NORTHPORT, Ala. — The Northport City Council will meet Thursday evening to consider whether to move forward with a development agreement that could bring Big Mike’s Steakhouse from Moundville to Northport, across from Walmart, in a deal built around city financing, long-term rent and a possible 20-year restaurant commitment.
The special called meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. at Northport City Hall, and the only item on the agenda is a public hearing on a resolution authorizing the Project Development Agreement with Sucarnoochee Investments, LLC and Winship, LLC. If approved, the plan would set in motion a project the city says would not exceed $4.8 million in principal investment, making this one of the most closely watched local decisions in alabama this week.
Under the proposal, Winship would construct an approximately 6,720-square-foot commercial building for use as Big Mike’s Steakhouse, then the city would purchase the finished property and lease it back to the restaurant. Big Mike’s would pay 5% of gross sales each year as rent, while 2% of sales tax and 2% from a potential cooperative district would go toward repaying the city’s debt. The city would keep the remaining 1% of sales tax for its general fund.
The arrangement is tied to a long commitment from the restaurant. Big Mike’s would agree to operate at the Northport location for at least 20 years, and if it does, it would be able to buy the property for $100. Adoption of the resolution has been recommended, but the council’s vote is not a formality; the proposal still has to survive a public hearing and the political scrutiny that comes with using public financing to land a private business.
That scrutiny is already visible online. Some residents have objected on social media, saying the city is giving too much away at a time when the restaurant business is volatile. The criticism lands because the deal asks Northport to shoulder the upfront cost and hold the property while the restaurant keeps the upside of a move that supporters see as a long-sought addition to the city’s dining scene.
Big Mike’s is currently in Moundville and has drawn diners from West Alabama and East Mississippi, with the restaurant described by supporters as one of the most requested dining additions among Northport residents. It also carries a reputation that has helped build the case for the move: it was voted the number one steakhouse in the State of Alabama by the Alabama Cattleman’s Association and operates locations in Andalusia, Auburn, Bay Minette, Guntersville, Millbrook, Orange Beach and Thomasville.
If the council signs off Thursday, the deal would move into a second phase that includes forming a cooperative district, finalizing financing and heading into legal validation proceedings through Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court. For now, the key question is not whether Big Mike’s is wanted in Northport. It is whether city leaders are ready to put public money behind the move and accept the terms that come with it.
