SAW's BBQ is gearing up to open its newest location at Chelsea's Valley Post development, moving into the former Rodney Scott's BBQ building off U.S. 280. The restaurant will serve pulled pork, smoked chicken, wings, loaded baked potatoes, Southern sides and Alabama white barbecue sauce at 1004 Dunnavant Valley Road once its doors open.
The exact opening date has been a moving target. As reported by WBMA, SAW's BBQ is set to open on Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. But an earlier report from the Shelby County Reporter said the restaurant aimed to open Monday, Nov. 2, pending renovations and final license approvals. It's unclear which date will ultimately hold, and SAW's BBQ has said it would announce its official opening date on Facebook once one was finalized, according to WBRC.
Owner Jennifer Wilson owns several SAW's restaurants, including the new Chelsea spot, and announced the Chelsea expansion on July 28, according to 280living.com. Wilson said the team is looking forward to becoming part of the community. The Chelsea restaurant marks SAW's expansion to the U.S. 280 corridor and will join Waldo's Chicken & Beer at Valley Post, the mixed-use dining and entertainment development, per 280living.com's report.
A Vacant Development Comes Back to Life
Valley Post had sat empty since April, when several restaurants tied to the Pihakis Restaurant Group closed, as WBRC reported. The entertainment district previously featured four Pihakis restaurants — Rodney Scott's BBQ, Hero Diner, Little Donkey and Luca & Lucy — all of which closed during the facility's shutdown, the Shelby County Reporter noted. Valley Post's revival began when Waldo's Chicken and Beer opened Sept. 29, with SAW's BBQ expected to be the second restaurant to open there, per the Shelby County Reporter's earlier report.
The shutdown followed financial trouble for the Pihakis Restaurant Group. A real estate investor filed liens in April alleging more than $8.2 million was owed by restaurants tied to the group, including $7.1 million connected to Valley Post, according to AL.com. A separate lawsuit filed in June alleged that PRG Valley Post defaulted on a long-term lease for the four buildings, with charges totaling roughly $7.35 million, the outlet reported.
Licensing, Hiring and a Longtime Local Name
Chelsea's City Council has already voted and approved SAW's BBQ's ABC license, WBRC reported. Hiring for the new location was still getting underway as of October, when the restaurant held open interview days on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and Thursday, Oct. 15, according to the Shelby County Reporter.
SAW's BBQ traces back to 2009, when it was founded by the late Mike “Sorry Ass” Wilson, according to 280living.com. The chain first opened in Homewood before expanding to locations including Avondale, Crestline Park, Southside, Leeds and Hoover, per the Shelby County Reporter, and it has previously been declared the “Best BBQ in Alabama” by Southern Living. Reports differ on where Chelsea fits into that lineup — 280living.com described it as SAW's seventh location, while WBMA's report called it the eighth.
Once open, the Chelsea location is expected to operate Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
