There’s no sign outside the nondescript building at 5505 First Ave. North -- at least, not yet -- but for the past month or so, people have been drawn to the Woodlawn Bar & Lounge.
It’s a new business in Birmingham’s Woodlawn neighborhood, still forging a reputation and gathering a clientele. Night by night. Drink by drink. DJ set by DJ set.
But customers are showing up to grab a beer, sip a sangria or try “Da Wood,” a signature cocktail that’s similar to an Old Fashioned. Word of mouth is spreading about the bar, which offers hookah smoking, libations, music and socializing.
Food trucks such as Backyard Tacos often park outside the bar, for events such as the weekly Taco Tuesdays. Repeat customers are on scene, kicking back on cozy couches, holding birthday parties and watching sports on TV. Future plans include a back patio for cigar aficionados, surrounded by colorful murals in an alley behind the building.
And did we mention there was a line outside the bar during its official opening night on Jan. 8?
No wonder the owners of the Woodlawn Bar & Lounge -- Corey Whatley, Quincy Coleman and Byron Watkins -- radiate positivity.
“A lot of people doubted us,” Whatley said. “A lot of people didn’t believe in the vision that we had. But I was like, ‘We can make it boom with our brand and our vision to put a bar in Woodlawn, and tell people, ‘Hey, it’s a neighborhood bar. Come and see what we got.’” (Photos of the bar are featured the gallery at the top of this post.)
Whatley, a Birmingham firefighter and member of the U.S. Army Reserve, is a can-do guy who enjoys tackling a challenge. Owning a bar has been his dream for a long time, Whatley said, and his fondness for a certain reality show didn’t hurt, either.
“I like watching ‘Bar Rescue,’” Whatley said, laughing during an interview with AL.com. “I watch that all the time, and I said, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ And I like just being social, and getting along with different cultures and diverse crowds. Just mix and mingle with different people of all races and colors and ages. That’s what a bar does, you know, it brings people together. You meet people, just by common conversation. I think that’s pretty much what we need today, people just talking.”
Social harmony is on tap at the bar, along with what Whatley described as a “grown and sexy vibe.” All three owners said they’ll make sure it stays that way.
“Our goal is just for people to come out and enjoy themselves, and have a good time,” Coleman said. “Come here and meet new people, and just enjoy.”
There’s an age requirement at the Woodlawn Bar & Lounge -- patrons must be 25 and older -- and the dress code is business casual. “When you step out, look good,” Whatley said. “No hoodies, no pants sagging.”
Customers have been cool with that, the owners said, telling a story about one man who tried to come in wearing slides and was politely denied entry. He soon returned, wearing more appropriate shoes.
Music is a key component at the bar, and DJs -- such as Dee J Eleet, DJ Goat and DJ Sleepy -- are on hand to skillfully spin the tunes.
“The certain vibe that we agreed on was a neo-soul type diverse vibe, where people just come in, mix and mingle, listen to jazz, R&B, hip-hop, all types of different cultures of music,” Whatley said. “Pop, rock, whatever.”
The Woodlawn Bar & Grill covers about 2,700 square feet, and its capacity is 205 people, the owners said. Whatley worked with REV Birmingham to secure the space in 2021 and get the business started. He brought in Coleman and Watkins as partners last summer.
“We sat around and talked, and the ideas started flowing,” Watkins said. “I used to have a security company and we did nightclubs, as well, so I had a little bit of experience in running a bar. I got out of nightlife, but now I’m back in.”
Coleman, who owns a cleaning business, said it didn’t take much coaxing for him to join the team. All three men describe their partnership as congenial, talking through issues they’ve encountered and solving problems by consensus.
“You have different personalities, so we’ve had a few disagreements, but at the end of the day, we pretty much come together and say, ‘Let’s make it right,’” Whatley said.
They signed a lease in September and started working on the space, doing most of the construction, painting and installations themselves. The initial investment -- about $40,000 Whatley said -- was equally split among the owners.
The partners emphasized that long hours and hard work, the cornerstones of any small business, aren’t a daunting prospect. They’ve been constants on scene over the past month, greeting customers and making sure everything runs smoothly.
The Woodlawn Bar & Lounge is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m.-11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. The bar has a staff of nine people, and the hours will be expanded in the future, the owners said.
All three men touted the business potential in Woodlawn, a neighborhood located north of Crestwood and east of Avondale. The area -- bordered by First Avenue North, Georgia Road and First Avenue South, between 54th and 60th streets -- includes Club Duquette, Nmosa Fabrics, Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn, Ursula Smith Dance. Co., Audiostate 55 Recording Studios and more.
The bar owners also pointed to a strong community atmosphere in Woodlawn. In that spirit, they’ve been walking along First Avenue North in the mornings, picking up trash that might have been left behind by their customers. The Woodlawn Bar & Lounge is funding scholarships at Woodlawn High School, as well: $2,000 total, evenly divided among four students via an essay contes in May.
Whatley admitted that some folks called him crazy for opening a bar during the coronavirus pandemic, but with the help and support of his partners, he shrugged off the naysayers.
“You don’t be successful if you don’t try,” Whatley said. “And you can’t worry about the ‘What if?’ because it might never happen. When you get up in the morning, you’re taking a chance on your day. You’re taking a chance on everything. So you might as well grab life by the horns and hold on. You never know what it’s going to throw at you.”
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