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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Kevin Sarabia, left, Felix Sarabia, Teresa Sarabia, Ignacio Sarabia, Jose Diaz and Tomas Sarabia, two generations of restaurant owners of Sol Azteca Mexican Restaurant at the Vestavia Hills location. The Sarabia family owns a second restaurant location in Alabaster.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Jeff Phillips, Allison Phillips, Steve Mote and Ben Chambliss, four generations of business owners, sit on an outdoor furniture set on display in Hollywood Pools and Spa on Nov. 4.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Karen and Jerry Burgess, owners of Karen’s Hallmark located at Vestavia City Center on Nov. 2.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Holiday items welcome customers at Karen’s Hallmark.
When Ignacio, Tomas and Felix Sarabia and their friend Jose came to America in 1992, they were simply seeking an opportunity to work and send money back to their families in Mexico.
“They never expected to stay,” said Kevin Sarabia, Tomas’ son.
But after they took over the Mexican restaurant, Sol Azteca, in a little building on the floor of the Old Motor Lodge, the city’s residents wouldn’t let them leave. Sol Azteca has moved, grown and continues to be one of the more popular Mexican restaurants in town.
“Customers … they’re like family,” Kevin Sarabia said. “You just see generations of families.”
Sol Azteca is just one of many family-owned businesses in Vestavia Hills. While running a family business comes with its complications and challenges, the owners of several such businesses said there’s no place they’d rather be.
SOL AZTECA
Kevin Sarabia, 26, has been working at the family restaurant since he was 19 years old. He serves as a cashier, bus boy and assistant manager.
“I do a little bit of everything,” he said.
The restaurant moved to its current location at 1360 Montgomery Highway in 2002, offering a bigger space and more seating.
Tomas Sarabia said it was a “very unique” experience running Sol Azteca.
“We didn’t know if it would be successful or not,” he said.
Tomas said he and his brothers worked in restaurants in Mexico and wanted to bring that experience to Birmingham.
Back then, there weren’t as many restaurants in the area, but now, he said, Birmingham is full of restaurants.
While that makes it a little more difficult to sustain business, he said he’s grateful for the support of Vestavia residents. “If you have a good product and good people, it’s good,” he said.
Tomas echoed what his son said about the joy of seeing families growing up and knowing multiple generations of Vestavians.
Seeing his family grow up in the restaurant, too, has been a joy. While the family sometimes has its disagreements, at the end of the day, it’s a joy to work with your loved ones, he said.
“We try to be united and do the right thing,” he said.
“It’s all about forgiveness,” Kevin Sarabia added. “Keep moving forward.”
Reflecting on the last 28 years, Tomas said his family has been fortunate to be in Vestavia Hills. “I think we’ve been blessed.”
KAREN’S HALLMARK
Karen Burgess grew up visiting Hallmark stores and dreamed one day of having her own.
She got that opportunity in the late 1980s, when she was able to open a store in Jasper, which she operated for 10 years before selling it in 1998.
Burgess bought a Hallmark store in Vestavia in 1996, in the Stein Mart shopping center. The building had formerly been Snow’s Cards and Gifts, which had operated for 50 years before closing.
While Burgess employs six part-time employees to help her, she also receives help from her husband, Jerry, and over the years, received help from her children as well.
Jerry helps put up signs and helps with heavy fixtures. Her children also helped out around the store while they were growing up.
That’s especially helpful during the Christmas season, she said.
So much has changed in 14 years, but the support of the community has not, she said.
“We’ve been very fortunate and blessed being up here,” Burgess said. “It’s a lot of work, but in love.”
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Burgess said people are coming back to the store. She and Jerry talked at the beginning of the pandemic about what to do, and they agreed they would do whatever it takes to keep the store running.
She said Vestavia is a great place, operating like a small town but with a population near 35,000.
“People want to support Vestavia businesses,” Burgess said. “We want people to feel at home here.”
CAFÉ IZ
Kay Reed started Café Iz as a white-tablecloth restaurant that opened for casual lunches and dinners 20 years ago.
There was nowhere like it in Vestavia when it first opened, she said.
About a year after Café Iz opened, Reed said people began begging for breakfast to be offered, and after opening for breakfast, she began preparing take-home meals for customers.
The café moved into its current home on Rocky Ridge Road, while keeping its event space, “Iz the Place,” under The Ridge.
“We do a lot of grab and go and curbside,” Reed said.
That has been helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
Reed isn’t alone in her efforts at the popular restaurant. Her husband, Stewart, is a part-owner and helps out frequently, and her son, Stephen, is the general manager and “wears many hats,” she said.
“We build our business around customer service,” Reed said. “It’s been a dream of mine for years and years and years.”
Reed said she loves feeding people — something that stems from her Italian and Southern heritage.
Working with her family is incredible, she said.
“It’s amazing because they do whatever it takes 24-7,” Reed said. “It’s just been a joy to work with him [her son] on a daily basis.”
Also, her husband will do whatever it takes to help out at the restaurant, she said. “This business is super stressful for all of us,” Reed said. “He’s such a cheerleader for me.”
That focus on the family has carried over to customers as well, Reed said. She recently heard from a longtime customer who said her daughter grew up eating at Café Iz, and so it was only right that when she got married recently, Café Iz catered the wedding.
“You have been a part of every event in her life,” Reed said the woman told her.
Reed said she has made a lot of friends through the business. “We are a staple for a lot of people in the area,” she said.
Being a family business, Reed said work and family often blend together.
“We talk about it at family dinners,” Reed said. “It’s our life. … It’s a 24-7 thing with us.”
AMERICAN PEST CONTROL AND HOLLYWOOD POOLS
In 1945, American Pest Control was started by KK Sparks, Steve Mote’s grandfather.
The business grew through the 1960s and was eventually taken over by Mote’s uncle, Charlie Sutton, who ran it for 20 years before selling it to Mote in 1995.
Mote’s uncle Larry hired Jeff Phillips, who runs the business and is married to Mote’s niece, Allison, who is a co-owner of Hollywood Pools, which is located in the same building and owned by Mote as well. Mote’s cousin, Ben Chambliss, also works with Hollywood Pools.
“There’s nothing like a family business,” Mote said.
There is a wonderful culture at the two companies, he said.
“We appreciate our people, and we try to let them know that,” he said. “It’s been pretty fulfilling.”
Over the years, both businesses have changed a lot, including growing their digital footprint, improving their technology and software and going paperless. They’ve also grown their branding, Mote said.
All of the owners live in Vestavia and are members of the Chamber of Commerce, and they try to be involved with the chamber as much as possible.
“We love Vestavia,” Mote said. “It’s a wonderful city to raise a family. … It’s been our home for a long time.”
There are good days and bad days for the family, Mote said. They aren’t perfect, but he said it’s good to come to work and know you’ll be with friends and family.
Because they’re a family business, there’s a willingness to see the business succeed, especially being owned by a 4th generation, Phillips said.
“Our lineage and heritage give us a great source of pride,” he said. “There’s a real sense of pride in the sense this thing started from very humble beginnings.”