A light rain could not dampen the mood as a crowd gathered outside of Mazzara’s Vinoteca, located in the Humphreys-Rodgers House on Gates Avenue, to celebrate the announcement that ChurchStreet Family Restaurant & Hospitality Group has been named one of five Alabama Retailers of the Year for 2024.

The announcement took place on the morning of September 5.

Matt and Stephanie Mell, owners of ChurchStreet Family Restaurant & Hospitality Group, operate nine successful bars and restaurants in Huntsville and Athens.

The Alabama Retail Association presented the award to the Mells at their Huntsville headquarters, located in Downtown Huntsville.

The competition for the award was fierce, with the ChurchStreet group being one of 62 nominees for this year’s Alabama Retailer of the Year awards. The Mells won the award in the Annual Sales More Than $5 Million category.

Ashley Engles-Ross, vice president of Small Business at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, opened the celebration by congratulating the Mells on their outstanding win.

David Little, President of the Huntsville City Council, followed Engles-Ross.

“The Alabama Retailer of the Year judges in this category are all former winners of this award and they chose the Mells and the ChurchStreet Family because of the diversity of their restaurant and bar concepts, their overall business model, their community involvement, and customer experience,” explained Little.

Little emphasized that the hospitality industry has a reputation for being a challenging line of work. This makes it all the more impressive, then, that the Mells operate not one — but nine — distinct businesses.

Rick Brown, President of the Alabama Retail Association, explained that the process of presenting this award evolved during the pandemic. In years past, the award was presented in a ballroom in Birmingham.

After Covid, the Alabama Retail Association started taking award presentations “on the road.” Celebrating business owners in the communities they serve has created a more personal, hometown feel to these occasions.

Stephanie Mell took to the podium to express her gratitude to the Retail Association for this recognition.

“Matt and I want to thank the Alabama Retail Association for this award,” said Mell. “To be selected from among all the amazing retailers in the state is overwhelming and we couldn’t be more humbled by this honor. Hospitality is a team sport and this is a team win.”

Mell voiced her appreciation for all the staff members — hostesses, servers, bartenders, chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, and dishwashers — who make ChurchStreet Family run smoothly every day.

The Mells employ over 90 people in the Huntsville and Athens communities.

“We are blessed to live in a city with a very supportive local government that works equally hard to ensure its small, local businesses succeed,” Mell continued. “We strive every day to make a positive impact on our community and in our state. This award today shows that hard work and positive outlook, combined with talent and a culture that rewards creativity and personal growth, nurtures a successful environment for everybody.”

A second event took place at Li’l Mazzara’s in Athens at 11 a.m. Li’l Mazzara’s is located on Washington Street.

To explore each of the ChurchStreet Family bars and restaurants, visit https://churchstreetfamily.com/.