Decatur seeing more restaurants open, 1 to close

Bayne Hughes, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·4 min read

Jul. 26—Decatur's restaurant scene continues to change with the addition of eateries featuring a variety of styles of food while a bakery shop is closing its downtown store this week.

Crystal Brown, president and chief executive officer of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, said the city's business scene is changing.

"There's a lot of interest in Decatur because of everything that's going on in the city," Brown said. "It's good to have this much going on. We're real fortunate."

Red Pier

Red Pier Cajun Seafood & Bar opened this month at 1208 Beltline Road S.W. Sam's Sports Grill was in this location before closing in February 2021.

Red Pier opened July 12, more than a year after the company said it planned to open in Decatur. Bethany Peterson, general manager of the Decatur operation, said Friday that the delay was due to the difficulty in finding staff and "getting them to stay long enough to get through training."

Peterson, a Priceville native and resident, said this is the Memphis-based chain's first Alabama restaurant and 17th overall. The chain includes Red Hook Cajun Seafood restaurants.

Dectown

Decatur natives Latasha and Dekendrick McClendon plan to open Dectown Restaurant at 1051 Grant St. S.E. in August. Surrounded by residential homes, the building at Grant and Somerville Road is the former home of Albany Bistro and Whisk'd Café.

Latasha McClendon said this will be an "American food" restaurant serving mainly burgers and wings. They're also planning to serve seafood on Fridays featuring crab boils, Sunday brunch and soul food on Sunday afternoons.

She said one of the reasons they're opening the restaurant is to employ individuals with disabilities like their group home clients. The McClendons own three group homes and plan to open six more early next year.

"Some people don't want to give individuals with disabilities a job," Latasha McLendon said. "And these individuals just want to get out and live free like everyone else."

Dectown will be open Wednesdays from noon until 2 p.m. just for individuals with disabilities, and the food then will be offered at a 60% discount, she said.

The McClendons also plan to open in September a day center at 305 Second Ave. S.E. in the old Strayer University offices. This will be a job skills center that prepares individuals with disabilities to find, apply for, interview and hold a job, Latasha McClendon said.

Milson's Pizzeria

Milson's Pizzeria is opening its second location when it takes over what is now the Luci's Pizza Buffet in the Beltline Place Shopping Center. The location was also previously home to Cici's Pizza.

A family business owned by Milson Banaca Perez, the first Milson's Pizzeria is on South Jefferson Street in Athens. Perez said he's hoping to continue to expand his restaurant company into a number of other north Alabama cities.

Perez said the pizzeria, like its predecessors in that location, will be a pizza buffet. He said he takes over the restaurant space this week with the hope of opening this fall.

Coffee shops

Owners Judah and Julia Frank opened Beam Roast Coffee Shop on July 11 in the former Cedar Ridge Golf Course's pro shop across from Austin High School at 3030 Modaus Road S.W. The site is also the former home of Best Taste in Town.

Beam is a family owned and operated small-batch coffee roastery. Julia Frank, who is a Decatur native along with her husband, said "all of our coffee is roasted on site." It will have single-origin coffees from Ethiopia and Colombia.

The shop also includes coffee pods for Keurig machines, drip coffee, espressos and tea, Julia Frank said.

Another coffee shop, Dutch Bros. Coffee, plans to build and locate at the former Pizza Hut building at 1809 Beltline Road S.W. on Decatur Mall property.

The Planning Commission this month approved a site plan that includes demolishing the pizza building and replacing it with a drive-thru and walk-up coffee shop. The development is by Cole Valley Partners, of Portland, Oregon.

"There won't be any inside sales," City Planner Lee Terry said.

According to the company's website, Dutch Bros. began in 1992 as a pushcart in Grant's Pass, Oregon, by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma. There are now more than 270 Dutch Bros. stores located mostly in the West and Southwest with five in Tennessee.

Dutch Bros. sells hot and cold drinks, including non-coffee options, and a selection of baked goods.

Sweets by Jordan

There is one business loss coming, with Jordan Adcock announcing Sweets by Jordan is closing its bakery storefront on Second Avenue Southeast after just 18 months. The storefront closes on Thursday.

Adcock said in her announcement on Facebook that she is closing the storefront "due to the rising costs of supplies and ingredients that my desserts require and despite raising the prices multiple times I can no longer compete with this economy!"

Adcock said she still plans to operate under her cottage food license, which allows her to work out of her home. Her products will still be available for special order.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.