New restaurants have been popping up all over Tuscaloosa in recent months, and the growth shows no signs of stopping soon.
In March and April of 2013, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the city of Tuscaloosa approximately $48 million in recovery funds to be used to refurbish and boost the local economy and landscape. With the Tuscaloosa economy on a developmental upswing, new businesses like Chipotle and Which Wich have opened after much public anticipation.
This growth is due, in part, to the ever-increasing size of The University of Alabama. Donny Jones, president of the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce, said the school is a driving force behind the economic expansion.
“The student body is growing, and local business is growing with it,” he said. “Those new businesses offer more choices to students. Students represent a large part of the city’s economy and this gives them more of a reason to spend their money on a local business as opposed to spending their money out of town.”
Jones also said the idea of supporting local business is essential to the city’s continuing growth and future well-being.
“If we are bringing more diverse business that appeals to local taste then ultimately that money that is spent stays in Tuscaloosa,” he said. “The taxpayers will see that money spent being put to use in the schools, infrastructure and public projects.”
After experiencing success at its Midtown Village location, Chipotle opened a second Tuscaloosa location in May on the Strip in order to offer students a closer location to enjoy a state-of-the-art fast-food experience.
Lee Williams, general manager of Chipotle on the Strip, is excited to be a part of the newest edition to an already thriving area.
“Looking around the Tuscaloosa area as a whole, it’s really amazing to see how far the city has come after the tornado, economically speaking,” Williams said. “The city has a brand new court house, the city is cleaner and it’s just a great place to do business.”
Restaurants are key to commercial expansion, and around Tuscaloosa, a variety of eateries like Which Wich continue to offer options to the citizens of a rapidly developing city.
Lee Henderson owns the University Boulevard location of the specialty sandwich restaurant chain and plans to open a second Which Wich in July in Midtown Village. Henderson said he was excited about the new opportunities he has had after losing one of his three Smoothie King franchises in the area to the April 27, 2011 tornado.
“I would like to think that I am playing a role in our community in the expansion that we are seeing since the tornado,” he said. “I know personally it is an emotional experience to me and my family with our second Which Wich store opening in July because it is in the area where one of our businesses was destroyed. The fact we are able to return in that area, although with a different business, is special.”
With business on the rise, Henderson said new businesses will ultimately benefit the city and its inhabitants.
“Hopefully all that is going on around the city with economic growth will continue to encourage people to shop locally and keep our tax dollars in our community,” Henderson said.
