Hoover Business Happenings - September 2021
Now Open
Shay's Jewelers has completed its relocation from 3301 Lorna Road, Suite 1, in The Village on Lorna shopping center to the former location of Diamond World at 1676 Montgomery Highway, Suite 103-C, in the Patton Chapel Plaza shopping center. 205-978-5880
Hoover resident Janet Arledge has opened a billiard hall called Axe House Billiards in 7,000 square feet of the northernmost part of the Hoover Court shopping center at 1901 Hoover Court, Suite B. The location formerly was home to a gun store called All-American Outdoors and, before that, Tidmore Flags. The hall has 10 new Diamond pool tables, and Arledge said she planned to have two to four dart stations and a small bar. The hall has pool league play and pool tables for anyone who wants to drop in and play by the hour. 205-407-4005
Otoro Hibachi has opened as a Japanese restaurant in the former location of Sanpeggio's Pizza at 3435 South Shades Crest Road. 205-637-0835
General Informatics, an information technology company based in Baton Rouge, has opened an office in The Offices at 3000 Riverchase at 3000 Galleria Circle, Suite 1550. A grand opening was July 29. 205-413-4454
Plenty of Vino, a wine, craft beer, houseplant and vintage decor shop, held a ribbon cutting for its new store at 1650 Montgomery Highway on July 8. 205-874-9463
Ben Williams and his silent partner and brother, Zac Williams, opened Whiskey Foxtrot Burger Dive in the 2,700-square-foot former location of Jubilee Joe's Cajun and Seafood Restaurant in the Lake Crest Plaza at 2341 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 119, on July 20. The restaurant specializes in burgers, hot dogs, beer and whiskey. 205-536-6172
Square 1 Nutrition recently opened at 5291 Valleydale Road, Suite 119. The smoothie and juice bar offers loaded teas, meal replacement shakes and health shots. 205-789-2278
Taziki's founder Keith Richards recently opened GRK Street at 5291 Valleydale Road, a new fast-casual restaurant inspired by the fast-paced food found in the streets of downtown Athens. 205-383-3193
Coming Soon
Ryu Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, 2760 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 108, is preparing to open in the former location of Yuki Japanese Restaurant at 2760 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 108, in the Colonial Promenade Hoover shopping center.
Montclair Restaurants plans to put a Taco Bell restaurant with a drive-thru at 1553 Montgomery Highway. The site formerly was home to a Blockbuster video store and later a flooring store. The plan is to tear that building down and build a new restaurant.
Chicken Scratch Holdings plans to open its fourth Zaxby's restaurant in Hoover on 0.73 acres at 2071 Patton Chapel Road, next to the Walmart Neighborhood Market. The restaurant will have a double-lane drive-thru and outdoor seating only, with a maximum of 16 outdoor seats and 20 parking spaces. The plan is to open the restaurant in the first quarter of 2022, said Russell Pate, one of the owners. Chicken Scratch Holdings has a total of nine Zaxby's restaurants in the Birmingham area. The others in Hoover are on John Hawkins Parkway, in The Village at Lee Branch and on Valleydale Road near Caldwell Mill Road.
ATI Physical Therapy, 1539 Montgomery Highway, plans to open a new location in a 2,250-square-foot spot in the Hoover Crossings shopping center at 1539 Montgomery Highway.
IRA Holdings and Lorna Road Properties (with John Beard as the managing member) plan to open a used car dealership called Birmingham Luxury Motors at 2970 Lorna Road. The property has had multiple uses in the past, including a car dealership, home health care company and college. It includes about 19,900 square feet of office space and parking areas spread over 3.9 acres. 205-729-6961
The Goldfish Swim School plans to open in a vacant space next to Target at 5549 Grove Boulevard in The Grove shopping center. It is a national company that teaches children ages 4 months to 12 years old how to swim in indoor heated pools. There are 140 locations of the Goldfish Swim School in 34 states, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada, according to the company’s website.
Relocations and Renovations
Jack's Family Restaurant plans to tear down its restaurant at 3429 Lorna Road and rebuild in the same location with a newer design similar to the one in downtown Homewood. 205-822-9870
Revere Control Systems plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and other offices in 12 buildings along Rocky Ridge Road near Interstate 65 to a 15-acre site that formerly held a Winn-Dixie grocery store at 5201 Princeton Way, near the intersection of John Hawkins Parkway and Interstate 459. Construction was expected to begin in August and take about a year, according to information the company supplied to the city of Hoover. The Hoover City Council on Aug. 2 approved a $580,000 tax break to keep the company in Hoover and fill the long-vacant retail space. 205-824-0004
Birmingham Wellness Massage on Aug. 16 relocated its Hoover massage studio from 3081 Lorna Road to The Awtrey Building at 5330 Stadium Trace Parkway, Suite 335. 205-293-0630
Down Syndrome Alabama in July relocated its office from Vestavia Hills to Suite 1500 in The Offices at 3000 Riverchase, the office tower next to the Riverchase Galleria. 205-988-0810
New Ownership
Sunny Acuwell Massage Therapy, 3726 Lorna Road in the River Oaks Village shopping center, is under new ownership. 205-587-6337
News and Accomplishments
Highlands College, 1701 Lee Branch Lane, has received a $20 million donation from Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green and the Green family that will fully fund the institution’s first of two residence halls. Highlands College officials broke ground for the residence hall in July. Plans call for a five-floor facility with more than 68,000 square feet and 126 rooms for 252 students. Completion is expected in late 2022. Students will move in soon after. Because of the Green family gift, Highlands College will construct the residence hall debt-free. Highlands College is a private two-year institution that is scheduled to offer a four-year program within a few years. Its strategic plan calls for growth to 1,000 students by 2029 with a vision for all students to graduate debt-free. A new 70-acre campus located in the Grandview area of Birmingham set to open later this year features a student center, 19 learning studios, eight hands-on ministry training labs, multiple collaborative areas, dining facilities, cafe, library, fitness and recreation facilities, a multi-purpose auditorium and the latest in audio-visual technology. 205-731-7339
Personnel Moves
Belk, based in Charlotte, has promoted Nir Patel from president and chief merchandising officer to CEO, replacing Lisa Harper, who had been CEO since July 2016. Patel joined Belk in 2016 as executive vice president and was promoted to chief merchandising officer in 2018 and president in 2020. Before coming to Belk, he was a senior vice president with Kohl’s, a vice president at Land’s End and worked for Abercrombie & Fitch, Target and Gap. Belk also promoted Don Hendricks from chief operating officer to president and hired Chris Kolbe as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Harper now is serving as executive chairwoman of the Belk board of directors. 205-987-4200
Kimberly Jackson of Alabama Power Co. and Tyler Lipe of Regions have joined the board of directors for the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce. 205-988-5672
Anniversaries
Touch & Glow Nails and Spa, 1021 Brock’s Gap Parkway in The Village at Brock’s Gap, is celebrating its one-year anniversary in September. 205-821-1182
Mills Pharmacy, 758 Shades Mountain Plaza, and its 13 locations across the Birmingham area in August celebrated the opening of the first location. 205-823-9500
Cinnaholic, the gourmet cinnamon roll bakery at 270 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 300, in the Village at Lee Branch, is celebrating its first anniversary in September. Guests can customize their creations with made-from-scratch sweets. 205-573-6166