Lapeer Steak & Seafood, a “boutique dining, bold flavors” restaurant in Alpharetta, Ga., is making the leap to Alabama.
A Birmingham location of Lapeer is in the works, with an opening planned for Nov. 3 at The Hardwick, 2308 First Ave. South, Suite 104. Lapeer will be among the first few tenants to open at the mixed-use development, in a 110-year-old warehouse that’s been transformed along the Rotary Trail.
Ballard Designs, a furniture and home decor store, opened at The Hardwick in October 2024. Epice, a Lebanese bistro with an original location in Nashville, opened in April 2025. The Hardwick, the former home of a steel processing plant, covers 60,000 square feet over three stories, according to Williams Blackstock Architects.
Blake Hartley will be the chef and culinary director at Lapeer in Birmingham, a job he also holds at the Alpharetta location. Hartley, 35, a Tuscaloosa native, previously worked under two of Birmingham’s best-known chefs — Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings — at Bottega and Hot & Hot Fish Club, respectively…