Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Coming Soon
A new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is coming to the Inverness area, replacing the former Burger King location at 517 Cahaba Park Circle. The restaurant, known for its popular Southern-style menu, including fried chicken, biscuits, and red beans and rice, will now have its first location along the U.S. 280 corridor in the Birmingham meteor area.
Openings
OneLife Fitness
OneLife Fitness is set to open a new flagship Sports Club at 801 Doug Baker Blvd., taking over the former AMC Classic movie theater site. The Virginia-based company is investing $14 million to transform the 68,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness destination. The club will feature indoor saltwater pools, turf workout zones, group fitness classes, boxing and cycling studios, a kids club, and spa-inspired locker rooms. Recovery amenities will include cold plunges, saunas, red light therapy, and HydroMassage. The Lee Branch facility will debut OneLife’s newest flagship design focused on a holistic member experience, offering a place for both fitness and community connection. The project is expected to generate more than 100 local jobs and serve as a major new anchor for the Lee Branch area.
onelifefitness.com/gyms/lee-branch
RealtySouth has welcomed two new real estate agents to its U.S. 280 offices. Tony Schultz has joined the Inverness office, while Kandice Thomas will now serve clients out of the company’s Chelsea location.
News and Accomplishments
McLeod Software has expanded its partnership with Parade, a leader in AI-powered capacity management, by integrating Voice AI capabilities into its PowerBroker TMS platform. The new technology automates inbound carrier phone calls by capturing, qualifying, and processing offers in real time. The update builds on Parade’s Capacity CoDriver, which already streamlines email communications for freight brokers. “By expanding our partnership with Parade to include Voice AI capabilities within PowerBroker, we’re delivering on our promise to bring best-in-class AI solutions to our customers,” said Ahmed Ebrahim, VP of Strategic Integrations and Partnerships at McLeod Software.
205-823-5100, mcleodsoftware.com
Closings
Real & Rosemary, a local restaurant which emphasizes fresh cuisine, is closing its location at The Summit, the owners announced on social media on Sunday.
"After 5 years in operation, we have made the decision to close our location at The Summit. We are grateful to our customers for your support through the years! We will continue to serve you in Homewood, Crestline, and at Caveat Coffee," wrote Jennifer and Nate Carlson, owners of the restaurants. “We appreciate your continued support, and we look forward to serving you soon.”
The U.S. 280 location was the second location of what were three restaurants total. The Homewood and Crestline locations will remain in business.
The Inverness location of Planet Smoothie at 4700 U.S. 280, Suite 10, has also permanently closed. The shop was part of the Inverness Corners shopping center, which has experienced other retail shifts in recent years, including the closing of The Fresh Market in 2024. Planet Smoothie was popular among locals for its variety of
Photo by Erin Nelson
AMC CLASSIC Lee Branch 15 on Doug Baker Boulevard on Thursday, June 25, 2020.
health-conscious smoothies and convenient location near office parks and residential neighborhoods.
AMC Classic Lee Branch closed its doors in March after more than two decades of serving the U.S. 280 corridor. Located at 801 Doug Baker Blvd., the theater had long been a go-to destination for moviegoers in the Lee Branch area. With the closure, residents will now need to travel to nearby theaters such as AMC at The Summit or the Patton Creek location in Hoover.
