NOW OPEN
Alfred’s Antiques and Wine recently opened at 111 Broadway St. in Homewood near Ruby Sunshine. After a trip to France, owner Kat Bailey — who also owns Kat Bailey Interiors — was inspired by the treasures she and her team discovered and wanted to create something of her own. That inspiration turned into a boutique wine and antiques shop where customers can shop unique items while enjoying wine or taking some to go. It has a wide range of pieces including antique dressers, paintings, art, tables, pillows, rugs, candles and more. Alfred’s Antiques and Wine is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
205-667-4608, alfredsonbroadway.com
Samford University student Shelby Law launched her women’s clothing brand, Labeled by Love, to offer trendy clothing items online. The brand sells curated clothing drops online and connects with customers through local pop-ups. Law is part of Samford Startup, a student-led business incubator that helps students launch and run their businesses. She built the online women’s boutique with limited funding while managing its buying, creative direction, marketing and fulfillment.
404-771-2722, labeledbylove.com
COMING SOON
Yummy Bowl Mongolian Stir-Fry and Sushi, at 109 Wildwood Parkway in Homewood, is expanding and opening another location on U.S. 280 in the River Ridge Shopping Center this fall. Known for its build-your-own bowls, Yummy Bowl also serves dishes including sushi, fried rice, soups, salads, deep-fried rolls, desserts and more. The Homewood location is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
205-637-3071, superyummybowl.com
Fit For a Queen, an Atlanta-based boutique, is set to open its first Alabama location at 1812 27th Ave. S. in Homewood late this fall. Established in 2015, the boutique offers custom-made and designer gowns for proms, pageants, galas and other formal occasions. Fit For a Queen also has shoes, jewelry, clutches and other accessories to pair with the special-occasion attire. Its Atlanta location on Peachtree Street is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
678-310-9919, gownsfitforaqueen.com
RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS
Stone Hollow Farmstead has reopened at 2817 18th St. S. in Homewood after weeks of unpacking, filling shelves and readying the storefront. It originally opened the Homewood shop a year ago, and it has now expanded into the entire storefront after a brief closure in August. The store offers items like home and garden goods, specialty gifts, flowers and more. Stone Hollow Farmstead is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it can also be found at Pepper Place Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
205-777-5558, stonehollowfarmstead.com
NEW OWNERSHIP
Sundance Bay, a Salt Lake City-based real estate private equity firm founded in 2012, acquired the self-storage facility at 480 Wildwood Circle North in Homewood. The property, now operating as Extra Space Storage, was built in 2021 and offers 46,850 net rentable square feet in 385 units. The acquisition also included another storage facility at 3240 Veterans Circle in Trussville, for a total of 841 units and 118,385 total rentable square feet. It was the first storage investment in the Birmingham metropolitan statistical area for Sundance Bay and its 11th and 12th self-storage acquisitions in the past year. The Extra Space Storage office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The office is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
205-418-3741, extraspace.com
NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Homewood-based construction firm Robins & Morton, at 400 Shades Creek Parkway, served as the general contractor on the new Baptist Health Rehabilitation Hospital in South Miami, Florida. The three-story, 100,000-square-foot facility features 62 private inpatient rooms with the capacity to open an additional 30 private rooms. Robins & Morton also broke ground on the new Lawrence Medical Center Outpatient Facility in Moulton as the general contractor. The $14 million, 10,000-square-foot facility will include extended-hours urgent care, advanced diagnostic imaging, respiratory therapy, laboratory services and a community room. The 20-acre site allows for future expansion. The construction firm also celebrated the ribbon cutting of the North Mississippi Medical Center Crossover Medical Plaza in Tupelo, Mississippi, as it served as the general contractor for the project. The three-story, 46,600-square-foot facility includes an urgent care, dermatology clinic, retina clinic, ophthalmology clinic and the first dedicated pediatric urgent care that’s open seven days a week in the North Mississippi region.
205-870-1000, robinsmorton.com
For the second consecutive year, Samford University, at 800 Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, ranked No. 1 as the “Best Value” among all Alabama four-year universities, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of 2027 Best Colleges. Samford also ranked 93rd in the nation and among the top three national universities affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. It is the highest-ranked comprehensive Christ-centered university in the South, according to the university. The university also announced a record-setting enrollment of 6,522 students, along with the largest freshman class in the school’s 185-year history.
205-726-2011, samford.edu
ANNIVERSARIES
Dogtopia of Homewood, at 1722 27th Court S., is celebrating its fourth anniversary in the city. Locally owned and operated by brothers Carlton and Henson Millsap, Dogtopia offers dog daycare, spa services and boarding. The Homewood location is one of two in the Birmingham area, with plans to open a third location in the spring. It provides a supervised, stimulating environment in a modern, open-play facility where dogs can socialize, learn, exercise and have fun. Dogtopia is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. (for pickup and drop-off only). Daycare starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
205-440-3888, dogtopia.com/homewood
R3 Contrast, a sauna and cold plunge contrast therapy studio, is celebrating its first anniversary at 3250 Independence Drive, Suite 10, in Homewood. Since opening last November, the studio has offered contrast therapy and a reset lounge where professionals, athletes, parents, caregivers and others can reset, revive and renew. The first session is free, and it is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday from 6 to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 6 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
205-872-0580, r3contrast.com
