Photo by Erin Nelson.
Construction continues on the new location of Homewood Gourmet at 2705 18th Place South in downtown Homewood on Feb. 2.
Homewood Gourmet is moving to another location in the city after 12 years in its current spot.
The business, currently located at the Merchant’s Walk on 28th Avenue South, is moving to 2705 18th Place South, behind Rodney Scott’s BBQ.
“Twelve years inside the same four walls is a long time,” said owner Chris Zapalowski. “It’s just hard to do the same thing over and over.”
Zapalowski runs the business with his wife, Laura, and the new location should open early this month, he said.
The old location had stairs, whereas the new space is single-level and is “fresh and clean,” Zapalowski said.
Moving spots gives Homewood Gourmet the chance to be in an “exciting” part of Homewood, Zapalowski said, being located near the new Valley Hotel and new restaurants.
The new space is also a bit bigger, with a larger kitchen and dining room, though the number of seats will remain the same, Zapalowski said.
The business offers catering and take-home meals, including gumbo, shrimp po’boys, house-made boudin, chicken salad and more. Homewood Gourmet also offers a lunch menu, which currently includes salads, sandwiches, grilled chicken and more.
Zapalowski started his career in New Orleans, working under renowned chef Emeril Lagasse for five years at his flagship restaurant. After Hurricane Katrina, he moved to Birmingham and worked for well-known chef Chris Hastings before purchasing Homewood Gourmet.
Laura Zapalowski has a culinary degree, and she has worked for Food Network and Southern Living and is now a freelance food stylist. She also did recipe testing and editing for Emeril’s show.
The two are able to bounce ideas off of each other, Zapalowski said.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Zapalowski said about working with his wife.
The goal of the business, he said, is to “turn an average day into a great day” with their take-home meals and more.
Longtime customers have helped make the business successful, he said.
“We have lots of great customers who’ve been very loyal to us,” Zapalowski said.
The new space will serve to “reinspire” the owners, Zapalowski said. He said they are also excited about the small things, like the space being energy efficient, which might eventually reduce the cost of food.
For more information on Homewood Gourmet, visit homewoodgourmet.com.
