Metro Roundup: Oak House restaurant coming to Mt Laurel

Travis Grappo has been in the restaurant business for years. He and his family moved to Birmingham from Vero Beach, Florida, in 2007 when he had an opportunity to work as an operating partner with Fleming’s at The Summit.

“I’m a native Floridian, and my wife is from Oregon,” Grappo said. “She had no idea what Alabama looked like, and I’d never been anywhere other than Mobile. When we got into Birmingham, we were pleasantly surprised and signed on the dotted line immediately.”

After six years with Fleming’s, Grappo had another job opportunity: to start the Metro Diner market in Alabama in 2016. He was quickly promoted the next year to director of operations, and the family headed to Tampa, where they stayed for three years. When the pandemic hit, Grappo’s position with the company was furloughed, so he and his family moved back to Birmingham — specifically, Mt Laurel — in 2020.

“We love where we live, and this area has grown,” he said. “It still feels quaint, and it still feels like the suburbs; we love it out here.”

When a friend introduced Grappo to Bill Thornton, the landlord for Dunnavant Square, the two had an instant connection. The empty space in Dunnavant Square beside O’Henry’s Coffee would give Grappo the opportunity to start his own restaurant, something he’s always wanted to do. He said he knew Thornton would make a great business partner.  

“I met Bill and could immediately tell I’d love for him to be my landlord, and I trusted his vision for the area,” Grappo said. “Who better to have as your partner than your landlord? I knew he would always have my interest in mind. That was a match made in heaven.”

Enlisting a group of family and friends to help him choose a name, Grappo said Oak House was the unanimous choice. It’s named for the Double Oak Mountain area in which it is located, and his daughter’s name, Aylah, also means “oak tree” in Hebrew.

Oak House

WHERE: 300 Carlow Lane (Dunnavant Square off Shelby County 41)

HOURS: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday but plans to offer brunch in 2022

Grappo had one person in mind for his head chef: Oliver Robinson, his former partner at Fleming’s. The two had kept in touch over the years and weren’t just business partners, but also friends. Robinson had been running his own successful food truck business, and Grappo said it took the two of them sitting down at lunch for about five minutes for him to say yes.

“We always said one day we would recreate that Fleming’s partnership we had and do our own thing,”Grappo said. “Here we are in 2021, and it’s coming to fruition. The opportunity for this to happen right here in our neighborhood,  it just couldn’t have been written any better.”

Grappo will be joined by his wife, Sarah, as co-owner and is looking forward to the two of them working together. Sarah was instrumental in creating the restaurant’s interior, which features an “eclectic, modern, fresh and inviting environment,” he said.

“It’s very much a more contemporary modern version of an upscale restaurant,” Grappo said. “We got away from the dark mahogany and wood colors and wanted to make it a little more clean and bright. An Italian marble top bar will be a focal point upon entering the restaurant.”

His vision for the restaurant is a place where people feel like they are downtown but don’t have to make the drive. Oak House will offer a high quality beverage program with amazing hospitality from owners who are there each day.

The space is just shy of 2,400 square feet, with seating for 22 at the bar and an additional 60 seats in the dining room. In spring 2022, the outdoor patio is scheduled open and seat around 20. Grappo also plans to hire 20 team members, bringing more jobs to the area.

Oak House will offer upscale American fare and feature items including steak, seafood, scallops, seabass and a signature Oak House pasta with sides of macaroni and cheese, sautéed spinach and asparagus.

Grappo said he is planning to open Oak House in mid-December. Reservations are highly recommended, and the restaurant will use the Tock platform that will be available on the restaurant’s website, oakhouseeats.com.

“I’m a glass-half-full guy; it’s how I look at life,” Grappo said. “I believe there’s a silver lining to everything that happens. Had COVID not happened, we may still be in Tampa, but I was able to pivot and basically make my own success now doing it on my own.”