NOW OPEN
Baskin-Robbins, the national ice cream brand known for its rotating lineup of 31 flavors, is now open at a new location, 940 Inverness Corners, at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Valleydale Road. Founded in 1945, Baskin-Robbins offers ice cream, sundaes, drinks and custom cakes through locally owned and operated shops across the country. A Baskin-Robbins was last located in the Inverness area in the 1980s. The new store is located between Mellow Mushroom and Kyuramen Tbaar in the Inverness Corners shopping center, which is also home to Kohl’s and Sephora. 205-407-4448, baskinrobbins.com
7 Brew has opened a new drive-thru beverage stand at 7015 Meadowlark Drive along the U.S. 280 corridor near Meadowbrook, marking its latest addition in the metro area as part of its continued expansion across the state. The location is one of dozens operated by the franchise in Alabama, including multiple in the Birmingham market. The chain is known for its lineup of signature drinks, including its seven original flavors, as well as its menu of cold brews, lattes, energy drinks, flavored sparkling waters, teas, lemonades, smoothies and shakes. According to the company’s website, 7 Brew operates 34 locations statewide, with 10 in the Birmingham metro area. 7brew.com
COMING SOON
Several national retail brand favorites are slated to return to The Summit or relocate within the shopping center into larger or updated spaces in 2026. Retailers identified in the latest set of changes include Talbots, White House Black Market and LOFT. The moves reflect ongoing leasing changes at the mixed-use retail destination along the U.S. 280 corridor. Existing tenants periodically relocate to accommodate space needs, updated store formats or revised site plans. Specific timelines and full details of the sizes and locations of the new spaces have not yet been released. thesummitbirmingham.com
Practice Works, a Birmingham-based coworking and flexible office provider, is opening a new location at 300 Cahaba Park Circle, Suite 220, along the U.S. 280 corridor near Grandview Medical Center. The space is expected to open in early summer. This will be its third location in the Birmingham metro area. Practice Works offers a mix of dedicated and flexible office space, along with meeting and consulting rooms that can be booked by the hour, shared conference and reception areas, Wi-Fi and on-site parking. The company also has locations in Vestavia Hills at The Walker Building on Vestavia Parkway and on Birmingham’s Southside along University Boulevard. Membership options are offered at different levels. A waitlist has opened for the new location. The Cahaba Park Circle site follows earlier expansion as demand for in-person workspace picked back up after the pandemic. practice-works.com
Plans are moving forward for the Rivet Apartments project, a new multifamily development along the U.S. 280 corridor between the Sterrett and Chelsea areas. Shelby County has issued several building permits for a 29-acre site. Current permits cover seven accessory structures, including plans for a 2,582-square-foot leasing building, a 2,458-square-foot clubhouse, a 2,517-square-foot fitness building, an eight-bay garage, two 16-bay garages and a 16-bay ADA-accessible garage. Further details have not been publicized. The property is owned by 280 43 LLC, which bought the land for $1.5 million in 2022. The site is near main intersections connecting the U.S. 280 corridor to surrounding communities, including Chelsea, Montevallo, Alabaster and Pelham.
PERSONNEL MOVES
RealtySouth has added Shantrece Reedus and Debreka Elliott to its Chelsea office at 331 Chelsea Corners Way, Suite 101; Jackie Lee to its Inverness office at 109 Inverness Plaza and Betty Wilson to its Over the Mountain office at 2409 Acton Road, Suite 137. realtysouth.com, Shantrece Reedus at 205-837-4867; Debreka Elliott at 662-769-0853; Jackie Lee at 205-283-4053; Betty Wilson at 205-296-3311
CLOSINGS
Painted Tree Boutiques, a retail marketplace located at 4606 U.S. 280 in River Ridge Shopping Plaza, closed suddenly April 14 after operating for less than a year. The popular store functioned as a vendor marketplace where individual entrepreneurs rented booth space to sell goods, and more than 200 local vendors were impacted as they were forced to remove inventory following the shutdown. The Birmingham location was part of a nationwide closure affecting all Painted Tree stores, totaling more than 40 locations nationwide. No reason for the closure was immediately given.
Dairy Queen, a fast-food chain located at 5295 U.S. 280 in Birmingham, closed in March along one of the metro area’s busiest commercial corridors. The location had operated as part of the national Dairy Queen brand, which maintains multiple restaurants across the Birmingham metro area, including Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Alabaster, Chelsea, Gardendale, Trussville and Hueytown. The property owner, Barber Cos., listed the site for lease, with approximately 3,450 square feet of space and 44 parking spaces available. According to the listing, the property was expected to be available beginning August 1. The site sat adjacent to Brook Highland Plaza, which also saw a recent restaurant closure.
Beef O’Brady’s, a sports bar and grill located at 5279 U.S. 280 in the Brook Highland Plaza shopping center, permanently closed March 30 after five years in operation. The restaurant announced the sudden closure on its social media page, citing an inability to reach a new lease agreement for the space. The Brook Highland location opened in September 2021 and served as one of the chain’s three locations in the Birmingham metro area. In a message to customers, the business described the decision as difficult and reflected on its role as a gathering place for regular patrons, families and community members. Beef O’Brady’s operates as a casual dining chain known for its sports-oriented atmosphere, offering a menu that includes wings, burgers, sandwiches and other bar-style fare. The company indicated that its other area locations, in Hoover and Helena, would remain open and continue serving customers.
