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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hero Doughnuts
A variety of doughnuts are displayed as guests make their orders at Hero Doughnuts and Buns onCentral Avenue in Homewood. Hero Doughnuts will open a new location in Trussville in the coming months.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hero Doughnuts
Georgia Boles places doughnuts in a box as sheprepares an order.
Trussville could be getting its own Hero Doughnuts and Buns storefront as early as May, and the new location will be slightly different from the original storefront in Homewood.
The 2,500-square-foot space on Main Street will have 45 to 60 indoor seats and 20 patio seats. The Trussville location will also have a drive-through lane, which is an upgrade that’s unique to Trussville.
Hero is also anticipating the opening of an Atlanta location this year, but the Trussville location will be the second Hero location in Alabama. Angie Mosier with Pihakis Restaurant Group said Trussville’s government and recent growth had an influence in the restaurant group’s decision to open there.
“The people out there are really into their community, too,” Mosier said. “And Hero is a home-grown business. It’s people who understand the community, who understand some of the vibe of a neighborhood like Trussville.”
The new Hero will be next door to the future Rodney Scott’s BBQ, which will open in the former Joel’s Restaurant location. Rodney Scott’s BBQ is also a part of Pihakis Restaurant Group.
“It was the perfect place to put a Hero Doughnuts, too, since we also have Rodney Scott’s,” Mosier said. “They complement each other — they don’t cancel each other out.”
The decision to open these two Alabama-grown restaurants comes at a popular time for Trussville. In the past couple of years, Trussville has seen the opening of Edgar’s Bakery, Chicken Salad Chick and Taco Mama, which are all eateries that began in Alabama.
“We’re seeing and identifying that people are hungry for something that’s not the same everywhere,” Mosier said. “People are shifting back to seeing the value of a smaller business.”
The city of Birmingham is known for these home-grown businesses. Until recently, people living in Trussville would typically have to make the drive to the Magic City to get a taste of something unique. With the opening of Hero in Trussville, Mosier notes that they won’t have to do that.
“I think it will be nice for the people living in that area to be able, if they want to take their kids to Hero Doughnuts on a Saturday morning, then they don’t have to go so far,” she said. “The suburbs tend to have the same restaurants in every single suburb. But just because you live in the suburbs, that doesn’t mean you should have to drive 30 or 45 minutes to get to the independent places.”
Hero opened its Homewood location just two years ago, after founders Will Drake and Jason Wallace made a name for themselves selling doughnuts at Pepper Place. Mosier said in her time working with Hero, she’s learned that it’s the people who make it magical.
“It’s been so fun to watch how it’s really a community gathering place,” she said. “You see people who really don’t know each other getting to know each other, either because their kids are playing together or because they’re sitting next to each other or standing in line. It’s fun seeing people gather and talk in line over a cup of coffee.”
This gathering space isn’t just for people who like doughnuts. Since Hero expanded its menu last fall to also include sandwiches and burgers all day, she said she has seen people who work odd shifts come in for a cheeseburger at 7 a.m.
“Because of the flexibility of the menu, and because it’s such a cheerful space, it’s brought people in and it encourages community conversation,” she said.
She sees people coming in for business meetings as well.
“It’s so funny to watch even professionals with their computers out not be fazed with kids running around with doughnuts,” she said, laughing.
Even though the business is only two years old, Mosier said she can already tell people are making memories there.
“They take tons of pictures,” she said. “They post them on social media. We’re hoping Hero just becomes one of those generational businesses."
For more information, visit herodoughnuts.com.
