By Chanda Temple
In late 2024, Armando Martinez wanted to bring a restaurant to downtown Birmingham, where people could experience elevated Tex Mex and his Mexican roots.
As he drove by a building with boarded-up windows at Second Avenue and 13th Street North, he took a deep breath and wondered, “What if?”
What if this spot could become his spot.
At the time, there were no sidewalks and the brush was overgrown. But there was possibility.
“What I saw was Regions Field and Railroad Park,” Armando, 31, said, citing that the building is less than one block from both. “I said, ‘Those are two anchors that can sustain this place. And there were also a few apartments that were done at the time, and two apartments under construction.’ ”
The idea simmered within his soul for a few months. He even looked at another location a few blocks over. But there was something about the building in the Parkside District that pulled him back.
In 2025, he contacted the landlord, and they had several conversations about Armando’s vision. Eventually, Armando inked a deal for the location, which will officially open in late April 2026 for lunch and dinner. He calls the restaurant De Nada, which means “You’re Welcome,” in Spanish.
