News for December 22nd 2009

O’Carr’s Restaurant to open downtown Birmingham

O’Carr’s Restaurant will open its first downtown Birmingham location in the spring, taking the former Safari Cup space.

Lew Garrison, the Birmingham attorney who owns the Cahaba Heights location of O’Carr’s, has signed a five-year lease for 2,900 square feet on the ground floor of the Title Building on the corner of Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard and Third Avenue North.

Garrison said he hopes to have the restaurant open by the first of April.

“I think this is the perfect timing and the perfect location,” Garrison said.

The Safari Cup built a following in the space before its owners abruptly closed it and left in August.

Michael Randman, a broker with Southpace Properties who leased the space to Garrison, said his firm turned away at least five other businesses — including other restaurants and banks — that had eyed the space. Randman said he and Southpace principal John Lauriello wanted to put the right tenant in the high-profile spot.

“The kind of food that will be served here is going to be different than anything else you will find in this area,” Randman said.

Randman said O’Carr’s should find a following in the area, noting that Safari Cup had a busy lunch-time crowd, as did Zoe’s a block away before moving to the One Federal Place building in late 2003. Also, the nearby Surin Thai Bowl also is busy during lunch.

O’Carr’s was started in Homewood in 1975 by Cameron and June Carr. With its trademark chicken salad and fresh fruit plates, the restaurant made a name for itself. Its menu also includes sandwiches, soups and salads in some creative and decidedly healthy combinations.

The perfect spot

Garrison was a fan of the restaurant and a friend of the Carrs when he learned they were looking to franchise. He purchased the rights to the Cahaba Heights and downtown locations. Another O’Carr’s operates in the Hoover Ashley Furniture store.

“We have been looking for the right location downtown for three years,” he said. “I think we found the right one.”

Randman said it couldn’t come soon enough for the people in his office, located at the site being claimed by O’Carr’s, who crave the light and healthy items on which the restaurant built its reputation.

“They want me to assure them all the time that O’Carr’s is still coming,” Randman said of his co-workers.

The O’Carr’s downtown location will offer breakfast in addition to lunch. Garrison said take-out and deliveries to offices and lofts will be big parts of the restaurant’s business, as will its catering function.

Garrison said he does not have a final figure on what it will cost to outfit the space, but said it would be a significant investment that will completely change the layout and the look of the interior. The upstairs and sidewalk seating Safari Cup introduced will be part of the new restaurant, he said.

Hours have not been set yet, but the restaurant initially will operate Monday through Friday.

He said he is waiting on permits and designs to start work on the space.

Edited: December 22nd, 2009

Legends of Motorsports, has announced an additional event to its premium historic automobile race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park

May 20-23, 2010. The special race will solely include Lotus Legends of Motorsports, has announced an additional event to its premium historic automobile race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park racing cars, featuring a variety of the marque’s most popular models.

“Few brands of race cars have more racing mystique than Lotus,” observed Legends of Motorsports co-founder and partner Bobby Rahal. “For anyone who loves these great cars, and there are many, it will be very exciting to see a sea of Lotus racers battling it out on the beautiful Barber Motorsports Park circuit.”

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum at the Barber Motorsports Park includes more than 1000 vintage and modern motorcycles and a substantial collection of 43 vintage Lotus cars, the largest collection in North America.

Consequently, the Lotus-exclusive race will be open to a raft of years and models of the famed British sports cars including Lotus 7, Lotus Super 7, Lotus 9, Louts 11, Lotus 15, Lotus 17, Lotus 19, Lotus 23, Lotus 26, Lotus 47 and Lotus 62.

Rahal, a revered international racing champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner, is one of three Legends of Motorsports primary partners through the brand’s Historic Motorsports Productions (HMP) parent company. He is joined in the venture by Just Marketing International (JMI) founder and CEO, Zak Brown and noted business
executive Peter Stoneberg, who serves as CEO for HMP. All three men are active participants in historic racing in their own right.

Legends of Motorsports events typically include a variety of the most popular historic racing classes and cars. These include GTP/Group C; 3.0 Liter era Formula One; F.I.A. Championship of Makes; 2.0 Liter Sports Racers; Trans-Am; Can-Am; IMSA GT/Production Cars; and Formula Libre. In addition, at certain events individual automobile manufacturers and classes will be celebrated through special programming. Beyond vintage racing, HMP event weekends feature a variety of entertainment diversions such as fashion shows, race car parades, car shows and rallies.

“The owners of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, founder George Barber and the museum staff are truly great stewards of racing history,” said Rahal. “They appreciate the legacy of legendary racing marques and certainly Lotus is high on that list. Their stellar facility will be a perfect venue for guests to appreciate the best of this historic racing brand.”

Tickets for the Legends of Motorsports at Barber Motorsports Park are on sale to the public beginning January 15, 2010.

Edited: December 22nd, 2009