Tuscaloosa Firefighters’ Restaurant, the Station, Closes After Year on Hargrove Road

A Hargrove Road pizzeria and sandwich shop that was launched by a trio of Tuscaloosa firefighters just over a year ago has closed.

As the Thread previously reported, firefighter Josh Julian opened the Station in April 2025 in partnership with TFR Captains Derrick Riddle and Gary House.

Riddle announced the closure on social media Sunday, saying the business shut its doors for the final time last Friday.

"Well, we made a run at it, but it just isn't in the cards to keep the doors open for the Station," Riddle wrote, thanking loyal customers and giving a particular shoutout to his son Brayden, who he said stepped up to keep the restaurant going in its final months.

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The quick-service concept, housed in a building on Hargrove Road East that Riddle and House built for their construction company, specialized in handcrafted sandwiches, thin-crust pizza and rotating specialty desserts.

(Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)

Julian, who also has a stake in TuscNY Pizza on McFarland Circle, said at the time the fire station theme was a natural fit given what all three partners had dedicated their careers to. The Station operated for roughly 15 months before closing.

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