“Go to work every morning and work hard.” It’s that simple in the eyes of Charlie Vergos, owner and founder of the world famous Rendezvous, a Memphis barbecue institution that is a regular stop for out-of-town visitors and natives alike. The Rendezvous was started in a downtown basement and today is 22,000 square feet and can (and often does) seat 700 people at a time. In its more than 50 years of existence, Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous has been largely responsible for giving Memphis the reputation for unbeatable barbecue.
Charlie Vergos’ civic involvements include the Center City Commission, the Orpheum Development Foundation, Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Beale Street Commission, The Memphis Restaurant Association, MIFA Food Pantry, and the Boys Club of Memphis. Charlie was a 1994 inductee into the Society of Entrepreneurs.
The Rendezvous Restaurant, began in a downtown basement, has grown to a 22,000 square foot operation seating 700 people. Not only is the barbecue well known to locals, but also it is a rare visitor to Memphis that does not stop in to eat and see what has become a Memphis landmark.
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“‘Go to work every morning and work hard.”
