A familiar Northport restaurant property is getting a new tenant.
A-Town Wings has leased the former Buddy’s Rib & Steak building at 2701 Lurleen B Wallace Blvd, giving the restaurant brand a second location in the Tuscaloosa-Northport market. Right Space Commercial represented the property owner in leasing the building.
The Northport restaurant is anticipated to open in early 2027, although a firm opening date has not been set. Before A-Town Wings can begin its buildout, the property will undergo a series of repairs and improvements to prepare the longtime restaurant building for its next use.
A Second A-Town Wings Location for the Tuscaloosa Area
A-Town Wings was founded in Atlanta in 2008 and has since grown to 25 locations across the Southeast. The company currently operates a Tuscaloosa restaurant at 2319 University Blvd E.
The new Northport location gives the restaurant an opportunity to reach a different part of the local market rather than simply adding another location near its existing customer base.
“One of the most important considerations in selecting a second location is making sure it expands your customer base rather than simply pulling business from your existing restaurant,” said Delana Roe, Chief Operating Officer and Associate Broker at Right Space Commercial. “This location gives A-Town Wings an opportunity to better serve Northport residents while capturing significant commuter and pass-through traffic traveling between Highway 359 and Highway 82 North.”
The property sits at the corner of Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard and 27th Street, just north of the bridge into Tuscaloosa. The approximately 2,035-square-foot freestanding building has 33 parking spaces and sits along a corridor with reported traffic of more than 43,000 vehicles per day.
Roe said the surrounding residential population was another important consideration.
“There’s also a strong, established residential base surrounding the property, which is important for generating repeat customers,” she said. “From a commercial real estate perspective, this is a good example of strategic site selection, looking beyond traffic counts and considering where your customers live, work, and travel.”
Bringing a Former Restaurant Building Back Into Use
Although the building already has a restaurant layout and infrastructure, getting it ready for another restaurant requires substantially more than changing the sign.
The former Buddy’s layout includes a dining area, service space and a sizable back-of-house kitchen. Existing features such as the kitchen hood, grease trap, floor drains and plumbing connections provided a useful starting point, but much of the previous restaurant equipment had been removed.
“The existing restaurant layout was certainly an advantage, but this isn’t a situation where a new operator can simply move in and open the doors,” Roe said. “While the existing restaurant infrastructure provides a foundation, this is still a substantial investment by both the landlord and tenant to bring the building up to the standards needed for a new restaurant operation.”
Before the property is turned over to A-Town Wings, the landlord is completing improvements that include kitchen flooring repairs, upgraded exterior lighting, storefront window work, parking lot restriping, landscaping cleanup, enclosing the former fire pit and other general repairs.
Druid City Properties, an affiliated company under the same ownership umbrella as Right Space Commercial, is handling general contracting for the landlord’s portion of the work. Right Space and Druid City Properties are also coordinating specialized subcontractors as the building is prepared for tenant possession.
Once that work is complete, A-Town Wings will begin its own buildout. The tenant plans to make a significant investment in new cooking equipment, walk-in coolers and freezers, sinks, cleaning areas and other improvements necessary for its operation. The existing grease trap will also require an upgrade to meet current code requirements.
For Roe, working through those responsibilities was an important part of getting the lease completed.
“A big part of getting this deal across the finish line was working through the improvements needed and negotiating a reasonable division of responsibilities between the landlord and tenant,” she said. “This is a good example of how understanding both the leasing and construction sides of commercial real estate can help overcome obstacles and get a deal done.”
A New Chapter for the Former Buddy’s Location
For many Northport residents, the address is immediately recognizable because of the restaurant that occupied it for decades.
Buddy’s Rib & Steak opened in 1978 after R.P. “Buddy” Hall and his wife acquired the former Smalley’s restaurant at the property. The Hall family later sold Buddy’s to Phillip Guy in 2010. After approximately 46 years in business, Buddy’s served its final customers and closed on June 13, 2024.
Over those years, Buddy’s became a familiar gathering place for generations of local customers, from early-morning breakfast crowds to families and football fans. When the restaurant was offered for sale in 2023, the owner initially hoped to find a buyer who would continue operating the Buddy’s name and concept.
That history made leasing the vacant building feel different from a typical restaurant transaction.
“Buddy’s wasn’t just another restaurant building,” Roe said. “It was a place that a lot of people in this community remember, and there’s a certain level of nostalgia attached to it. When a property has that kind of history, people naturally want to know what’s coming next.”
A-Town Wings is not attempting to recreate Buddy’s, but the new lease will keep the longtime restaurant property in active use.
“It’s exciting to see a new operator willing to invest in the property and give it new life,” Roe said. “Anytime we can take a vacant commercial building, make meaningful improvements and bring a business back into the space, it’s a win for the property owner, the surrounding businesses and the community.”
When Will A-Town Wings Open in Northport?
There is not yet a firm opening date for the new Northport A-Town Wings.
The landlord’s improvements must first be completed before possession is delivered to the tenant. A-Town Wings will then move forward with its restaurant buildout, new equipment installation and the approvals required to open.
The current goal is early 2027, but the final timeline will depend on the progress of construction and the tenant buildout.
For now, the signed lease answers the question many people have had since Buddy’s closed: the longtime restaurant property on Lurleen B Wallace Boulevard will remain a restaurant, with A-Town Wings preparing to bring a new concept to the familiar Northport location.
