“I’ve always loved to cook, and I used to help my mother and grandmother growing up,” she said.
Later, McMakin attended the University of Alabama, where she became interested in culinary school and took a few hotel and restaurant management classes.
“My dad, who also went to UA, encouraged me to major in something business-related because it’s very versatile, so I majored in marketing and advertising.”
After graduating in 2002, she married her husband Andy, who had graduated from UA in accounting. She landed a job at a small advertising agency, and soon afterward, she and a friend from work started a small catering business.
“At first we just did it for friends and family, but we eventually both left our jobs because we got so busy with the catering,” she said.
When her friend had a baby a year later, McMakin continued with the catering business. Her husband, whom she described as “very entrepreneurial,” was trying to plan his next career step. This was when the concept for Ashley Mac’s was born. Her first catering and to-go storefront opened in Bluff Park in 2007.
Her first cafe with a dining room opened in Cahaba Heights in 2010, followed by Inverness in 2013, Riverchase in 2015 and Homewood in 2018 and the Pizitz Food Hall downtown in 2020.
“We put so much time and energy into that first location; after that, we just learned how to make it work. Andy’s accounting background paid off a lot.”
McMakin said that as the Birmingham area continued to grow, they saw the need to expand locations, which prompted the opening of the Brock’s Gap location.
“It’s going great; we’ve met lots of new customers,” she said. “We have a lot of people who stop to grab something to take to the lake or on the way to the beach.”
The Brock’s Gap opening was extra special for her because Chawanna Conner, a team member who has been with her from the beginning, did the honor of cutting the ribbon.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Mac's Kitchen.
Chawanna Conner, who has been with Ashley since the beginning, cuts the ribbon at the restaurant's new location in Knox Square.
“Eighteen years ago, when I was working out of my kitchen, she lived below us and started helping us out, going with us to the market,” she said. “I was so glad to have her present for the opening.”
All locations have the same menu, so customers can expect the same favorites wherever they go. For new customers, McMakin recommends the Salad Trio, where customers can choose three salads or sides, such as their popular chicken salad or baby bleu salad.
“It’s a good sampler for new customers who want to try a little bit of each,” she said.
If you have a sweet tooth, McMakin suggests her signature dessert, strawberry cake, made with fresh, not frozen, strawberries. A close second, she said, is their Wedding Cake, vanilla cake with light buttercream frosting. Those with a cookie craving can try one of her Mac cookies, including the Confetti Mac, an oversized Funfetti cookie, or the Peanut Butter Mac. Customers with a heavier appetite may want to try the AndyMac, named after her husband. Made with a double beef patty with Havarti cheese, poppy’s pickles and their special chop sauce, the burger is only available on Fridays and Saturdays.
And as the holidays approach, McMakin said you can expect to see some favorites from years past return: the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookie, as well as the Turkey Cranberry Melt sandwich. Customers can also check the menu online in the next few weeks for holiday-themed items.
McMakin said her future plans are to make Ashley Mac’s a part of the conversation all across the state.
“We want to expand outside of Birmingham; we want to open in places like Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Huntsville, and Fairhope.”
McMakin said she would not have been able to do it without the love and support of her family and her executive team based in Cahaba Heights.
“Our team is very special to us,” she said. “We credit the Lord with blessing us with so many great people.”
The new Brock’s Gap location of Ashley Mac’s is located at 5840 Elsie Road in Hoover. For more information, call 205-360-0221 or visit ashleymacs.com for up-to-date hours and specials.