Longtime Homewood staple O’Carr’s opens retro ice cream parlor

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Restaurants

For 50 years, Homewood families have returned to their local favorite, O’Carr’s, after church on hot Sundays. Laughter and conversation over O’Carr’s award-winning chicken salad has long been a local tradition. Now, the restaurant is returning to its roots with Memory Lane, a vintage ice cream parlor serving smiles and summer fun next to the delicatessen.

O’Carr’s Delicatessen first opened its doors in 1975 and has continued to attract locals and first-time guests to try its renowned, award-winning delicacies.

The restaurant began as an ice cream shop in the early 1970s, founded by Cameron and June O’Carr, who got their start working long hours at KFC.

In 2022, Cameron and June made the decision to retire but continued to offer Homewood a little piece of their hearts by selecting a new owner for the restaurant. What began as a way to help the business post-COVID — and earn some free chicken salad — quickly became a passion for Kenneth Rhodes, who has owned O’Carr’s for the past three years.

He has since made major moves in expanding the restaurant into Memory Lane Ice Cream Parlor next door.

“I thought this was just going to be a pop-up shop at first. For our 50th anniversary, I wanted to go back to the beginning because we started out as an ice cream shop. I was going to do a little pop-up shop and then I started talking to the owner, who was leasing the building next door,” Rhodes said.

The new parlor opened its doors to customers on July 4 and will host a grand opening on Sunday, Aug. 3. It is located at 2909 18th Street South in downtown Homewood, adjacent to O’Carr’s.

Memory Lane features a retro setup with colorful lights, a glass candy jar display, vintage fixtures and seating. The intentionally vintage décor was designed to create a sense of familiarity.

“The reason I chose the name ‘Memory Lane’ is because it takes us back to our roots. We started out as an ice cream shop and I wanted to pay homage to where we began our journey here at O’Carr’s. Ice cream really wasn’t a big thing in the ‘70s and it didn’t pay the rent, so they didn’t continue with it. Our milkshake, however, has stayed here and has won awards for the last 50 years,” Rhodes said.

After many requests, O’Carr’s extended its hours to open on Sundays, and families have made it part of their weekly routine to stop by after church for award-winning chicken salad.

The community is particularly excited about having a new place to experience the ultimate throwback with smooth Tillamook ice cream and endless fresh toppings. Customers can also enjoy old-fashioned floats and sodas, sundaes, sorbet and milkshakes.

“Tillamook, a premium Oregon brand, is relatively exclusive in Birmingham. Their quality is one of the best,” Rhodes said.

As Rhodes continues working on cosmetic updates and final touches to the parlor, he is extremely grateful for the outstanding community support Homewood has shown O’Carr’s.

“When we opened in 1975, we shared the neighborhood with long-standing Homewood staples — Shaia’s, Little Professor and Homewood Toy and Hobby Shop.

“With Memory Lane, what we hope to accomplish is to offer something new and exciting to the neighborhood while also paying homage to our neighbors by selling a selection of their merchandise and promoting their business. We want to be a place where the community can gather in the evenings to make new memories.

“Homewood is a great community and I’ve always said: as long as you support Homewood, it will always support you,” said Rhodes.