Ashley Macs. Jacob Blankenship Bham Now2 Ashley Mac's to open new Hoover location at Knox Square — Ashley Mac’s is coming soon to Brock’s Gap. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

Ashley Mac’s is expanding with its fifth Birmingham-area location opening this Friday, July 11.

The Birmingham-based café is one of several new businesses in Hoover’s fast-growing Knox Square Development. Read on for details.

Founded in Hoover by Birmingham’s Ashley McMakin

Ashley Mac’s, a beloved Birmingham-based café and kitchen, was founded in 2005 by Ashley McMakin. What started as a small catering side-hustle out of her own kitchen has grown into multiple fast‑casual café locations in Cahaba Heights, Homewood, Riverchase and Inverness.

The menu features comforting, Southern‑inspired dishes like:

Poppyseed chicken casserole
Pimiento cheese
Chicken pot pie
Mandarin orange salad + more

In addition to dine‑in, Ashley Mac’s offers a “Gourmet To‑Go” market stocked with family‑style entrees, sides, soups and frozen meals.

Located at Knox Square

The café will be located at 5840 Elsie Road across from the Hoover Met and Finley Center. It’s set to open on Friday, July 11.

Here’s a look at what’s new at Hoover’s Knox Square development in 2025:

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