BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After years of vacancy, the historic Shepherd-Sloss Building in Five Points South is returning to life, welcoming a new club-style restaurant and lounge, Sakéroom, at 2007 Highland Ave South — a site long known for its clock-topped facade and lively entertainment history.
Completed in 1928, the Shepherd-Sloss Building is a prominent example of Venetian Renaissance Revival architecture by Charles H. McCauley, anchoring the southeast corner of 20th Street South and Highland Avenue in the Five Points district. Locals recall the iconic Barber’s clock that adorned its rooftop in the 1950s, a landmark advertising sign visible for blocks around and a symbol of Birmingham’s bustling commercial era. The intersection itself has been a signature city hub since the late 19th century, originally formed by streetcar lines and growing as a focal point for entertainment, commerce and community events.
Throughout its storied past, the building hosted a parade of restaurants, bars and music venues: Cadillac Café, Bellbottoms, Uranus, Crush, Fletcher’s, Black Market Bar + Grill, Buck Mulligan’s, Kohinoor, Pyramid’s, Little New Orleans, Twist & Shout piano bar and Dugan’s — each leaving an imprint on the city’s nightlife. Patrons recall Bellbottoms as one of Birmingham’s most vibrant clubs of the late 1990s and early 2000s, drawing crowds until trends shifted and Lakeview eclipsed Five Points as a nightlife destination. The building’s last major nightlife tenant, Crush, shuttered in 2012, leaving the space largely dormant for more than a decade.
Recent years saw most Shepherd-Sloss units up for lease, with Pop’s Neighborhood Grill now the sole, steady occupant around the corner. Sakéroom’s launch ushers in a new era, with plans for Tokyo street art-inspired interiors, neon installations and late-night energy intended to rekindle Five Points South’s reputation as the city’s entertainment crossroads.
The new lounge signals renewed interest in the district’s “feel and authenticity,” blending forward-looking hospitality with nostalgia for the commercial legacy and landmark status the Shepherd-Sloss Building has cultivated over nearly a century.