12+ Birmingham establishments closed in January. Should we be worried?

Whenever a restaurant or retail establishment closes in the Birmingham area, it casts a pall over the Bham Now office here on Morris Avenue. The first month of 2024 has been especially harsh.

We take it personally. Chances are we’ve written about the establishment, and many times become friends with the owners.

Last week, the closing of places like Post Office Pies and Ore Mercantile felt like a punch in the gut.

12 closings in Birmingham Metro

We lost a lot of creative small local businesses in January (one caveat – some are closing later this month), including: 

• Urban Parc (closed on December 31) in 5 Points South
• Civitas in Mountain Brook’s English Village
• FIVE in Lakeview 
• Sheppard’s Pet Supply in Avondale
• Ore Mercantile in Avondale
• Post Office Pies in Avondale
• Smoke Bistro in the Pizitz Food Hall
• Birmingham Candy Co. in the Pizitz Food Hall
• Queen’s Park in Downtown Birmingham
• Pixel Room in Leeds
• Bluegrass BBQ in Moody
• Dondi’s + Shell’s Food Oasis

December was also particularly harsh, as well. The 60+ year old Smokehouse Steak and Seafood Restaurant and Left Hand Soap at Pepper Place shuttered.

“There are always going to be restaurants closing and businesses closing. That’s nothing new. People are always shocked, but sometimes it’s not the business. There are a host of reasons. It can be for personal reasons. Difficulties with a partner. A sudden increase in rent and higher expenses. It is easy to jump to conclusions.”

Aimee Castro, co-owner of Cantina, which re-opened in Fall 2023

That is the case for some recent closings. In fact, several restaurants cited they were closing locations to consolidate their operations, including:

• Post Office Pies in Avondale is combining with the Lane Parke location
• Smoke Bistro’s chef Raquel Ervin is opening SLIDE in Five Points
• Birmingham Candy Co is consolidating its operation to its Mountain Brook Crestline location

How to support local establishments

Want to help local restaurants and retail stores? Castro made two suggestions. The most obvious one is to patronize the local businesses. Shop local!

Secondly, take a few minutes to hop on social media and leave a positive review. Share photos of your meal. Create some good buzz.

“People forget that there are people behind the curtain that make a living this way,” added Castro.

Which restaurants or businesses that have closed recently in the Birmingham Metro area are you going to miss most? Tell us on social media by tagging us at @bhamnow