Alan Alford, his wife Kathy, and their son Taylor co-own (with Coby Lake) and operate Ferus by the Bay, a new brew pub and restaurant on the corner of Church Street and De La Mare in the heart of downtown Fairhope. If you’re not familiar with the place, that’s understandable. Church Street has been closed and under construction since Ferus by the Bay opened six months ago. With construction now complete, it’s as if they just re-opened. And it’s good!

Alan grew up in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, and worked as a real estate appraiser after spending ten years working with his dad’s business, Central Motors. The 2009 recession changed the appraisal business, so Alan got his real estate license and began working with Coby Lake, buying, renovating, and selling real estate investment properties.

Coby envisioned revitalizing the impoverished neighborhood of Birmingham known as Avondale, purchased a loft apartment, and moved their offices there.  Coby continued to purchase dilapidated properties in the area and soon owned 12 buildings, all in need of major renovations.  Avondale Brewing Company opened in October 2011.  

With the success of Avondale Brewing Company, others soon followed. Post Office Pies, Fancy’s on Fifth, Melt, Saws BBQ, and Saturn Music opened in Avondale, and the area soon became the go-to spot for entertainment. Avondale Brewing was the centerpiece of the neighborhood as more and more tenants occupied the renovated buildings.

Avondale Brewery Company sold to Good People Brewing Company in October 2017. Alan stayed for a couple of months to help with the transition. At about that time, Coby and Alan were approached by the City of Trussville about doing a similar renovation on a city block that had seen better days. A good portion of the property was old industrial with some storefronts on one of Trussville’s main streets.

A 22,000-square-foot warehouse became the home to the Ferus Artisan Ales production facility. As it did in Avondale, this became the focal point of the Trussville redevelopment. Meanwhile, Coby moved to Fairhope, living in the large, white home across the street from what is now Ferus by the Bay. Sitting on his front porch, he saw potential in the long-closed bed and breakfast standing on the corner.

Alan and Coby purchased the property and began renovating just as Covid hit. In August 2021, Alan and Coby swapped places. Alan and Kathy moved to Fairhope while Coby returned to Birmingham. The idea was to bring the Ferus concept to Fairhope. They wanted to keep a similar menu as the Ferus Artisan Ale location in Trussville. “We could see the potential with a nice deck to enjoy the Fairhope scenery,” said Alan. The renovation took 16 months.

Ferus by the Bay offers several brews from the Trussville brewery. It has a full bar with wine and serves upscale pub food that is really good. Alan says they are considering expanding the menu to include some local favorites with their own twist, seafood especially.

Ferus by the Bay has a cool interior, TVs inside, a large, elevated deck outside, and a patio out front. They have beer and drink specials daily. They are open every day of the week except Monday at 11 am and have Happy Hour from 2:00 PM until 6:00 pm Tuesday through Friday.

Now that the Church Street construction is complete, stop by Ferus by the Bay and try one of their beers and burgers. My favorite is the Swiss and Mushroom burger. Also, try their Pimento Cheese and Pita appetizer. And look for new additions to come to the menu soon! 

Welcome to Fairhope Ferus!  

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