Owner of Jackson's, Avo & Dram opening new Edgewood restaurant

Another restaurateur is throwing their hat into the Edgewood ring.

Tom Sheffer, the owner of Jackson's Bar & Bistro in Soho and Avo & Dram in Mountain Brook, has leased the building at 920 Oxmoor Road for a new restaurant called Soda Jerk. The restaurant will be a fast-service concept with burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese and kale salads on the menu along with sundaes, shakes and other ice cream treats. Sheffer said the restaurant will have a full bar as well.

“It’s Dram’s quality but half the size and half the price,” Sheffer said.

Soda Jerk will offer lunch and dinner seven days a week, and he said he thinks it will be a good fit for the kids and adults that live nearby. It's a project that Sheffer has had in mind for a while.

“We’ve had the concept on paper in our hands for a while,” Sheffer said. “We want to take that old soda fountain idea and modernize it.”

The building is freestanding, across the street from Homewood Antiques, and Sheffer said some renovations will have to be done to take advantage of the "funky little space." He said there will likely be outdoor seating for the restaurant and he wants to use the small outbuilding on the property in some way. Sheffer said he intends to keep part of the low brick wall currently separating the parking lot from the sidewalk, but he plans to remove some of it for easier pedestrian access.

With several other restaurants within walking distance, including Edgewood Creamery and the newly-announced tenants of Edgewood Station, Sheffer said Soda Jerk will have to stand out.

“It’s a good place for restaurants … you have to be good to compete with the restaurants that are already here,” Sheffer said.

Sheffer said he anticipates opening Soda Jerk by summer.