The disco ball says it all. It greets you as you enter the door at The Studio Karaoke in Poplar Plaza.
Deidre Ellis is the visionary behind this new entertainment offering for Memphis — her love letter, she says, to the city that raised her and afforded her endless opportunities, including this one.
“Memphis needs more joy and I wanted to create a space that’s just for that,” said Ellis. “Memphis is a gem and we deserve spaces like this. My job as the ‘chief joy curator’ is to make this the celebration destination.”
The Studio Karaoke will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting Saturday, Feb. 28, 1-3 p.m., at 3460 Plaza Ave.
For the last several months, a “soft launch” has enabled Ellis and her shoestring team to perfect the current product offerings and prepare for the official public launch.
The Studio Karaoke, the first of its kind in Memphis, features five private Memphis-themed suites where families, friends, colleagues and more can come together over food, drinks and music to connect and have fun.
“My family was the first group to come experience The Studio. We’ve had work groups, birthday parties, and even people who just happened to stop by, and we had a suite available for them,” said Ellis. “It’s a place for everyone.”
Though karaoke was created by a Japanese engineer and made its U.S. debut on the West Coast in 1982. It became even more popular on the East Coast in the 90s and 2000s, with Karaoke-themed bars and restaurants popping up. Ellis saw a need for this new offering in Memphis when she returned in 2021.
“After living in Maryland and spending time in D.C., and coming home during the pandemic to be with family, I realized there was a void in this space. And the time and opportunity presented itself — I had to go for it,” said Ellis.
Ellis, whose background is in business, marketing, international education and tech, was working for a company when she moved back to Memphis, but lost that job in January of 2024. She soon found herself working on a business plan for this new venture. She realized every move she had made throughout her career prepared her for this moment.
“Before Houston’s closed, I even worked there for six months to gain some restaurant and bar experience,” she said. “And I’ve learned a lot from the entrepreneurial community in Memphis.”
She interfaced with organizations like Epicenter, the Small Business Development Center, Memphis Medical District Collaborative, Memphis Public Libraries and its SCORE program, and the MMBC Continuum. They, along with other small business owners, informed and empowered her every step of the way.
In April 2024, Ellis wrote the business plan and started her research, visiting several “karaoke boxes” (as they are called) across the country. It took her a year to find the right space but once she got the keys in September 2025, the plan was put into motion.
“We have all of our permits, licenses — including food and liquor — and we’re ready to go. That’s not everyone’s story, but I’m thankful it’s ours,” said Ellis.
The grand opening event will be block party style with festive activities inside and out. Attendees will have an opportunity to try out the karaoke software developed by Lyrical Systems, based out of Oregon. The company is constantly adding to the library of 70K+ songs and has a dedicated librarian who adds songs daily.
“We’re the first company in the South to partner with them, which is amazing because companies from overseas don’t necessarily have the songs we want to sing here,” said Ellis.
In addition to having a great song selection, there is also a vast array of languages users can choose from.
“We’ve had a guest visit three times — once with a few family members, once more with more family members and a third time with her work friends. We can see the songs they’re singing on the backend and saw that they were singing in Mandarin,” said Ellis.
In addition to showing off their karaoke skills, attendees will also be able to purchase some of the signature cocktails The Studio Karaoke will offer on its menu, as well as some of the food options.
“We’re hoping to partner with CiCi’s pizza in the future for kids’ parties,” said Ellis. “We’re also working with schools to become a location for field trips.”
Speaking of the future, once this one is running and thriving, Ellis plans to open additional locations across the city.
“I’m not the first entrepreneur in my family, but maybe the first to do something of this scale. I hope my children realize that when they grow up, they can do this, too. There are no limits,” said Ellis.
The Studio Karaoke, at 3460 Plaza Ave., is located in the northwest corner of Poplar Plaza (directly behind the Kroger gas station, behind CiCi’s pizza). Attendees can register to attend the grand opening for free here.
The Studio Karaoke is open Wednesday and Thursday, 4-10 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. Visit https://thestudiokaraoke.com/
