Photos courtesy of Danielle Deavours.
Danielle Deavours, co-owner of Hoover Steaks & Wines
Left: Danielle Deavours, co-owner of Hoover Steaks & Wines. Right: A sample of their offerings.
Q: What made you transition from being an assistant professor at Samford to a restaurant owner/operator?
A: I was an assistant professor of broadcast journalism for six years prior to deciding to open Hoover Steaks & Wines with my husband, Patrick, and our business partners. While I love academia and teaching, I wanted to support my husband’s vision of serving the community through a local business. Our background in education, communication, marketing and PR has helped us to build a business that is centered on friendly, exceptional customer service with knowledgeable expertise for every level of food and wine lover. Our passion for culinary experiences is surpassed only by our love of sharing it with others, so we felt a locally owned restaurant, butcher and wine shop was fulfilling a need for the area [where] we live. Patrick and I both left our traditional careers to start this venture, along with our other three business partners who also own their own financial firm, and we are so thankful we took that leap in order to give back to the Hoover community, which has given so much to us.
Q: How long has the idea of opening a wine and fine meats store been a goal of yours?
A: My husband and I have thought about opening a small business for a few years, but it was really about two years ago that we, along with our other three business partners, dreamed up the concept for a hybrid restaurant, wine bar, butcher shop and wine store. We knew it would be the perfect fit for Hoover since we’ve been longtime Hoover residents. Three of the five owners, including my husband and I, are Hoover High graduates, and Patrick and I actually met at Hoover High School. Our daughter is in Hoover City Schools now at Brock’s Gap, and all of our owners live in Hoover. We love this community, and we felt giving back to Hoover was one of the best goals we could have. We could have never dreamed of the store being so successful and embraced by the community like it has been.
Q: What is the most exciting part of your job?
A: Being able to serve our customers is one of the best parts of my job. We love our community, and we believe in exceptional, local and neighborly customer service. It’s been such a pleasure to get to know so many of our fellow Hoover and Birmingham residents through this opportunity, and seeing our regular and new customers is the highlight of my day. It really is special to help take care of people and help them celebrate life through food and wine, and we love getting to share our passion for it with our neighbors. I also think being able to educate our customers about wine and specialty meat is extremely exciting. The meat and wine buying experience can be intimidating for many that don’t have a background in these areas.
Q: What do customers say is their favorite part about Hoover Steaks & Wines?
A: Our customers appreciate our high quality of food paired with our expertise, wide selection of meats and wines, great prices and exceptional customer service. We really have something for everyone, whether you need a quick, ready-made meal to go from our pre-made meals; an exceptional lunch, dinner or brunch at the restaurant; a great cut of meat; wine from around the world; retail gifts; catering for your business or personal event; or just a fun evening out with loved ones.
Hoover Steaks & Wines is at 5868 Elsie Road, directly across from the Hoover Met in the new Knox Square shopping center. Find out more at hooversteaksandwines.com or on Instagram and Facebook @hooversteaksandwines.
