Stalnaker described the approach bluntly: “It’s just simple. It’s a good, simple sports bar menu.” The bar added four cooks with restaurant experience to run the kitchen, and the menu includes chicken wings with honey gold sauce and ranch made in-house…