NOLA eatery opens first Alabama site in Spanish Fort Town Center

Stirling Properties, in partnership with Cypress Equities, announced last week New Orleans-based Mandina’s Restaurant will be joining the tenant lineup inside the Spanish Fort Town Center mixed-use development in Baldwin County.

Mandina’s has been a New Orleans institution since 1932, serving Italian and Cajun-Creole seafood, steaks and pasta. This marks the eatery’s third opening and first site outside of Louisiana.

A local franchisee opened the second Mandina’s on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville and is now venturing into Alabama. It will occupy nearly 4,000 square feet of space on Bass Pro Drive, situated across from The Fort Container Park.

Menu items and operation will closely resemble that of the Mandeville restaurant and staffing plans at the new locale were unknown as of press time.

Angie McArthur and Jeff Barnes with the local Stirling Properties office handled the transaction on behalf of the property owners. McArthur and Barnes have worked with the management team in charge of the Spanish Fort Town Center project since 2015. Dallas-based Cypress Equities helped to secure the new restaurant for the center.

“Stirling Properties welcomes Mandina’s Restaurant to Spanish Fort Town Center. The addition of more restaurants and retailers continues to attract patrons and diners to the development and benefits the surrounding retailers — this is a destination location for everyone,” McArthur said in a prepared statement.

Spanish Fort Town Center is a 230-acre development located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 98 in Baldwin County. The center includes 450,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a residential apartment community, office space, hotels, banks and entertainment options.

Over the last two years, Stirling has facilitated securing over 44,000 square feet of new leases for the retail center, adding Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park, Direct Furniture, Oishii Japanese Bar & Grill, Dixie Dental, The Fort restaurants and Cavender’s to the diverse tenant lineup.

McArthur and Barnes are also reportedly in negotiations with various businesses across the region that will add 140,000 square feet of hotel, retail and related space to the massive Baldwin County site in the near future. 

MORE MOVES, TRANSACTIONS

Last week Mayor Sandy Stimpson, Mobile Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD) Chief Jeremy Lami and Mobile City Councilwoman Gina Gregory cut the ribbon for Mobile’s newest fire station. Buildout for Fire Station 18 lasted about a year, but including planning and design, the entire process took around four years to complete.

Located in the Spring Hill area near Langan Park on Museum Drive, the $2.5 million facility replaces the nearly 64-year-old structure that sat on the same footprint previously. The new station covers some 6,053 square feet and includes 3,798 square feet of co-ed living space to accommodate up to four MFRD male or female firefighters on a 24/7, 365-day personnel rotation.

The new space will also feature bifold garage doors, designed to match the aesthetic characteristics of the neighborhood, and dedicated decontamination equipment to keep firefighters safe and their gear clean. 

“As you look around the station, it certainly is beautiful, but what we’re most proud of are the safety features for our firefighters who will live and work here,” Lami said.

In 2018, MFRD achieved a noteworthy ISO-1 rating — the best in the country. Only 320 out of 44,000 departments in the U.S. have the designation, which can save homeowners on insurance costs because of the fire department’s recognized equipment, training and response times.

Adam J. Metcalfe with Metcalfe & Company Inc. recently reported Pet Friendly, a locally owned pet products manufacturer, has purchased some 13,000 square feet of production and warehouse facility space for $500,000 located at 4080 Pine Grove Road in Bay Minette.

“Walmart approached the owner recently with a large, multimillion-dollar order so he bought this space to reopen and ramp up production again quickly,” Metcalfe said.

“Due to Trump tariffs on China, Walmart, Target and PetSmart could not get any of our patented rope toys that China had knocked off, so by request, I relaunched the company last year,” owner Charles Weinacker said in a phone interview. “PF&I Pet Friendly was founded in 1992 and immediately became a top Walmart vendor for 18 years.

“Recently, we also sent samples to several big-box stores and were inundated by the local Piggly Wiggly, Greer’s and now Rouses market stores. All of them want toys, apparel, fertilizers and our organic dog food products. How many new employees are hired depends on orders, but we have plenty of room in the new building and acreage to grow. It depends on how much help we get from a bank,” Weinacker added.

Dallas-based Continental Battery has leased some 9,000 square feet of retail space located at 3747 Government Blvd. in Mobile. The company is relocating directly across the highway from their former, 5,000-square-foot site.

“They moved to the new space because it was larger as well as designed more as a retail-oriented space. The other location was more of a warehouse space,” said Metcalfe, who handled the transaction on behalf of the tenant. 

Last week local developers paid $450,000 for some 3.5 acres of property located on County Road 16 in Foley next to the Hidden Lakes subdivision. Construction has commenced at the site and the land will be developed into a single-family subdivision to be known as “Kippling Meadows.”

A total of 119 lots will be developed in two phases and built out by D.R. Horton. Completion of the subdivision is expected in late summer or early fall. Pratt Thomas and Daryl Cleworth with Merrill P. Thomas Co. Inc. handled the transaction.

Locally owned new package store Infinity Liquor has moved into the Vigouroux Marketplace located at 9948 Airport Blvd. in West Mobile. The business is leasing 2,400 square feet of retail space with expectations to open sometime this spring. The retail center is now reportedly 100 percent leased according to McArthur of Stirling Properties, who managed the deal on behalf of the landlord.