Milo’s Hamburgers set to open in Cahaba Heights in September

Editor's Note: An opening date of Sept. 24 was announced in a Facebook post from Milo's Hamburgers on Sept. 14.

A new Milo’s Hamburgers restaurant is set to open this month in Cahaba Heights at the corner of Green Valley Road and Crosshaven Drive.

The restaurant is the first for the company in the area, with nearby stores located in Inverness and on U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills. The restaurant in Vestavia moved across the street several years ago to mitigate flood problems, and Marketing Manager Mary Duncan Proctor said that location has been great for the restaurant.

Milo’s looked at the Cahaba Heights location for about a year before purchasing it, Milo’s Hamburgers CEO Tom Dekle said.

The restaurant was originally set to open this spring, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed that, Dekle said. “The coronavirus has impacted things none of us would have ever imagined,” he said.

Supply chains have been disrupted by the pandemic, making it hard to purchase construction items, Dekle said.

The building, a former Rite Aid, will have two tenants, though the other tenant has not yet been announced. Milo’s will take up 2,500 square feet of the 10,000-square-foot building, Dekle said.

Features for the restaurant will include an eating rail, which is like a bar, outside seating, a drive-thru, charging ports at tables and a brighter, more modern look, Dekle said. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the indoor dining room will not be open when the restaurant opens, but the drive-thru and take-out service will be available.

During the pandemic, about 95% of the restaurant chain’s business has been conducted through the drive-thru, Dekle said. While third-party delivery services are now serving the Inverness location, that isn’t yet available for this location, but it should be up and running within 60 to 90 days of opening, Dekle said.

Milo’s is working to improve curbside pickup, including improving the Milo’s app for smartphones. For drive-thru customers, there will be employees with tablets taking orders, he said. The restaurant is expected to bring about 25 new jobs to the area, and those looking for employment can visit miloshamburgers.com for opportunities, Proctor said.

The restaurant will share parking with several other businesses and will be located near the new Chick-fil-A restaurant also coming to the area. Crosshaven Drive is also undergoing improvements, including widening and the installation of sidewalks, as a part of the city’s Community Spaces Plan.

Milo’s is making an effort to be a better community partner as they continue to expand, and the Cahaba Heights location allows the restaurant to serve guests from all over Vestavia and others outside the company’s “current trade market,” Proctor said.

Part of that effort will include helping local charities and nonprofits, Proctor said. During the first week of operation, the first 100 customers each day will receive a free menu item and a free merchandise item, and the first week will include the selling of bottles of sauce to benefit the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation, Proctor said. For each bottle sold, $2 will go to the foundation.

Visit miloshamburgers.com for more information.