City Council Approves Incentives Package to Draw Steakhouse to Northport

A popular Alabama steakhouse will begin work on a new location in Northport after the city council there approved a tax incentive package to attract them Monday.

As the Thread reported last week, the city is courting Diamond Jim's & Mrs. Donna's, a beloved restaurant on Highway 28 in Livingston.

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The five-member council unanimously approved the incentives Monday night. which will see the steakhouse built on vacant land near the new Los Tarascos on Highway 43 north of City Hall.

The incentives approved do not create new debt for the city and instead will rebate half of the sales tax the steakhouse generates for seven years or until the rebates exceed $500,000 - whichever comes first.

Council President Jeff Hogg said just building the restaurant will mean a nearly $2 million investment in Northport, and when it opens, it will create jobs and fill a need there, where citizens have long asked for a steakhouse or a similar high-quality "sit-down" restaurant.

"I really appreciate everyone getting behind Diamond Jim's, we know y'all are going to do really well here in Northport," Hogg said.

"I've just heard a lot of people in our city say they wish we had a real nice sit-down restaurant available," mayor John Hinton said Monday. "When this was mentioned as a possibility, people have been very very happy and we look forward to getting this in our city."