Photo by Taylor Bright.
A sign New Day Car Wash at the site of the old Lloyd’s Restaurant.
A New Day Car Wash will occupy part of the old Lloyd’s Restaurant property, adding another car wash to the U.S. 280 corridor.
A sign currently at the site says the car wash is coming soon, with construction underway on the property. Additionally, the New Day Car Wash website features a “coming soon” teaser for the new location at 5305 U.S. 280 in Birmingham. A separate sign adjacent to the construction site lists another portion of the property as available for sale or lease.
The family that owned the land where Lloyd’s Restaurant stood sold the property for $5 million in December, according to Shelby County property records. Two separate parcels were involved in the transaction: 5301 U.S. 280, which housed the restaurant building, and 5305 U.S. 280, which was used as a parking lot.
The addition of New Day Car Wash contributes to a growing trend of car wash businesses along U.S. 280. Several other car washes have recently opened along the corridor.
In January, Dirty Dog’s Car Wash opened at 100 Resource Center Parkway near Inverness. The location is not far from Mister Car Wash at 4621 U.S. 280. Heading east from those two car washes is a Take 5 Car Wash at 4758 U.S. 280 and Blue Rain Car Wash near the intersection of U.S. 280 and Cahaba Valley Road.
LIV Development, a Birmingham-based real estate firm, announced in February 2024 that it had launched New Day Car Wash and had opened its first location in Vestavia Hills. The company has since expanded, listing locations in Fultondale and Tuscaloosa as “coming soon” on its website.
The 5301 U.S. 280 parcel was sold for $3 million on Dec. 16, with PMS Shelby (c/o Tom Stevens) transferring ownership to JAD3 Hwy 280 Inc. The second parcel, 5305 U.S. 280, sold for $2 million on Dec. 11 from Eli’s Inc. (c/o Bogue Stevens) to JAD3. Combined, the two properties account for more than four acres of land — 1.59 acres where the parking lot sits and 2.5 acres where the restaurant building once stood.
Lloyd’s as it appeared on U.S. 280 more than 30 years ago.
JAD3 appears to be affiliated with GenRev Development, a firm specializing in property redevelopment. On Jan. 16, JAD3 sold the 5305 U.S. 280 property to 280 New Day LLC for $2.9 million, clearing the way for the new car wash.
The redevelopment of the Lloyd’s Restaurant site marked the end of one of the original businesses that occupied U.S. 280 when it was a road cutting through a mostly rural area. Lloyd’s had been a mainstay along U.S. 280 for decades, known for its Southern-style comfort food and family-friendly atmosphere. Founded in 1937, the restaurant initially operated in Chelsea before relocating to its U.S. 280 location in the 1970s, where it became a U.S. 280 landmark.
The restaurant closed in 2023 following years of operation under owner Eli Stevens, who took over the business from his father. Stevens died in 2020, and while the restaurant continued operating for a few years after his passing, the family ultimately decided to sell the property.
