Mountain Brook’s beloved Davenport’s Pizza opens new location

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF AMANDA THAMES, DAVENPORT’S PIZZA

Davenport’s pizzas include their signature square-cut slices.

The King of (Pizza) Pie

Beloved Birmingham mainstay Davenport’s Pizza Palace expands to Vestavia.

BY STEPHANIE GIBSON LEPORE

“My grandparents, Rex and Ardyce Hollis, started Davenport’s Pizza in 1964 in Mountain Brook Village,” says co-owner Amanda Thames. “They went door-todoor to introduce the neighborhood to our unique pizza, and—fortunately—the community took a liking to it! And here we are 58 years later.” Those nearly six decades hold lotsa pizza memories for many local families. On any given weekend (or weeknight!), you’ll find families, friends, and even first dates celebrating milestones and birthdays inside the cozy, old-school

pizzeria walls of the original Mountain Brook Village Davenport’s. Often, you’ll also find a bit of a (totally worth it) wait. Which makes this news all the better: Davenport’s has now added a second location at the Vestavia City Center. Open since late September, the new pizza palace features the same great pizza, along with a few extras Amanda and her coowner and cousin, Yates Norris, are excited about: outdoor seating, garage doors in the arcade, TVs for watching football, a bar for happy hour, and an outdoor walkup window for orders. “Plus, there’s a movie theater within walking distance, which pairs well with pizza!” says Amanda.

“We are excited to serve more customers in the Birmingham community and grow our family business that we care so much about,” she continues. Amanda and Yates are the third generation of their family to operate Davenport’s. Amanda took over for her mom—who ran the store for years with Amanda’s aunt—12 years ago. “It was quite a transition from an accounting job to working in a restaurant, but those accounting skills certainly come in handy!” Yates prepares the restaurant’s signature homemade dough and sauce, and together the two manage day-to-day operations. “We hope our grandparents would be proud of where we are today!”

Though the family often batted around the idea of another location, it was around two years ago that discussions went from just talk to serious consideration. “We looked at a few different areas, but the Vestavia City Center felt like the perfect fit,” says Amanda. “The outdoor space, nearby movie theater, and family atmosphere were very appealing to us. And there was a second Davenport’s location in Vestavia in the 1970s for about 15 years, so it seemed right to bring Davenport’s back to Vestavia Hills.” Opening a second spot was a big decision, but both Amanda and Yates were confident that their time-tested pizza paired with the right construction team and stellar staff would be a success outside of Mountain Brook, too.

“We hear from customers in Mountain Brook every day about how Davenport’s is such a part of their family history and traditions, and it’s truly an honor to be a part of so many memories over several decades,” says Amanda. “We hope the Vestavia location will also be a special gathering place for many years to come for family birthday celebrations, baseball team parties, first dates, watching a football game, and much more. Our wait time on the weekends in Mountain Brook can be long, so now we hope to serve more customers with two locations.”

At the moment, there are no plans to expand beyond Mountain Brook and Vestavia, but two locations are enough for customers to get their fill of Davenport’s top-selling menu items: The Jim Special and classic pepperoni pizza. “You can’t go wrong with either one,” says Amanda. “We have so many great combos, but my favorite is the Rex Special. And our salad with homemade Italian dressing is hard to beat!”

Though the pizza is king, for Amanda and Yates the highlight of owning Davenport’s is hearing about the role the restaurant has played in their customers lives. “It never gets old hearing how many years they have been enjoying our pizza or how Davenport’s is such a special part of their family memories. I love talking with customers who knew my grandparents and have great stories to share,” says Amanda. “It’s an honor to continue serving generations of customers and also to continue the legacy that our grandparents started so long ago.”