Vestavia businesses receive Retailer of the Year nominations

Several businesses in the Birmingham area have been nominated for Alabama Retailer of the Year awards, six of them with locations in Vestavia Hills.

Popular shops and restaurants including Chick-fil-A, Tazikis and Ashley Mac’s were all nominated for the award, which recognizes retailers in the state for their high volume in annual sales. Other nominees included Taco Mama, Domino’s Pizza in Cahaba Heights and New York Butcher Shoppe.

The Alabama Retail Association is reviewing information submitted by the nominees who completed applications and plans to announce this year’s winners in late August or September, said Nancy King Dennis, director of public relations for the group.

Tazikis could not be reached for comment and did not submit an application to be considered as a finalist, Dennis said.

“We were extremely excited, grateful and humbled by the opportunity, with lots of great businesses all over Alabama, especially here in Birmingham,” said Ashley McMakin, owner of Ashley Mac’s. “ We didn’t know nominations were even up when I got the email. Of course I’d heard of it [the award], but I didn’t know it was going on already, so we were super excited to see that.”

“I was very surprised, very honored and humbled,” said Rodney Jackson, owner of Chick-fil-A Vestavia Hills.

Retailer of the Year Awards are divided into four categories by annual sales volume: less than $1 million, $1 million to $5 million, $5 million to $20 million and more than $20 million.

Ashley Mac’s started out as a catering company in 2007, McMakin said. When they opened their first location in Bluff Park, it was strictly used as a catering kitchen until requests from customers prompted McMakin to change the company’s business model.

“We started doing gourmet-to-go once my catering customers were requesting smaller amounts of the same items that we cater because they just wanted to take it to their house or their beach trip or to their friend that had a baby,” McMakin said.

Since then, Ashley Mac’s has grown to offer catering services, gourmet-to-go products and a cafe, she said.

“I think having those three different business lines sets us apart a little bit,” McMakin said. “We hope to continue to be set apart by our values and our core culture at Ashley Mac’s of grace, treating our employees with dignity and then them, in turn, treating our customers with kindness and grace while serving them.”

The key to happy customers at Chick-fil-A is the company's culture of “second-mile hospitality and good food at a fair price,” Jackson said.

“It’s not as easy as it used to be, we all know that. Nothing is as easy as it used to be,” Jackson said, laughing. “The key for us has always been Chick-fil-A’s very strong culture, a culture that is unique to us. And I think it’s really important, to the extent we can, to saturate our business with that culture and bring in people that agree with it and are excited to serve others. It’s really not more complicated than that.”

Jackson, who’s been a Chick-fil-A franchisee for 38 years, was nominated by former Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce President Karen Odle, he said.

David Dawoud with Domino’s said this is the third year in a row his business has been nominated for the award.

Dawoud said the business has continued to succeed by taking care of its customers and employees.

“We feel like we need to support them [employees],” Dawoud said.

Domino’s supports the Vestavia Hills City School system and local hospitals, Dawoud said. They’ve kept their prices discounted even after the pandemic, Dawoud said.

Dawoud worked his way up after starting as a driver and manager, while the franchise has been in Cahaba Heights since 1995, he said.

The store has great community support, Dawoud said, making it easier to come to work each day.

“It’s a lot of work but we enjoy it,” Dawoud said.

Jim Moeller with New York Butcher Shoppe has not only been nominated but also won an award before.

People continue to support the deli, which provides large sandwiches as well as specialty grocery including pork, lamb, chicken, beef, fine wine and more, Moeller said. Moeller began the business, which has two locations in the Birmingham area, including one in Cahaba Heights, in 2008 after leaving the water works business.

Over the years, Moeller said he’s seen the business work more efficiently and proficiently, improving operations as they gained experience.

Moeller said the crew does their best for the customers and it is meaningful to once again be recognized for their work.

“It’s just a complete honor for us,” Moeller said.

Taco Mama founder Will Haver was unavailable for comment for this story.