4 new businesses + 3 coming soon to Birmingham. Reading time: 4 minutes It's a new week in the Magic City, and that means a new roundup of businesses popping up across town. From a new general store and cafe duo near Ruffner Mountain to a popular Thai street food spot coming to Southside, here are four new businesses and three more coming soon that should be on your radar. Now open. The wait is over, Birmingham! Providers General Store, the much-anticipated retail store with a community cafe, opened October 31, 2026. A "gateway to Ruffner Mountain," Providers is located a couple of blocks from the popular nature preserve, at the former Ruffner Relics spot on Rugby Avenue in the South East Lake Neighborhood. The store offers curated local goods while the cafe side offers coffee, soup, sandwiches and more. * Address: 8039 Rugby Ave, Birmingham, AL 35206 * Hours: Saturday-Sunday 8AM-4PM | Thursday-Friday 7AM-4PM The Collective Boutiques, a community-driven marketplace with hundreds of independent small businesses, makers and boutique owners under one roof, has opened its first location in Alabama at the River Ridge Shopping Center off Highway 280 in Birmingham. Located at 4612 US-280, in the former Painted Tree and Nordstrom Rack space, the new retailer between Academy Sports and Marshalls first opened its doors to the shoppers on Saturday, October 24, 2026. * Address: 4612 US-280, Birmingham, AL 35242 * Hours: Open daily, 10AM-8PM * The Collective Boutiques: Website | Facebook 3. CAVA | Alabaster. CAVA, the popular Mediterranean and Greek-inspired restaurant chain, opened its fourth Birmingham area location in Alabaster on October 26, 2026. The new eatery is part of the new Shoppes at District 31 development, situated near I-65 off Highway 31. CAVA is the sixth restaurant to open within the Shoppes at District 31 since June 2026. Academy Sports + Outdoors, the much-anticipated sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer, opened in Gardendale today, November 1, 2026. The 55,000-square-foot superstore is Academy's 18th location in Alabama. The new store, which can be seen off Gardendale's I-65 Fieldstown Road Exit (exit 271), will have on display a multiple number of national brands like Carhartt, YETI, Stanley, Nike and more. Coming soon. Yum Yai Street Thai, the popular Thai restaurant on Hwy 280, is opening its second location in the Birmingham metro area. Yum Yai announced that it will be moving into the space where Magnolia Point Restaurant currently operates. The arrival of a new Yum Yai restaurant comes seven years after their original restaurant on 7th Avenue South was destroyed by a fire. Got a sweet tooth? Shipley Do-Nuts, the popular donut and coffee shop chain with nearly 400 locations across 14 states, is opening a third Alabama location in Homewood's Hollywood Retail Center. Founded in Texas in 1936, Shipley has built a following for its classic glazed donuts, kolaches and specialty pastries. Shipley first opened an Alabama location in 2011; now, the chain operates two Alabama locations in Hoover and Huntsville. Located in the former FirstBank branch on Hollywood Blvd, the new Shipley Do-Nuts is positioned along a highly visible corridor of Highway 280 between Mountain Brook and Homewood. Trussville shoppers will soon have a new place to pick up shoes just in time for the holiday season. Shoe Dept. is moving into the former Kirkland's space at 5474 Patrick Way. Shoe Dept. joins the Homestead Village shopping center off U.S. 11, which also has Ulta, HomeGoods and Hobby Lobby. Store representatives says it will open no later than Friday, Dec. 11.

Academy Sports and Outdoors constructing new store in Kaufman. The Kings fort market center development is continuing to grow. Published Date: October 6, 2026, 11:40 AM EDT Recreational needs of all kinds can be found at this chain. The Texas market has proven to be successful for Academy Sports + Outdoors as the company is expanding to Kaufman at 750 W Kings Port Parkway. This will be a new building for the retail development on the south side of Kaufman. Right now, the anticipated opening date is July 30 next year. Academy Sports is one of the leading brands for budget-friendly athletic apparel. Both men's and women's options are available, with brands sold including Carhartt, Nike and Under Armour. Products other than clothing are also sold including travel items, bikes, space heaters and outdoor games. The company was founded in 1938 in San Antonio, and has expanded to over 330 stores across 21 states. Right now, there are over 120 Academy Sports locations around Texas, with many in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sports apparel store is joining the retail development off S.H. 34 and U.S. 175. It is not an address listed online, but other retailers in this area include Lowe's, Walmart and Tractor Supply Co. Construction will begin around Nov. 30. The space is set to be over 55,000 square feet, and will be one of the company's larger stores. What Now Dallas has reached out to the Academy Sports team and is awaiting comment. Love its content? Add WhatNow as a preferred source on Google to see more of its trusted coverage when you search. Be the first to know. From new restaurant openings to exciting retail launches and real estate insights, be the first to know what's happening in Dallas Regional Reporter Evan Gallagher is a reporter with a passion for news writing from the local to national level. He graduated from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism with a B.S. in Journalism and certificate in social media. He is currently based in Chicago, Illinois.