Chelsea’s Valley Post filling up, new beignet & burger restaurant announced

CHELSEA, Ala. (WBRC) - Yet another restaurant has announced plans to open at Chelsea’s Valley Post, as the entertainment district continues to recover after sitting empty for months amid financial issues.

Mo’Bay Beignet & Burger Co., a Mobile-based shop, announced it is bringing a location to Central Alabama, joining a growing lineup of new businesses filling the development.

The company has operated Mo’Bay Beignet Co. in Mobile for around seven years. Its owner said the brand’s growth will continue with the opening of “Mo’Bay Beignet & Burger Co.” at Chelsea’s Valley Post, promising a “unique” experience for the Birmingham market.

“It’s our passion and our goal to truly make communities sweeter and provide a gathering place for families,” said owner Jaclyn Robinson.

The owner said she is working with the developer to take over the former Hero Doughnuts location. Renovations are in the works, and she hopes to open by the end of 2026.

“There’s a good space there for us to work with, which should hopefully assist us in getting the doors open rather quickly,” Robinson said.

Valley Post’s comeback

Chelsea City Council President Scott Weygand said the new restaurant announcement is good news for the city’s economy.

“It’s very exciting to see Valley Post come alive again,” Weygand said. “It was very disappointing when it closed.”

Valley Post has sat empty since April, when several restaurants tied to the Pihakis Restaurant Group closed, leaving servers and bartenders out of work amid reports of financial issues.

In recent weeks, several other restaurants have announced plans to open at the development:

• Waldo’s Chicken & Beer is open now.
• SAW’s BBQ has said it hopes to open in November, though renovations and licensing have still been in the works.

Weygand said the city council has already approved SAW’s BBQ’s ABC license.

“We have already voted and approved their ABC license, so I believe the ball would be in the state’s hands at this point, but as far as I know they’re interviewing for employees now and getting ready to open,” he said.

SAW’s BBQ says it will announce an official opening date on Facebook once one is set.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.