Mississippi-based Marshall Steakhouse and Resort plans to expand into Jefferson County with a $15 million development at Hallmark Farms on the Warrior River.
Home of Birmingham’s 2022 Decorators’ Showhouse, Hallmark Farms is visible to travelers on I-65 and is a landmark near Birmingham. The lake and farmhouse are on the west side, and Marshall Steakhouse and the RV park will be located on the east side. (The two sides are accessible to each other via a tunnel under the interstate).
“It’s a beautiful spot and one that fits into my business model,” says Randall Swaney, president and founder of Marshall Steakhouse.
Swaney opened the first Marshall Steakhouse in Holly Springs, Mississippi, near Memphis, Tennessee, five years ago.
“The theory is to put it on the edge of the city, not too far away, so that people can get there in 30-45 minutes,” Swaney says. The Birmingham location fits that model, as does Lebanon, Tennessee, near Nashville, which will be announced this week. Other locations are planned near Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas.
The Alabama Marshall Steakhouse will be “nearly identical” to the one in Holly Springs.
“It’s a giant building, not a beautiful building,” Swaney says. “But when you walk in the front door, people actually say, ‘Wow!’ You have 250-year-old cedar trees holding up the mezzanine level.”
Marshall Steakhouse in Hallmark Farms will include a 9,000-square-foot restaurant, 7,000-square-foot retail store, 120-seat bar and 120-seat banquet hall. In addition, the 95-acre development will include a Class A RV Park and Resort.
“The RV park is a huge part of it,” Swaney says. “When I’d talk to people, a lot of them were traveling across the country in RVs. Most people who have RVs want to eat something good.”
Swaney, who says raising the money for the development should be done “in short order,” says the restaurant will open about a year after construction begins.
The 565-acre Hallmark Farms was purchased in 2019 by the Hallmark Farms Cooperative, a partnership between the city of Warrior and the Jefferson County Commission. The cooperative still plans to keep the home and barn intact for special events.
“We are delighted to be a part of the expansion plans for Marshall Steakhouse and RV Resort,” says Hallmark Farms Cooperative President and Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons. “Hallmark Farms is an optimal location for growth in north Jefferson County. This iconic property creates great visibility, drawing interstate traffic and creating local revenue that will produce even more economic growth for this region.”
