Uptown District Marks Opening with Street Party
Lots of Over the Mountain coffee lovers have stopped in at Octane in Homewood since it opened in 2013.
The stylish coffee bar, which also offers craft cocktails, sandwiches and pastries, is now Uptown as well as upmarket.
Octane opened in Birmingham’s Westin Hotel last November, becoming part of the Uptown entertainment district next to the BJCC.
The new location was a “natural step” for the company, said Sam Cisco, general manager of the Uptown store.
“They were looking to offer a coffee place in Uptown, and we love working with the Westin,” Cisco said. “People can come in post-dinner for cocktails as well as for early morning coffee.”
There’s already a lot of interaction between Uptown restaurant staff members, he said.
“Our guys often run over to Mugshots for lunch, and you’ll see the Texas de Brazil people getting a cup of coffee here,” Cisco said. “It’s been fun to watch our vanilla-frosted sticky buns fly off the shelves when all the Uptown employees learned they could come in and grab a bun and coffee.”
From 5 p.m.-midnight, Octane serves craft cocktails which are very “Mad Men” style, according to Cisco.
Pastries are made fresh at the Homewood store, where drivers pick them up at 4:30 a.m. and deliver them to the Uptown Octane. Bread from Birmingham’s Brick and Tin is used to make sandwiches like turkey and Brie or PBJs—and both the peanut butter and the jam are made in-house, Cisco said.
Octane will offer its sticky buns and iced coffee at Eat UP: A Taste of Uptown July 31 from 6-9 p.m.
The event is a street party celebrating the opening of the Uptown entertainment district.
Eat UP also will include food samples from Bottle & Bone, Cantina Laredo, Mugshots, Texas de Brazil, The Southern Kitchen + Bar and Todd English P.U.B.
Tickets are $10 and include seven vouchers good for sample dishes from each of the restaurants. Belle Adair, The Bear and Donnie Fritts will provide music.
Proceeds benefit Jones Valley Teaching Farm.
To buy tickets or for more information, visit UptownBham.com. Tickets will also be available at the event.—Donna Cornelius
