Photo by Lexi Coon.
Dreamland CEO Betsy McAtee stands outside the future Inverness Corners location of Dreamland Bar-B-Que.
Birmingham residents will soon be able to get Dreamland Bar-B-Que without traveling all the way to Southside.
The barbecue chain is set to open its 10th location in Inverness Corners later this year or in early 2017. The building, located at 101 Inverness Corners, formerly housed a Chili’s which closed down in summer 2015.
“When we first opened in Birmingham in 1993, the community embraced us and we have been so proud to call them our guests and friends. We are opening a second Birmingham location to not only connect with our existing guests closer to where they might live or shop, but also connect with new guests that might not be spending much time downtown,” said Ashley Davis Sandlin, Brand Strategy Manager for Dreamland Bar-B-Que.
Dreamland Bar-B-Que’s history in the state of Alabama, dates back to when John “Big Daddy” Bishop first opened the doors to his restaurant in Tuscaloosa in 1958. In the beginning, the restaurant served more than barbecue and white bread, offering up everything from sandwiches to stamps, and quickly created the ribs and secret sauce that Dreamland is known for today.
As the restaurant’s popularity grew over the years, Dreamland Bar-B-Que soon added an second location. It was 35 years after the original restaurant was created that Dreamland Southside in Birmingham opened.
“It was the first location to open after the Original Dreamland,” Davis Sandlin said. “We were especially proud to open in a neighborhood that had fallen on hard times back then and become a catalyst for positive attention and improvement in that area.”
In the time since Dreamland Southside opened, the restaurant has expanded to other cities in Alabama, Georgia and Florida for a total of nine locations.
Dreamland Southside, located near the UAB campus, spent years growing with the community based in downtown Birmingham and those who work in Southside or Homewood, Davis Sandlin said. With the Dreamland at Inverness, the restaurant will have the opportunity to reach out to the communities of Chelsea, Hoover, Pelham and Indian Springs Village, she added.
The new location will be larger than Dreamland Southside, totaling at 6,000 square feet, and will have more parking available for guests. Despite the growth of the restaurants, the taste of Dreamland will remain the same.
“We pride ourselves in the fact that all Dreamland locations cook ribs just the way Mr. Bishop did, over direct heat from a hickory pit,” said Davis Sandiln. “Dreamland 280 will have the same great menu as Dreamland Southside featuring Dreamland’s legendary flavor.”
The new restaurant will have similar hours to that of Dreamland Southside, which is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Even with a 10th location, the restaurant still holds itself to their standards of great food and great service, everyday, which Davis Sandlin said helps bring loyal customers back and encourage new folks to try their menu.
“We’re excited to give guests the legendary experience they’ve grown to know and love,” she said. “[We’re looking forward to] the opportunity to see our loyal guests and friends that live out that way more often and the opportunity to introduce new guests to our ‘ain’t nothing like ‘em nowhere’ experience.”
For more information about Dreamland Bar-B-Que, visit dreamlandbbq.com.
