Hobby Lobby
The grand reopening of Hobby Lobby in Northport took place on Feb. 6 and was a huge success, said co-manager Lionel Waldrop. The decision to relocate the store was made by the company’s corporate office, Waldrop said, and at this time, there are no other locations in Tuscaloosa.
Planet Fitness
The gym is planning to reopen on March 17, and is relocating to Midtown Village above Kobe. Planet Fitness is in the rebuilding process and slowly building back up, said General Manager Michael Blackman. Planet Fitness is going to have the same equipment and the same amount of equipment as before, Blackman said.
Krispy Kreme
The company is currently planning on reopening on the first of June, but that time frame may change, said Evan Smith, a third generation worker at Krispy Kreme since 1960. Just this week Krispy Kreme got its final set of drawings, Smith said. Smith’s original plan was to be open by Thanksgiving after the tornado and now, 10 months later, the company hasn’t even officially broken ground yet, he said. The business will rebuild in the same location.
Replays
Bucky Fourt, the district manager of Replays, said they are focused on a lot of different locations and stores and they are willing to wait until the right opportunity. Replays is not the type of business that has to open immediately, Fourt said, and they have other stores that can supplement their income, including their Northport location. Location for business is everything and what looks like a great deal may not be, Fourt said.
Full Moon BBQ
Brian Ahmed, owner of Full Moon BBQ, announced on Feb. 9 that the restaurant is set to reopen a dine-in location during the second week of June, according to a blog post on al.com. The new location will be at 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa and will have a large dining room where people can eat, lounge and watch games, according to the article.
Hokkaido
Hokkaido recently obtained a permit to begin building on 15th Street across the street from their old location, according to the Tuscaloosa Planning and Development Services Department.
Big Lots
Big Lots planned to move into part of the old FoodMax supermarket building, according to an article in the Tuscaloosa News on Aug. 3, 2011. Bobby Herndon, mayor of Northport, said the Northport locations are in high-traffic areas that should help the businesses, according to the article. The FoodMax shopping center is near Northport’s Walmart.
CVS
Stan Pate, a developer who owns several of the buildings damaged in the storm, has been working closely with the Department of Planning and Development Services to ensure his rebuilding plans, according to an article in the Tuscaloosa News on Jan. 29. Construction of a new, 14,600-square-foot CVS might be underway after what is left of the structure is cleared, Pate said.
