A popular wings restaurant is bringing another location to the Tuscaloosa area - this time at the former site of a beloved restaurant.
Atlanta-based A-Town Wings will open early next year in the former Buddy’s Rib & Steak building, at 2701 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd. in Northport.
The property, a 2,035-square-foot freestanding building, will undergo repairs and improvements, according to Right Space Commercial.
The restaurant space was formerly home to Buddy’s Rib & Steak, which opened in 1978 after R.P. “Buddy” Hall and his wife acquired the former Smalley’s restaurant.
It closed after about 46 years in business in June 2024.
Before the property is turned over to A-Town Wings, the landlord is completing improvements that include kitchen flooring repairs, upgraded exterior lighting, storefront window work, parking lot restriping, landscaping cleanup, enclosing the former fire pit and other general repairs.
A-Town Wings operates approximately 25 independently-owned locations across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, with a menu featuring wings and Philly cheesesteaks.
The company currently operates a Tuscaloosa restaurant at 2319 University Blvd. E.
Delana Roe, COO and Associate Broker at Right Space Commercial, said the location gives the franchise an opportunity to capture “significant commuter and pass-through traffic on U.S. 82 North.
“One of the most important considerations in selecting a second location is making sure it expands your customer base rather than simply pulling business from your existing restaurant,” Roe said.
