New in Birmingham: Carver Jones Market, a full-service grocery at Heritage Park Towne Center in Southwest Birmingham, backed by city incentives up to $850,000.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Rebuilt monthly. Openings come from city announcements, the Birmingham Business Alliance ribbon cutting listings and public records. A ribbon cutting can come weeks after a business opens its doors. Opening or closing? Tell us.

This month’s roundup leads with a grocery store: Carver Jones Market in Southwest Birmingham, the result of a city deal to bring fresh food back to a shopping center that lost its grocer. The Birmingham Business Alliance had no other ribbon cuttings for Birmingham businesses posted on its events list as of Oct. 17.

For business owners

  • Business licenses and city taxes: Tax and License Division, City Hall, Room TL100, 710 20th St. N.; BhamTLSupport@birminghamal.gov (taxes and e-filing)
  • Building permits and zoning for a new space: Planning, Engineering and Permits, 205-254-2211 (our permits guide)
  • Food businesses: a permit from the Jefferson County Department of Health, 205-930-1260 (our inspections guide)
  • Ribbon cuttings: the Birmingham Business Alliance’s celebration and ribbon cutting services for members

Now open

Carver Jones Market, Heritage Park Towne Center, Dennison Avenue Southwest. A full-service neighborhood grocery in about 10,000 square feet that once held a Save A Lot. The city said in December 2025 that the store would carry fresh meats, fruit, vegetables, dairy, beverages, snacks and health and beauty aids, plus a pharmacy, and that it would provide incentives of up to $850,000, including $600,000 in infrastructure for healthy food initiatives and a performance-based sales tax abatement of up to $125,000 a year, according to its announcement. The Birmingham Business Alliance held the store’s ribbon cutting and grand opening, and the market hosted a community celebration on Saturday, Sept. 19.

In the works

Heart of the Farm, Fountain Heights. The neighborhood broke ground on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, on Heart of the Farm, a grocery store, neighborhood market and community kitchen led by the Fountain Heights Farms Cooperative, the city said in its groundbreaking story. No opening date has been announced.

More grocery recruiting. The city set aside $2 million in January 2025 to recruit at least two grocery stores, with priority on West Birmingham and other underserved communities, according to its announcement.

Starting a business in Birmingham

  1. Find the right space. Check the property’s zoning on the city’s online map, or call the Zoning Division at 205-254-2478, before you sign a lease.
  2. Get permits for build-out. Most commercial work needs a building permit from Room 210 of City Hall.
  3. Get your business license. The city said in 2024 that new business licenses are issued in person at City Hall, and that existing businesses can register with its online system run with HdL Companies.
  4. Register with the state. Corporations and LLCs file with the Alabama Secretary of State.
  5. Food businesses also need a health permit from the Jefferson County Department of Health.

What this means for you

  • Shop the new grocery in Southwest Birmingham; the city has tied part of its help to sales.
  • Planning to open? Start with zoning and a permit before you sign.
  • Send us your opening date and we will list it here.

Related: building permits and zoning, restaurant inspection scores and public notices.

Frequently asked questions

What new grocery store opened in Birmingham?

Carver Jones Market, a full-service neighborhood grocery in the Heritage Park Towne Center on Dennison Avenue Southwest, in the former Save A Lot space. The Birmingham Business Alliance held its ribbon cutting and grand opening this fall.

How do I get a business license in Birmingham?

Through the city’s Tax and License Division at City Hall, 710 20th St. N. The city said in 2024 that new business licenses must be obtained in person, while existing businesses can use its online system with HdL Companies.

Where can I find Birmingham ribbon cuttings?

The Birmingham Business Alliance lists ribbon cuttings and grand openings it hosts for members on its events site.

How often is this list updated?

Monthly. Each month we add openings from ribbon cuttings, city announcements and public records and drop the ones more than two months old.