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Local woman takes over at A La Mode

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Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.

Sara Calhoun knew for a long time she wanted to own her own business. She graduated from the University of Alabama last May with a degree in restaurant and hospitality management and a concentration on event planning. After working at her dad’s company for a year and a half, an unexpected opportunity came along.

The original owner of A La Mode, located on Doug Baker Boulevard, decided to sell the business just a few weeks after it opened. Calhoun knew the owner from her other business, The Urban Barn, and saw the sale posted on social media. She bought it and took over the business on Nov. 3, just a month after it opened.

“Growing up, I wanted my own place,” said Calhoun, 24. “My dad owns his own business [Fast Signs in Hoover], and I learned from him and saw what he did.  I decided I wanted my own business, something small, not a chain. I couldn’t pass it up, it was a perfect opportunity.”

Calhoun is a local product, growing up in Eagle Point and graduating from Oak Mountain High School. She and her husband, John, were married in June and they live in Chelsea with their golden retriever. 

On her first day at the store, Calhoun said she knew most of the people that came in to shop and looks forward to getting to know her customers.

“I grew up going to Asbury, and now we go to Double Oak Community Church,” she said. “Most of the people that come in, hopefully I’ll recognize, since I’ve lived my whole life here.”

Walking into A La Mode, it seems more like a bakery than a gift shop. The smell of various fragrances fills the air and many of the products look like desserts. The store’s inventory includes bath bombs, organic hand-made soaps and scrubs, candles, baby and bridesmaid’s gifts, cards and more. 

One of the biggest sellers is the bath fizzy milkshake. It comes packaged in a plastic cup with a straw, with a loofa on top. Calhoun said many of her products, which she gets from Market in Atlanta and Etsy Wholesale, are organic, handmade and local. She says A La Mode has something for everyone. 

“The store appeals to all ages. People buy for themselves, co-workers and family members. You can really shop for anyone,” she said. 

Calhoun will have ornaments for sale during the holidays and hopes to incorporate more faith-based items in the store. She plans to be at the store every day, so she can form relationships with her customers. She has a suggestion box at the checkout to accommodate requests of items she doesn’t have in stock. She will also use Facebook and Instagram to promote her store on social media, and hopes to offer online shopping in the future.  

Calhoun is looking forward to this new adventure, and hopes A La Mode will become a one-stop shop for people in the market for gifts.

 “I want this to be place people come when they need a gift,” she said. “It’s a breath of fresh air to sell candles and soaps,” she said. “It’s a change of pace, but I’m excited about it.”

A La Mode

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