Thelma's Kitchen opens first restaurant in Clanton
Published on Friday, April 19, 2024 at 12:44 p.m.
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James and Renita Brown recently opened Thelma's Kitchen Restaurant in Clanton, the company's first brick-and-mortar operation. (Carrie Reader | Advertiser)
James Brown's mother, Thelma, graces the back wall overlooking the dining area inside Thelma's Kitchen, 1211 2nd Avenue N., Clanton. (Carrie Reader | Advertiser)
A ribbon cutting ceremony with the Chilton County Chamber of Commerce was held April 12 at Thelma's Kitchen. (Chilton Chamber | Contributed)
Written by Carrie Reeder | Editor-in-Chief
One of the Birmingham area's most established food trucks has opened its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Clanton. Thelma's Kitchen Food His truck has been a staple in the Southeast for over 25 years, with Renita and James Brown traveling the region attending festivals and gatherings, offering their family recipes.
James Brown's mother, Thelma, was a talented cook throughout her life. When she cooked for the public, she cooked for small gatherings and receptions, such as baby showers. James noticed and soon joined her mother's interest in cooking.
Then, in 1997, James purchased a food truck and started his own restaurant business. After a while, Thelma let go of her cooking job, got into a food truck with her son, and Thelma's Her Kitchen was born.
“She had been cooking for the public for five years, but when she started cooking, she thought, “There's no point in giving up something good.'' Because every time she cooked, she ran out of food. “Because it's going to get worse,” James Brown said. “She was always cooking delicious food in the kitchen. I know people say she can cook because her mother grew up cooking, but she had a taste for the masses. When I cooked the food, everyone was very happy.”
James Brown continued to follow her recipes, and Thelma continued to cook to her recipes, which had been passed down through the Brown family. Even after she passed away, James continued to follow her mother's recipes and never left her mother's spirit on the menu. Our current menu is a combination of over 25 years of recipes, perfectly tailored and lovingly prepared.
Renita met James and soon began helping out at the food truck, which became a family business when the two married. Although the couple helped their food truck and business flourish, it was always their goal to have a sit-down style restaurant. They tried it a few years ago, but the timing wasn't ideal for them. But after using it for a few months, I found that I had great success in a short period of time.
“It was a success, but there were management problems,” James Brown said. “We always wanted a brick-and-mortar (store), but this is just the next level of food trucks.”
Thelma's Kitchen food truck has been a mainstay at Chilton County gatherings and festivals for years, with the couple attending events such as The Reunion and Peach Jam Jubilee, feeding hungry residents. It was a product. The visit gave them a chance to see the area, and those experiences reassured them that Clanton might be the perfect location for their first sit-down restaurant.
James is friends with the owner of the building on Second Avenue in the West End and has been lobbying for a restaurant there for 10 years. Finally, in April 2024, he did it.
“It's exciting, but it's also scary because you're trying to get customers, so you're stepping into uncharted territory that's different than a food truck,” Renita Brown said. “But we're very excited. We're looking for people who can feed them.”
Thelma's Kitchen is located at 1211 2nd Ave. N. in Clanton and serves fresh, homemade food including fresh chicken tenders and fries daily. 90% of the food that comes out of restaurants is unprocessed. The only items on the menu that aren't cooked in the restaurant are hot dogs, sweet potato fries, and okra. Everything else is handmade in our kitchen and cooked to order.
The restaurant's interior is intimate and colorful, with portraits of its namesake greeting guests from the wall behind the counter, further continuing Thelma's legacy with the same goals in mind: community, food, and love .
“The people of the West End have really supported us and come in almost every day for something to eat. We are excited to be in the West End and see new customers come in every day. “Renita Brown said. “We cook with love. We love our neighbors and we need more love in this area, so we try to spread the love.”
