Photo by Loyd McIntosh
The El ZunZun Mexican restaurant in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
El ZunZun, a Mexican restaurant in Cahaba Heights, is converting its patio into a pop-up bar for the Christmas season as part of a public-private partnership between the city of Vestavia Hills and the Cahaba Heights Merchants Association.
Christened “Elf ZunZun,” the pop-up bar will be on the patio at El ZunZun beginning on Thursday, Nov. 30, and will be open beginning at 4 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through Dec. 23. The city of Vestavia Hills is paying $5,000 for a tent to cover the patio.
Vestavia Hills Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said the holiday bar is designed to drive economic activity and highlight two of the area’s premiere businesses — El ZunZun and Leaf & Petal — as well as the city as a whole.
“It’s a very minimal investment by the city, and for us, it’s to drive economic development because if El ZunZun makes money, the city’s making money,” McCulley said. “It really does benefit two of our businesses, plus we can bring in people that aren’t even from Vestavia Hills. They can enjoy our city and find out what it’s all about, go to this bar and maybe see something they’ve never seen before. … We want to attract people from outside, and we want to have people in Vestavia Hills love it and engage with it.”
El ZunZun General Manager Leah Harrigan said the holiday bar will not only provide Vestavia Hills residents with a lively and fun atmosphere during the Christmas season, but will be a positive shot in the arm for the entire Cahaba Heights business community, especially the businesses on Crosshaven Drive — El ZunZun, Crestline Bagel and Leaf & Petal — that can get lost in the shuffle.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to get people to come to this side of town,” Harrigan said. “We’re really excited about it. I think it’s definitely going to bring people from the community in. I’ve already heard a lot of interest from the community.”
The Vestavia Hills City Council approved the expenditure for the tent on Oct. 23. In the weeks since then, Harrigan said word of the holiday bar has started to circulate and said she can feel a buzz building throughout Cahaba Heights.
“All the feedback that I’ve gotten about it has been positive. They’re excited about it; they can’twait to see it,” she said. “It really hasn’t been out there long that we’re doing this, but there is definitely talk about it and excitement.”
Patrons will be able to walk up to the holiday bar, accessible from the sidewalk next to Leaf & Petal instead of through the front of the restaurant. Harrigan said they will offer specialty drinks and small plates instead of the full menu, and the space will be decorated for the holidays in a south-of-the-border theme.
“We’re going to kind of go Griswold with it. Christmas Latin-American style,” Harrigan said. “I hope it brings awareness that we’re here. I hope that it’s lucrative for us, and I hope, in seeing that, that the city will want to do it for other places and for other holidays.”
Katherine McCrae, the president of the Cahaba Heights Merchants Association and owner of The Lily Pad boutique, said she is thrilled to work with the city to highlight this business in the community while providing some fun and excitement for the entire community during the Christmas season.
“It’s great to have the city of Vestavia Hills partnering with merchants to bring fun, holiday festive time in Vestavia Hills,” McRae said. “Public -private partnerships are great to show how businesses and municipalities can work hand in hand to enhance the quality of life in Vestavia Hills.”
McCulley said she and other members of the Vestavia Hills city leadership have become inspired by a book they read as a group two years ago, “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places,” by Peter Kageyama. The book has spurred new thinking for ways to make Vestavia Hills a more vibrant, lively and fun city, she said.
“That’s really kind of what kicked off this whole conversation is just bringing some excitement and making Vestavia Hills more of a destination for our residents, for visitors, for their family, for their friends,” McCulley said. “Just giving people something to do and a reason to engage and enjoy their city.”
El ZunZun is at 4105 Crosshaven Drive in Cahaba Heights.
Editor's note: This story was updated with comments from Katherine McCrae, the president of the Cahaba Heights Merchants Association and owner of The Lily Pad boutique, at 10:31 p.m. on Nov. 27.
