Metro Roundup: Brazelton family bringing unique pizzas to Cahaba Heights

Terrill Brazelton grew up at his grandmother’s apron strings.

As he grew up learning to cook, and learning that he was really good at it, he kept his grandmother in mind, no matter for whom he was cooking.

“You treat every customer like you would treat your grandmother,” Brazelton said. “If you wouldn’t serve it to your grandmother, then nobody deserves to eat it.”

His new restaurant, Troup’s Pizza, will open early April in Cahaba Heights at the former Wintzell’s location. Brazelton and his wife, Ashley, are hoping to treat many neighborhood residents like family with unique pizzas, sandwiches and other items.

“It’s very much a family-friendly place,” Brazelton said. “We want to offer a different style.”

Troup’s will offer counter service only, as well as an emphasis on food to go, in order to allow families to enjoy time at home. In addition to offering alcohol at the restaurant, Troup’s will also offer some wine to go, as well as make-it-at-home pizza kits. For those who run into trouble making the pizza, no worries; there will be an instructional video on the restaurant’s website, troupspizza.com.

There will also be quick lunch options for people to grab food and go, as well as a kiosk for them to do self-checkout.

The name Troup’s comes from Brazelton’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father. His great-grandfather, George Troup Brazelton, built the streetcar line that went over the mountain into Edgewood, as well as a country club and racetrack where Lakeshore Drive now stands.

“We’re kind of paying homage to the men in our family that got us where we are,” Brazelton said.

The chance to work with his family is something he couldn’t pass up, Brazelton said.

“Being able to spend time with your family is a hard proposition nowadays,” Brazelton said.

Brazelton’s children will work at the restaurant, and he said the work can teach them valuable lessons, such as humility, customer service and other lessons you can’t learn anywhere else.

Troup’s will use local ingredients, work with local farmers and use in-season food, Brazelton said. Customers can expect unique flavors, such as a pizza with Conecuh sausage and other ingredients, as well as homemade salad dressing. Barbecue pizza with meats that Brazelton smokes each day, as well as sandwiches with homemade bread, will also be offered.

“Everybody loves pizza,” Brazelton said.

A lifelong chef, Brazelton said there’s a certain “buzz” that comes with working in the restaurant business, on days where customers have packed the house door to door.

“There’s a high that you get,” Brazelton said.

Growing up in southern California, Brazelton was exposed to a lot of styles of cooking at an early age, and said he is always keeping his eyes open for his next creation.

Brazelton has worked at various restaurants in the area, including SoHo Standard in Homewood, where he currently works as the chef. He also operated the Open Door Cafe in the early 2000s, which he ran for a friend who was the former owner.

However, Troup’s is the first restaurant over which Brazelton will have total control, allowing him to make it what he wants it to be, he said.

Brazelton said he plans on using social media to let people in “behind the scenes” and see the process of creating the restaurant. The Brazeltons chose Cahaba Heights because the community needs a pizza place, Brazelton said. He said he also noticed how supportive the area is of locally owned businesses.

“I don’t think we could have found a better spot or a better community to move into,” Brazelton said.

You can find out more about Troup’s Pizza on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and at troupspizza.com.