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Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
A look inside the Hoover location of O’Henry’s Coffees at Stadium Trace Village. Two new locations will open this spring in Mt Laurel and Patchwork Farms behind the Colonnade.
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Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
A look inside the Hoover location of O’Henry’s Coffees at Stadium Trace Village. Two new locations will open this spring in Mt Laurel and Patchwork Farms behind the Colonnade.
It’s been 28 years since Dr. Henry Bright opened a coffee shop in Homewood. The retired orthodontist noticed the lack of places for people to come together and connect. So, he learned how to roast coffee beans, found a spot on 18th Street and opened the original O’Henry’s Coffees location in 1993.
Six years later, he sold the business to Randy and Mary Adamy. In 2019, Blake Stevens had the opportunity to become the third owner of the well-known establishment and was excited to do so. Stevens worked for both of the previous owners at O’Henry’s while in college at Samford from 1996 to 2001 as a barista, chef and manager.
Stevens then went to work opening Starbucks locations in new markets for 14 years before coming back to Birmingham in 2014 to work as a human resources director.
“In 2019, this opportunity came about, buying it from second owner for me to become the third owner,” Stevens said. “I’m so fortunate to have been able to work with Dr. Bright and see his passion and his connection to community and his drive for connection and consistency in fresh roasted coffee.”
He said the Adamys continued Bright’s legacy, opening up more stores and making them a great place to connect around coffee.
Stevens is continuing that expansion in 2021, opening two new locations: Patchwork Farms and Mt Laurel.
The decision to expand to Shelby County came after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and O’Henry’s began delivering pounds of coffee to customer’s houses. He said the 35242 ZIP code was a high traffic area for them, and the data showed a tremendous number of their deliveries were going to residents of Mt Laurel and surrounding areas.
“We were sending a lot of coffee to Highland Lakes, Greystone and surrounding areas,” Stevens said. “Listening to the communities and leaders, we knew it was the right spot for us.”
O’Henry’s will be located next to ACE Hardware in Mt Laurel on Dunnavant Valley Road (Shelby County 41).
Following the opening of the Mt Laurel location, another will soon follow at the Patchwork Farms shopping center located behind the Colonnade, in the former Chronic Tacos space in mid-spring.
That will make six locations total for the business, including the original in downtown Homewood, Brookwood Village, Highland Park and Stadium Trace Village in Hoover, plus one on the Samford University campus. Each location employs 15 to 20 team members, in addition to their roasting facility.
Stevens said coffee brings people together, and O’Henry’s is committed to high quality coffee roasted consistently every time. They enjoy being in the middle of the communities which they serve.
In addition to coffee and other beverages, the menu will feature sandwiches, salads and soup options.
“We are really fortunate as we grow and look for different communities to be a part of, that’s what we’re looking for,” he said. “We understand we are a 28-year-old brand that is highly rooted in Birmingham and Homewood areas, but we’ve got to steward that. Success is not an entitlement. Our job is to ensure we are hiring and developing great people and getting to know our customers and growing in the community in which we serve.”
