Now Open
Greg Milam in November opened Camp Bow Wow, a dog day care, boarding and grooming facility at 2153 Clearbrook Road in Hoover. The 7,400-square-foot facility features three indoor and outdoor play areas, 49 suites and cabins for overnight stays, plus live web cams so pet parents can check in on their dogs any time. The facility also offers a range of grooming options and has employees who are trained in pet CPR, dog health and dog behaviors. 205-848-2236
La Paz Restaurant and Cantina opened at 3623 Market St. in Ross Bridge on Nov. 15. 659-202-0123
Certified financial planner Joe Prokop in December opened a new Edward Jones office in Suite 250 of an office building at 2279 Valleydale Road. Prokop is moving from an existing Edward Jones office at 5336 Stadium Trace Parkway, Suite 114, in Trace Crossings, which will remain an active office as well. 205-573-0228
Napa Auto Parts has opened at 1775 Montgomery Highway in the Riverchase Crossings shopping center between Big Lots and Legends Barber Shop. 659-238-0615
NASCAR driver Bobby Reuse and Bonita Riddle opened the first Alabama location of the Florida-based I Heart Mac and Cheese restaurant chain in Hoover at 2503 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 101, near the intersection of John Hawkins Parkway and Preserve Parkway. I Heart Mac and Cheese serves a variety of health-conscious bases including quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, gluten-free pasta, plant-based protein, vegan and dairy-free alternatives, as well as an extensive array of traditional mac & cheese and sandwich options. Guests select a base along with a choice of 10 proteins, 11 vegetables and nine kinds of cheese. 561-300-5343
Crazy Crepes has opened in The Plaza at Riverchase shopping center at 1845 Montgomery Highway, Suite 221, between Salon 31 and Angel Spa. The shop serves crepes, lemonade, boba tea, mocha, triple chocolate cake, cake pops, pumpkin spice bars and brownies. 270-320-9854
The Falafel Cafe in downtown Birmingham has opened a second location in Hoover in The Plaza at Riverchase shopping center at 1837 Montgomery Highway, Suite 103. The cafe serves Mediterranean food with a menu that includes falafels, baba ganoush, pitas, laffas, rice plates, mujaddara, hummus, salads, fries, grape leaves, baklava and maamoul. The cafe is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. 205-202-4438
Bheem Pasala and partner Mahesh Wahwani have opened Hoover Indo-Pak Groceries in The Centre at Riverchase shopping center at 1694 Montgomery Highway, Suite 132. It’s their first venture into the grocery business. About 70% of the store is Indian food, and about 30% is Pakistani food, said Pasala, who is the operator. Their grocery features certain foods that are particular to south India, as well as a halal meat section. It is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. 205-848-2526
Precision Tactical Arms held its grand opening celebration Dec. 6 for its new location at 105 Inverness Corners. It is located between Fresenius Medical Care and Verizon. 205-848-8212
The Guthrie’s chicken restaurant has opened a new location in the former Zaxby’s spot at 4629 U.S. 280 S. 205-834-8164
Birmingham Wellness Massage has opened a second Hoover location at 2236 Cahaba Valley Drive, Suite 101, and plans to have a ribbon cutting and grand opening Jan. 5. 205-224-9406
Capella Pizzeria has opened in the Inverness Village shopping center at 4700 U.S. 280, Suite 13. 205-438-6108
Burn Boot Camp had a soft opening for its new Meadow Brook location at 1801 Doug Baker Blvd. in December and is having its grand opening throughout the month of January. The head trainer is Annie Veal, and support trainers are Lindsey Byrd and Brittany Swearengen. The head “burn ambassador” at the front desk is Hannah Ford. 205-903-8154
Coming Soon
The Naaman Clinic, a dermatology and skin cancer surgery clinic at 100 Concourse Parkway, Suite 265, in Riverchase, is building a new office in the Tattersall Park development near the intersection of U.S. 280 and Alabama 119. Most of the staff is expected to relocate to the new office as their primary worksite, but the Riverchase office will remain open as well, said Alyssa Cosby, a receptionist at the clinic. The target timeframe for opening the new office is next fall, Cosby said. The Naaman Clinic specializes in medical laser and cosmetic procedures. The clinic also offers services at other doctors’ offices in Trussville, Montgomery, Gadsden and Sylacauga. 205-453-4195
Relocations and Renovations
Buff City Soap, offering soaps, bath bombs, laundry soap and more has relocated from their previous location at 5631 U.S. 280 to a new space in Lee Branch Shopping Center. The store has other locations in Hoover and Mountain Brook. 205-730-9199
The Desi Brothers Farmers Market in Suite 109 of The Plaza at Riverchase shopping center at 1853 Montgomery Highway has leased another 5,000 square feet of space next door in Suite 103, said Mayur Patel, one of three owners and the manager of the Hoover location. The space is currently being used as a storage area, but the plan is to expand the retail shopping area of the store into that space, Patel said. 205-733-7112
RealtySouth has closed its office at 1220 Alford Ave., and some of the agents from that office have relocated to the RealtySouth office at 2409 Acton Road. 205-978-9000
News and Accomplishments
The Hoover City Council gave Biscuit Belly a license to sell alcoholic beverages at 1031 Brock’s Gap Parkway, Suite 157, in the The Village at Brock’s Gap shopping center.
Waverly Advisors, formerly WA Asset Management, recently announced the acquisition of Sandifer Wealth Management of Mobile, marking its fourth location in the state. This will be Waverly’s ninth office in the southeast, as the firm looks to continue its expansion moving into the new year. Waverly Advisors Birmingham firm serves Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and other surrounding areas. 205-871-3334
Regions, which has an operations center at 2090 Office Parkway Circle and numerous branches in Hoover, has been designated as a 2023 Military Friendly Employer and 2023 Military Spouse Friendly Employer by Military Friendly, an organization that measures the commitment of companies to create professional opportunities that leverage military experience. Regions established a career transition program called BRAVE – Building Regions Associate Veteran Experience – specifically for the purpose of supporting veterans and military spouses during their transitions to the civilian workforce. The bank is also a member of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, a Department of Defense career program connecting military spouses with hundreds of member employers who commit to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. Further, Regions works with the national program Hiring Our Heroes, which helps connect transitioning service members and their families with career opportunities. 256-562-2200
The owners of Hoover Tactical Firearms, Gene Smith and Thomas Wright, have sold the building where Hoover Tactical operates to Vestavia Hills-based Sanders Capital Partners for $3.2 million. However, Hoover Tactical immediately signed a 20-year lease on the property and plans to stay in business there, Smith said. 205-822-3600
The Riverchase Galleria won the 2022 Exceptional Heart Award from Heart Gallery Alabama, a nonprofit that connects youth in foster care with caring adults who provide them with stability and guidance by being mentors, foster parents or adoptive parents. The Galleria has been partnering with Heart Gallery Alabama since 2014 by allowing the nonprofit to post a display with photos of foster children awaiting adoption or in need of other support. Since that time, at least 30 children have been adopted as a result of their photos being seen in the Galleria, Senior General Manager Mike White said. 205-985-3019
Personnel Moves
Dr. Kelsey McCluskey, an optometrist, and Dr. Jessica Duddleston, an ophthalmologist, have joined the staff of the Alabama Vision Center, which operates at 7191 Cahaba Valley Road, Suite 203, in Hoover and 3928 Montclair Road in Mountain Brook. McCluskey’s clinical services include: comprehensive routine eye care, treatment and management of ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, dry eyes, glaucoma, and binocular vision disorders. McCluskey also fits specialty contact lenses, including scleral lenses and orthokeratology lenses for myopia control. Duddleston is a comprehensive ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, laser eye procedures, medical and surgical glaucoma, diabetic eye exams, and macular degeneration, among other things. 205-991-2021
Megan Scarano joined the ABC 33/40 news team as a weekend anchor and reporter in October. Scarano previously spent two years at a sister station in New Bern, North Carolina, as a multimedia journalist and weekend anchor. She is originally from West Virginia and graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and dance. 205-403-3340
Joseph Bolen
Joseph Bolen is now serving as the practice manager at OrthoAlabama Spine & Sports at 1801 Gadsden Highway in Trussville and 118 Mars Hill Road in Hoover. Bolen joins the practice with over 15 years of diverse experience in healthcare administration in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Prior to joining OrthoAlabama Spine & Sports, Bolen spent a decade serving as an executive at area reproductive medicine clinics. His expertise is broad in scope, and he has served in multiple capacities in different areas of medicine throughout the region. Bolen brings with him a host of practical knowledge in administration to help OrthoAlabama Spine & Sports better serve its patients and community. 205-228-7600
Closings
On Tap Sports Cafe in November closed its location at the Rivechase Galleria at 3340 Galleria Circle. The sports bar and restaurant had been on the mall campus since 2008 and expanded to a 6,000-square-foot outparcel in 2015. The chain’s locations in Inverness Corners, Liberty Park and Fultondale remain open.
