By Zeb Hargett

A lot is happening in Mobile these days and the buzz is getting louder every day.  A few of the projects underway include a new airline terminal being built at Brookley Field, and a well-deserved and much-needed Hall of Fame Walk on Water Street downtown, honoring the five Major League Baseball Hall of Famers, and one National Football League HOFer, Robert Brazille. The statues of Satchel Paige, Henry Aaron, Willie McCovey, Ozzie Smith, and Billy Williams display the most HOFers from any city in the United States. Pretty amazing! 

The finishing touches on the demolition of Mobile’s ancient Civic Center were hurried along with help from Snowmageddon, making way for a new state-of-the-art entertainment facility. This, among many other happenings in Mobile, makes for exciting times and a bright future. I have even noticed survey crews mapping the new bridge that will clear the log jam of traffic that occurs daily, especially on weekends. What took so long? 

When Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced plans for the new entertainment center, long in anticipation, it created a dilemma for the many Mardi Gras societies that counted on the Civic Center for loading and unloading their floats and using the space to hold their balls. Where would they go to celebrate this 300-year-old tradition? (Ok, the Civic Center isn’t that old, but you get the point.)

Enter Sarah Clark, the entrepreneur extraordinaire who’s never backed away from a challenge or opportunity. She is the founder of Bay Gourmet Catering and Events. Six years ago, Sarah took a big leap of faith and left her small catering kitchen to expand into Crown Hall, her current event space, which was created in the old Red Cross building at Broad and Dauphin Street.

At the time, Sarah wanted to have her own event space and a commercial kitchen that would allow her to expand her catering business and host events. We wrote about Sarah and Crown Hall a couple of years ago, and have watched her business grow to build her reputation as one of the top events and catering businesses in the area. 

As luck would have it, as soon as she opened Crown Hall six years ago, Covid happened. Because it’s the only way Sarah knows, she adjusted and navigated her way through the pandemic serving take-home meals out the door, and survived. 

When Sarah heard the news about the Civic Center being replaced, she went into overdrive. “I immediately started looking for a larger building that would be able to host many of the displaced Mardi Gras balls. I found a historic building that was home to the Mobile Antique Mall. They were planning to close the business, so it seemed like a good opportunity.”

She hoped to purchase the property, renovate the building, and be open by this season’s Mardi Gras. Things took longer than expected, as they always do, so she backed off the aggressive opening date to make sure everything was done to her satisfaction. She now expects the new space to open by late Spring or early Summer.

“The new space will be called Crown on St. Louis. We will have 30,000 sf interior space with five rooms that can be configured to fit any size event. We will have 5,000 sf of outdoor space with room to block off the side street to accommodate larger parties. Because we are right off the parade routes, Mardi Gras floats can pull up to the Crown on St. Louis’ building entrance so revelers can hop off and go to the ball. We will even have a separate room for the Krewe’s members.”

Sarah has already started booking events. Camp-Rap-a-Hope has booked Crown on St. Louis for its 300-guest 40th-anniversary party. For 2026, bookings include a car dealer show party, an office Christmas party, several rehearsal dinners and wedding events, and one Mardi Gras ball.

Taking on a project this big can be daunting. Sarah is a can-do person who is incorporating many things to make the space an inviting, fun experience for her guests. She engaged Don Bowden Architecture to help design the renovation, and Rogers and Willard are doing the construction.

“The acoustics, the beautiful interiors, and especially the lighting are so important,” says Sarah. “Going from a retail building to a first-class place for people to gather has had its challenges, but I’m excited about what this event space can be. The building has a personality and a good feel.”

Sarah was drawn to the neighborhood because she thought it had a cool vibe. “Our across-the-street neighbors are fun. This Lower St. Louis Street area has so much potential.” Those neighbors include The Wingman Brewing Company (by Fairhope Brewing), The Cheese Cottage restaurant, and BoHayden’s sports bar. “There’s a lot of Mobile history here.”

Sarah utilized the Small Business Administration for her loan. Financing is through the Climate First Bank, which is the first FDIC-insured bank dedicated to the environment and sustainability. “They really understood the big picture and embraced it,” she tells me. The space is designed to be extremely versatile. “We will be oriented toward entertainment and sports events, but I hope to attract events like the Mobile Ballet, Mobile’s Big Band Society, and have street parties.”

Crown on St. Louis can accommodate up to 3000 guests inside and much larger groups outdoors. Upstairs will be the Bay Gourmet offices and space to accommodate brides for weddings and rehearsals. Sarah purchased two empty lots next door for additional parking and a freestanding building that she envisions as a restaurant one day.

What about Bay Gourmet? I ask. “We’re not going anywhere," she says. This will help us grow. We do a lot of offsite catering throughout the area including the Eastern Shore, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach. We have everything you need to throw any size party you can imagine. Furthermore, we  will be the exclusive caterer for on-site events, and I’m excited about our new commercial kitchen.”

Sarah’s enthusiasm is infectious. She earned her stripes in the firing line and built Bay Gourmet’s reputation as one of the top catering companies in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. Nothing rattles her, and there is no opportunity too big that she’s not willing to tackle. 

Her first event at Crown on St. Louis is scheduled for September 2025. Until then, she will continue to operate at her present Crown Hall location, where she has been for 6 years. We hosted our inaugural South by South wine dinner there last May, and it was a huge success. Another is planned for this spring, but more on that later.

Best of luck to Sarah, Chef Jayme Richburg, and the entire Bay Gourmet team. We can’t wait to see the finished venue. Stay tuned for the Grand Opening of Crown on St. Louis this summer. I know they will knock it out of the park!