Mountain Brook native acquires Zydeco

In conjunction with its forthcoming 35th anniversary, Zydeco has announced new ownership by Birmingham (Mountain Brook) native Arthur Hood. Hood acquired the Zydeco corporation from previous owner Layne Flournoy.  

Hood was raised in Mountain Brook before relocating to Dallas, Texas. In addition to a number of commercial and residential developments in Alabama, VC funding, and investments in the energy sector, Hood and HV Entertainment also own and operate a variety of restaurants, clubs, and live music venues in Dallas, Lexington, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Plans for Zydeco's 35th anniversary celebration will be announced soon. Zydeco is housed inside the historic Phoenix Club Building on the southeast corner of 20th Street and 15th Avenue South. The building dates back to 1909, when it was constructed for the Birmingham Chapter of The Phoenix Club, an exclusive men’s social club. Numerous renovations  and upgrades have taken place since that time, with the building being repurposed in 1989 as Zydeco, a restaurant, bar, and live music venue, by original founder Steven Knight.  

Since 1989, Zydeco has hosted numerous live acts, including Counting Crows, The Descendants,  Joan Osbourne, John Mayer, 3rd Eye Blind, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Train, Bright Eyes, Big K.R.I.T., Chris  Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Allison Krauss, Dierks Bentley, Luke Combs, and countless others.  

Through a myriad of changes and numerous restaurant and venue closures (5 Points Music Hall, The  Studio, Louie Louie’s, etc.) Zydeco has been mainstay of Birmingham's historic Five Points South  business district for 34 years and counting. 

Zydeco is open Tuesday-Saturday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Sundays and Mondays for select concerts.  

--Submitted by Mat Raymond