“Community service and exceptional sales growth” earned Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Spanish Fort the title of Alabama’s 2024 Retailer of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association in its “Annual Sales $1 Million to $5 Million” category, said the former Retailers of the Year who served as judges. Linda Kessler and her husband, Larry, and two sons, Nick and Joel, own and operate the Spanish Fort Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. Nick’s wife, Lauren, serves as marketing director. After a decade in Spanish Fort, they expanded their 3,000-ft2 restaurant in the Spanish Fort Shopping Center on Highway 90 to 4,200 ft2 in 2016. Last year, the Kesslers’ Beef ‘O’ Brady’s franchise moved to a new, more efficient 3,700-ft2 freestanding building and patio at 8495 Spanish Fort Boulevard. The new footprint includes 2,000ft2 of rental space currently occupied by 3 Arrows Butcher. Despite being closed for six weeks, the Kesslers’ business had a record 23% sales increase in 2023. The company also invests heavily in the community. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is one of five businesses in four categories honored in this year’s competition. Winners were selected from 37 entries submitted from a pool of 62 nominees.