A note was left here once. Handwritten by a psychic who had met a ghostly spirit upstairs, it read like this. “Please encourage your patrons to treat your rooms and the spirits within them with the respect they deserve, and hear their stories.”

Soul burgers, bottled beer, cracked floor tiles, gaping holes in the walls, and tables that don't quite sit right. They're all part of the fabric of Earnestine & Hazel's, a nightclub turned brothel turned dive bar that's been a Memphis institution since Russell George unlocked the doors in 1992.  

Nothing about that needs to change. Okay, the place could use some new bar stools. Maybe an "E" on the sign. But that's it.

For years, Earnestine's has been a reliable, stubborn holdout in a sea of trendy bars with gimmicky entertainment, flat screen t.v.'s, craft beer, and craftier cocktails. All you needed to have a good time there was some cash for the jukebox and a tip for the band.

Sign this petition to let new ownership know that Memphis does not want to see Earnestine & Hazel's become modernized, that the city does not want to see one of its last real places become a Beale Street, Broadway, or Rainey Street parody. 

Sign this petition to let new management know that the worn out dive bar is perfect the way it's always been—cracks, dust, ghosts, holes, and all. The simplest recipe for success at Earnestine & Hazel's? Salt, pepper, and cheese on the soul burger.

Memphis has already lost most of the familiar faces behind those burgers. Please, don't change another thing.

Update: no official plans for renovation have been announced by E&H. E&H maintains they have no intention to renovate. This petition is meant to give people who love the bar as it is a voice during a time of transition.