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Sarah Owens
Demetri's BBQ completed a font of house remodel in July of 2024
2 of 2
Sarah Owens
Demetri's BBQ completed a front of house remodel in July of 2024, adding a lobby area that will serve as a waiting area during busy hours.
Demetri's has reopened after giving the front of their Downtown Homewood building a facelift.
The local favorite, located at 1901 28th Avenue South, has been serving up mouthwatering plates of barbeque in the Birmingham area for over 50 years.
They have been at their current location since 1973, which is part of the reason why owner Sam Nakos said they were in need of some updates.
"We wanted to go out about 10 feet, 11 feet, and add about 25 seats, and we have been wanting to do that and we've had a hard time," said Nakos. "It took awhile to get the right information, and we found out that there's been some very new codes that Homewood has adopted, requiring green space, and the end result of what we wanted and complying with the code would cause us to lose about 10 or 11 parking spaces."
Complying with the code and completing their original design plan would have also cost roughly an additional $50,000 said Nakos, so they decided to go back to the drawing board.
"We could not mess and tamper with our parking lot anymore, because it's already hard to get into or to get out of," he said. "We have a good piece of property with a lot more parking places than most retailers in Homewood, so we didn't want to handicap ourselves."
They finally settled on a plan that saw workers extend the front entrance slightly to create a small lobby that will serve as a waiting area during busy hours. A handicap accessible ramp was also put in at the front entrance to ensure easier access.
Overall, the project cost around $100,000, but Nakos says it's just a reinvestment back into the business. He's confident customers will enjoy the new space and an easier flow as well as the updated look.
They closed their doors on July 5 to accommodate the construction and reopened on Tuesday. The only work that remains is to stain the wood in the new entrance and add a few minor additions to the roof.
