The oldest business on Beale Street
A. Schwab has stood on Beale Street since 1876, the oldest business on the strip and the last of the original storefronts still operating. The creaky-floored dry-goods store keeps a working soda fountain and candy counter downstairs and a museum of century-old merchandise upstairs.
Its motto — 'If you can't find it at Schwab's, you're probably better off without it' — still fits a shop stocked with hats, harmonicas, hoodoo candles, and Memphis souvenirs, a genuine relic of Beale Street's heyday.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Selection follows the published criteria; A. Schwab met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Memphis since 1876 — 149 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Memphis.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Memphis has kept A. Schwab busy for 149 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Memphis regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best historic shop in Memphis for 2025 for anchoring Beale Street since 1876 with dry goods, souvenirs, and a working soda fountain.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
The details, verified.
- Legal / trading name
- A. Schwab
- Category
- Shop
- Founded
- 1876, Memphis, TN
- Location
- Memphis, TN
- Centurion Award
- Best Historic Shop in Memphis — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
Frequently asked questions.
What is A. Schwab?
Open since 1876, A. Schwab is the last original business on Beale Street, with creaking floors and an old-fashioned soda fountain.
Is A. Schwab award-winning?
Yes — A. Schwab is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Historic Shop in Memphis, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best historic shop in Memphis for 2025 for anchoring Beale Street since 1876 with dry goods, souvenirs, and a working soda fountain.
Where is A. Schwab?
A. Schwab is in Memphis, TN.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Historic Shop in Memphis Memphis, TN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit A. Schwab
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for A. Schwab (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear.
Own this business? Claim the listing for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.